Latest news with #Literacy-BasedPromotionAct
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mississippi third-graders set record in reading assessment
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced 25,399 (77.3%) of third graders passed the initial administration of the third-grade reading assessment given this spring for the 2024-25 school year. This is a record-high number of third graders who passed the test, according to the agency. 'These results are outstanding. The MDE applauds all educators and families across the state that make literacy a priority,' said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. 'With a continued emphasis on the science of reading as well as implementation of high-quality instructional materials, we believe Mississippi students will continue to make progress.' Jackson Public Schools hiring certified teachers and staff A total of 32,839 third graders took the assessment. In 2023-24, 75.7% of third graders passed the initial administration of the reading assessment. After the final retests in 2023-24, 84% of third graders passed the test. In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), third graders who do not pass the initial administration of the reading test are given up to two attempts to retest. Students who did not pass the initial reading assessment retested in early May. The second retest window is June 16-27. To see the district- and school-level initial pass rate report for 2024-25, click here. According to MDE, the final district-level pass rates will be published this fall in the Literacy-Based Promotion Act Annual Report of Performance and Student Retention for the 2024-25 school year. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mississippi's education miracle: A model for global literacy reform
In a surprising turnaround, Mississippi, once ranked near the bottom of U.S. education standings, has dramatically improved its student literacy rates. As of 2023, the state ranks among the top 20 for fourth grade reading, a significant leap from its 49th-place ranking in 2013. This transformation was driven by evidence-based policy reforms focused on early literacy and teacher development. The rest of the country might want to take note. That's because Mississippi's success offers a proven solution to the reading literacy crisis facing many states – a clear road map for closing early literacy gaps and improving reading outcomes nationwide. As an expert on the economics of education, I believe the learning crisis is not just an educational issue. It's also economic. When students struggle, their academic performance declines. And that leads to lower test scores. Research shows that these declining scores are closely linked to reduced economic growth, as a less educated workforce hampers productivity and innovation. In 2013, Mississippi implemented a multifaceted strategy for enhancing kindergarten to third grade literacy. The Literacy-Based Promotion Act focuses on early literacy and teacher development. It includes teacher training in proven reading instruction methods and teacher coaching. Relying on federally supported research from the Institute of Education Science, the state invested in phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The law provided K-3 teachers with training and support to help students master reading by the end of third grade. It includes provisions for reading coaches, parent communication, individual reading plans and other supportive measures. It also includes targeted support for struggling readers. Students repeat the third grade if they fail to meet reading standards. The state also aligned its test to the NAEP, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, something which not all states do. Often referred to as 'The Nation's Report Card,' the NAEP is a nationwide assessment that measures student performance in various subjects. Mississippi's reforms have led to significant gains in reading and math, with fourth graders improving on national assessments. I believe this is extremely important. That's because early reading is a foundational skill that helps develop the ability to read at grade level by the end of third grade. It also leads to general academic success, graduating from high school prepared for college, and becoming productive adults less likely to fall into poverty. Research by Noah Spencer, an economics doctoral student at the University of Toronto, shows that the Mississippi law boosted scores. Students exposed to it from kindergarten to the third grade gained a 0.25 standard deviation improvement in reading scores. That is roughly equivalent to one year of academic progress in reading, according to educational benchmarks. This gain reflects significant strides in students' literacy development over the course of a school year. Another study has found an even greater impact attributed to grade retention in the third grade – it led to a huge increase in learning in English Language Arts by the sixth grade. But the Mississippi law is not just about retention. Spencer found that grade retention explains only about 22% of the treatment effect. The rest is presumably due to the other components of the measure – namely, teacher training and coaching. Other previous research supports these results across the country. Adopting an early literacy policy improves elementary students' reading achievement on important student assessments, with third grade retention and instructional support substantially enhancing English learners' skills. The policy also increases test scores for students' younger siblings, although it is not clear why. Moreover, third grade retention programs immediately boost English Language Arts and math achievements into middle school without disciplinary incidents or negatively impacting student attendance. These changes were achieved despite Mississippi being one of the lowest spenders per pupil in the U.S., proving that strategic investments in teacher development and early literacy can yield impressive results even with limited resources. Mississippi's success is timely. Millions of children globally struggle to read by age 10. It's a crisis that has worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mississippi's early literacy interventions show lasting impact and offer a potential solution for other regions facing similar challenges. In 2024, only 31% of U.S. fourth grade students were proficient or above in reading, according to the NAEP, while 40% were below basic. Reading scores for fourth and eighth graders also dropped by five points compared with 2019, with averages lower than any year since 2005. Mississippi's literacy program provides a learning gain equal to a year of schooling. The program costs US$15 million annually – 0.2% of the state budget in 2023 – and $32 per student. The learning gain associated with the Mississippi program is equal to about an extra quarter of a year. Since each year of schooling raises earnings by about 9%, then a quarter-year gain means that Mississippi students benefiting from the program will increase future earnings by 2.25% a year. Based on typical high school graduate earnings, the average student can expect to earn an extra $1,000 per year for the rest of their life. That is, for every dollar Mississippi spends, the state gains about $32 in additional lifetime earnings, offering substantial long-term economic benefits compared with the initial cost. The Mississippi literacy project focuses on teaching at the right level, which focuses on assessing children's actual learning levels and then tailoring instruction to meet them, rather than strictly following age- or grade-level curriculum. Teaching at the right level and a scripted lessons plan are among the most effective strategies to address the global learning crisis. After the World Bank reviewed over 150 education programs in 2020, nearly half showed no learning benefit. I believe Mississippi's progress, despite being the second-poorest state, can serve as a wake-up call. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Harry Anthony Patrinos, University of Arkansas Read more: AI transformation in the legal sector begins in law schools Do 'sputnik moments' spur educational reform? A rhetoric scholar weighs in Students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses − draining school budgets and especially hurting the poorest students Harry Anthony Patrinos does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
