Summary:
The Joel E. Smilow Collegiate district contains just one elementary school, Smilow Collegiate, a K-4 school serving 547 students in Jackson, MS, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. As the only school in the district, Smilow Collegiate's performance drives all district-level metrics, and it is ranked 128 out of 134 districts (4th percentile) and 347 out of 377 elementary schools statewide (8th percentile) with a 0-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year.
Test scores at Smilow Collegiate are well below state averages in every subject and grade. In 2025-2026, 3rd grade English Language Arts proficiency was 22.8% compared to the state average of 48.5%, and 4th grade ELA proficiency was 36.3% vs. 52.4% statewide. Math scores are even more concerning: only 14.4% of 3rd graders and 23.9% of 4th graders were proficient in math, versus state averages of 48.8% and 51.5% respectively. The school also experienced significant year-over-year declines, with 3rd grade math proficiency dropping 15.1 percentage points from 29.5% to 14.4%.
Despite the challenges, there are a few bright spots. The chronic absenteeism rate of 20.8% is actually below the state average of 23.9%, suggesting attendance is not the main barrier. Additionally, 4th graders outperform 3rd graders in both subjects, indicating the school may be more effective as students progress. However, the school serves a 100% economically disadvantaged population, which often correlates with fewer outside-school learning opportunities. The ranking trend is concerning—the school received 0 stars in 2023-2024 and 2025-2026, with only a brief 1-star bump in 2024-2025—and urgent intervention is needed, especially in early-grade math.
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