Three of the 13 eligible schools in the Vicksburg Warren School District advanced a level and one dropped a step, according to test data released Tuesday by the Mississippi Department of Education.

Beechwood, Dana Road and Redwood elementaries moved up to Level 4 schools, meaning exemplary, and Warren Central Junior High dropped back to Level 3, meaning successful, after being at Level 4 last year.

Bowmar Elementary remained at a Level 5, meaning superior performing, this year. The other schools in the district all ranked Level 3. Grove Street School, which houses special programs, did not particpate in the tests.

&#8220The bar was raised this year,” said Superintendent James Price. &#8220We, as a district, had to score 15 points higher on average per child to stay at the same level.”

Starting in 2003, school performance classifications have been assigned statewide by the Mississippi Department of Education after results from the Mississippi Curriculum Test are compared. The state’s ranking method meets the criteria later set in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The achievement levels are raised each year and for a school to advance a level, students must score higher than they did the year before.

Schools are rated from Level 1, the lowest, to Level 5, the highest, based on state test scores.

The levels are based on test results that show achievement and growth in reading, language and math tests. The ranking tests are part of a battery students undergo each year.

Price credits the new benchmark system put in place this past year with the level improvements.

The weekly benchmark tests for third through sixth grades are written by lead teachers from each school in the district. None of the teachers sees the tests before they give them to students, which prevents them from teaching only test material.

&#8220Are we doing better as a district? Yes, but we always use these tests to find our strengths and weaknesses,” he said.

&#8220We have to remember it’s one snapshot of one week of the school year,” he said. &#8220To me, it doesn’t say, ‘You’re good, you’re bad or you’re average.’ To me, it says, ‘You need work here, here and here.’”.

Exact test score information was to be made public by the state Thursday.

The data released this week is &#8220unofficial,” meaning if a district has a discrepancy with the posted results, it can file a dispute with the state. The state Board of Education will approve the ratings during its September meeting.