[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4394]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING NORTH PANOLA HIGH SCHOOL

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                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable school, North Panola High School of Sardis, Mississippi and 
the great leadership it is under.
  North Panola High School is a rural high school situated on the 
eastern edge of the Mississippi delta. For many years the high school 
has been a part of a school district that had been plagued by low test 
scores, violence and a negative school culture. The school district had 
been taken over by the state several times due to year after year of 
low test scores.
  In July of 2011, Robert King, Conservator of the North Panola School 
District, hired Jamone Edwards as the principal of North Panola High 
School. Jamone Edwards, a graduate of Mississippi State University and 
The University of Mississippi, was the youngest principal the school 
had ever witnessed. He brought innovative ideas and worked tirelessly 
to increase teacher morale and create a positive school culture. Under 
his leadership and the staff's support, the school has made significant 
gains in the accountability model in which schools are rated. Prior to 
the new leadership, for many years the school was considered low 
performing and on academic watch. During his tenure, the school rose to 
Successful, which is equivalent to a C school. In the 2013-14 school 
year, Mr. Edwards led the school to its first ever High Performing 
Status, which is equivalent to a B school. This is a remarkable 
achievement as the school had never experienced such success and 
recognition.
  Additionally, since 2010, the school has many successes to celebrate. 
The school's graduation rate was at an all-time low of 49 percent in 
2010. Since that time, the graduation rate has risen to 73 percent for 
the 2013-14 academic school year. Currently, the high school is 
projected to have a graduation rate of 85 percent for the 2014-15 
accountability rating. In addition, Algebra I and U.S. History subject 
area test scores have surpassed the state's average, and English II and 
Biology I state test scores are slightly trailing the state's average.
  North Panola High School has also made significant improvement in 
preparing students for college and acquiring scholarships. In 2010, the 
mean ACT score was 14.8. Since that time, several students of North 
Panola High School have scored 20 or better on the ACT. In 2010, the 
high school graduating seniors had generated $150,000 in scholarship 
monies. In 2014, the high school graduating class of approximately 80 
students received in excess more that $2 Million in scholarship monies 
creating more opportunities for our children to succeed in college and 
careers after high school.
  In March 2015, North Panola High School received an award from the 
State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Carey M. Wright and the 
Mississippi Department of Education for closing the achievement gap 
between black and white students in the area of English/Language Arts 
and Mathematics. North Panola was one of the only predominantly 
minority high schools to be recognized with the Distinguished School 
Award. As a result, North Panola High School received $23,750.05 to 
further enhance the students' overall educational experience.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing North 
Panola High School for its dedication to serving our great state of 
Mississippi and country.

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