If we were grading the performance of the Natchez-Adams School District, we’d give them an &uot;A&uot; for finally working diligently to raise the district’s test scores.

How refreshing it is to see the leaders at the district taking a proactive approach to what has long been one of the district’s biggest challenges.

In an effort to boost our children’s scores on state-mandated skills tests, the district has set up three pre-tests to get the students and the teachers ready for the state tests. The students took the first of the tests in September with another to follow in December and one in the spring.

Initial results on the first test show that the tests were not made difficult enough. Administrators have promised to make the next round tougher and more on par with the objectives of the state tests.

We hope our students will surprise the administrators by producing excellent scores on the next round of more difficult tests.

The purpose of the tests may simply seem to be about raising the numbers, but it isn’t that simple.

Dig a little deeper, and listen to teachers and administrators. You’ll hear a new, refreshing attitude. Something magical has begun to happen in our schools.

Administrators and teachers once again have a common goal — to educate each and every child.

And more than test scores and state rankings, that is what our school system should be all about. We believe the district is well on its way to achieving its goal of educating each child and programs such as the pre-tests can do nothing but help them get there faster.