Mississippi has undergone a significant transformation in its education system, especially in elementary literacy, despite national trends of declining test scores. In 2013, the state ranked 49th nationally in fourth-grade reading. Today, it ranks ninth for fourth graders and leads the country in overall reading improvement. When adjusted for poverty and student demographics, Mississippi is ranked number one for fourth-grade reading and math, and near the top for eighth grade, according to the Urban Institute. This progress is particularly notable given Mississippi's low education spending and high child poverty rates.
The improvements stem from a comprehensive, top-down reform approach enacted after 2013. Key changes included a focus on the "science of reading," with the Mississippi Department of Education sending literacy and math coaches into low-performing elementary schools to train teachers, and state officials vetting and approving curriculum for most districts. The state also invested in pre-kindergarten programs and implemented a controversial policy of holding back third graders who cannot read proficiently. This policy, which sees 6-9% of third graders retained annually, is not believed to artificially inflate scores, with some researchers suggesting retention can offer short-to-medium-term benefits for students in need.
Beyond reading, Mississippi raised academic standards, introduced a letter-grade accountability system for schools (A to F), and modified how student proficiency is measured. Unlike the No Child Left Behind act, Mississippi measures student progress toward proficiency, giving schools credit for improvement and double credit for gains made by students in the bottom 25%. This approach incentivizes schools to focus on student growth, an area where Mississippi's state involvement is unusually strong. The state's reforms also coincided with record-high graduation rates of 88.9% in 2022-23 and significantly improved scores in math (52.6% proficient) and science (46.7% proficient), with dropout rates falling to 9%. Education officials from nearly 40 other states have reportedly sought guidance from Mississippi on their literacy solutions.
