Case Studies

Instructional Leadership: The Key to Improving Student Performance

School: Okaluna School
State/District: Mississippi
Content Area: ELA, Algebra, History, Biology
Grade: 7-12

Okolona High School serves 291 students in grades 7-12 with 73% of the students receiving free and reduced lunches. Almost 100% of the student body is African American. To meet the requirements of the Mississippi Accountability Model, the school administers the end-of-course tests identified as the Subject Area Testing Program, Second Edition (SATP2) for grades 9-12. Students must pass the four SATP2 tests to meet graduation requirements. Prior to 2011, student achievement at Okolona High School was in the bottom 15%, the pass rate on the SATP2 assessments was approximately 25%, earning the school an “F” grade.