XPost: alt.usage.english, alt.fan.states.mississippi, sac.politics   
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   From: crybaby.alex@diapers.poo   
      
   JACKSON, Miss. (InvestigateTV) — Education officials in nearly 40 states   
   are studying Mississippi’s dramatic literacy transformation.   
      
   Mississippi, once ranked 49th nationally in fourth-grade reading scores   
   in 2013, now ranks ninth in the nation and leads the country in overall   
   reading improvement.   
      
   Amanda Malone, Mississippi’s state literacy director, said the   
   transformation required sustained effort rather than chance.   
      
   “A lot of times people call it the Mississippi miracle,” Malone said.   
   “Now, miracle implies that humans had nothing to do with it. And so it’s   
   not a miracle. Don’t call it the Mississippi miracle. It is really a   
   marathon.”   
      
   Mississippi’s literacy transformation   
   That marathon began in 2013 when state lawmakers passed sweeping   
   legislation aimed at transforming reading instruction. The reforms   
   included hiring literacy coaches to help teachers in classrooms,   
   retraining teachers in science-based reading instruction and requiring   
   third-graders to demonstrate reading proficiency to advance to fourth   
   grade.   
      
   According to Mississippi’s 2023 annual report, 29 states and   
   jurisdictions contacted Mississippi for literacy policy guidance and   
   support. That number jumped to 36 states by November this year.   
      
   The state’s initial third-grade reading pass rate reached an all-time   
   high of 76.3 percent in 2023, with 84.9 percent of students ultimately   
   passing after final retests.   
      
   Shamekia Harris, a kindergarten teacher at Shirly Elementary in Jackson,   
   Mississippi, initially opposed the retention law but now supports the   
   comprehensive approach.   
      
   “Initially, I didn’t like it because I was thinking, okay, well, if that   
   was my child, you know, sometimes students, they have a bad day,” Harris   
   said. “Maybe they just didn’t do well on that test, but it doesn’t mean   
   that he or she doesn’t know the material. But now I feel like, okay, we   
   know about the test, so let it pre-K and make sure the students are   
   getting everything that they need to ensure their success for the   
   third-grade assessment.”   
      
   Broader academic improvements   
   Mississippi’s literacy focus has coincided with improvements across   
   multiple academic areas. The state achieved record-breaking graduation   
   rates of 88.9 percent in 2022-23, with dropout rates falling to 9   
   percent. Among students with disabilities, graduation rates nearly   
   tripled from 23.2 percent in 2014 to 67.1 percent in 2023.   
      
   Student achievement reached all-time highs in 2022-23, with 52.6 percent   
   of students scoring proficient or advanced in mathematics, 46.7 percent   
   in English language arts, 59.4 percent in science and 71.4 percent in   
   U.S. history.   
      
   The National Council on Teacher Quality recognized Mississippi and   
   Colorado as the top two states in 2023 for ensuring scientifically based   
   reading instruction in teacher preparation programs.   
      
   Georgia’s different approach   
   In Georgia, 70 percent of fourth-graders cannot read proficiently,   
   according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.   
      
   Now, schools in the Peach State are replicating many of Mississippi’s   
   initiatives to combat their literacy crisis, but districts are not   
   required to hold third-graders back if they cannot read on grade level.   
      
   According to a Georgia Department of Education spokesperson, districts   
   can waive the retention requirement as part of their Charter System or   
   Strategic Waiver contracts with the state, and the majority have done   
   so.   
      
   More states are paying attention   
   Georgia is not the only state with education leaders studying the   
   solutions in the Magnolia State.   
      
   Mississippi education leaders say 37 states, including Florida, Texas   
   and North Carolina, have now reached out to the state for literacy   
   policy guidance and support. Educators in Washington, D.C., have also   
   reached out.   
      
   The full list:   
      
   Arizona   
   Alabama   
   Alaska   
   Arkansas   
   California   
   Connecticut   
   Colorado   
   Delaware   
   Florida   
   Georgia   
   Hawaii   
   Idaho   
   Indiana   
   Kansas   
   Kentucky   
   Louisiana   
   Maryland   
   Massachusetts   
   Michigan   
   Minnesota   
   Missouri   
   Nebraska   
   New Hampshire   
   New Mexico   
   New York   
   North Carolina   
   Pennsylvania   
   South Carolina   
   South Dakota   
   North Dakota   
   Ohio   
   Oregon   
   Tennessee   
   Texas   
   Utah   
   Vermont   
   Virginia   
   Washington, D.C.   
      
   Overcoming perception challenges   
   Despite its success, Mississippi still faces perception problems after   
   decades of poor educational rankings. During an October debate, New   
   Jersey gubernatorial candidates highlighted this challenge.   
      
   “We need to do what Mississippi and Louisiana did, high-impact   
   curriculum,” said Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Democratic   
   candidate Mikie Sherrill responded, “Interesting how he keeps citing   
   places like Mississippi and Louisiana. I think some of the worst schools   
   in the entire nation.”   
      
   Today, Mississippi’s graduation rates exceed the national average, and   
   assessments show no state performs better for low-income students or   
   students of color learning to read.   
      
   “It makes me so proud. It really brings tears to my eyes,” Malone said.   
   “Because again, literacy is a human right. It is for everyone. You know,   
   Mississippi used to be the one that we could always make an assumption   
   about. Well, not anymore.”   
      
   https://www.investigatetv.com/2026/01/05/states-nationwide-turn-mississip   
   pi-literacy-solutions-reading-crisis-spreads/   
      
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