Dan Lips explains why the rest of the nation can learn a valuable lesson from one deep-South state.
The United States will not achieve equal opportunity in K-12 education until the nation addresses the childhood literacy crisis. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, more than half of children from lower-socioeconomic households scored “below basic” in reading on the fourth grade reading test.
Leaders in state capitals and school districts across the nation have a responsibility to ensure children are taught to read in elementary school.
Mississippi provides a shining example of what’s possible when a state commits to improving literacy. In the early 2000s, Mississippi students’ test scores were among the lowest in the nation. But according to recent tests, no state has made more progress in academic achievement. Importantly, the state’s economically disadvantaged students had the highest fourth grade reading scores in the nation in 2024.
In January, Governor Tate Reeves celebrated the state’s test scores:
“This is another massively historic win for education in Mississippi. Mississippi fourth graders aren’t just one of the best in reading and math gains — they’re the best in the nation. And when you look at the historic performance of Mississippi’s eighth graders, as well as African American and Hispanic students, it’s undeniable that something special is happening in classrooms all across our state. Thank you to all of the parents, teachers and students for once again making history! Keep up the good work!”
This success that Governor Reeves described has been dubbed the “Mississippi Miracle.” Mississippi’s success is largely based on the embrace of the “science of reading” and phonics to improve literacy. But the miracle was made possible by focused leadership from the state capital out to public schools across Mississippi.
In 2013, then-Governor Phil Bryant signed into law the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which established a comprehensive strategy for improving reading instruction in the state’s public schools. A centerpiece of the reform established policies to end social promotion for children who could not read in third grade and to provide extensive interventions to help children meet that requirement.
