Updated October 4, 2024
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that Mississippi students can’t achieve great things. With the help of district and school leaders and dedicated teachers, students are rewriting the story about public education in the state. The narrative of “failing” Mississippi schools has been told for so long that many people don’t know that Mississippi students and schools are actually succeeding.
Our success is attracting national attention. The Education Week Quality Counts report ranked Mississippi No. 2 in the nation for improvement in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Quality Counts ranked Mississippi No. 2 in 2021 for closing 4th grade reading achievement gap between students in low-income families and their wealthier peers. What is more, Mississippi’s Quality Counts ranking for K-12 achievement has risen from 50th in 2013 to 35th in 2021.
While Mississippi has more improvement to make, it is clear that the state’s steady achievements in education demonstrate that substantial progress has been made. The public education community is changing the narrative of what Mississippi students can accomplish with the right supports, higher expectations and bold initiatives.
Mississippi has achieved unprecedented academic success and student achievement is rising every year. Here’s the whole story.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Mississippi 4th graders scored at the national average in both reading and math. Mississippi’s economically disadvantaged 4th graders achieved higher scores in reading and math than their peers nationally and in the South. This achievement holds steady among black, white and Hispanic students living in poverty.
Mississippi’s Rankings for NAEP Gains (2011 to 2022)
Early Childhood Education
Literacy
Literacy skills among students in pre-K through the 3rd grade have steadily improved:
Student Proficiency
Advanced Learning and Career Preparation
Learn More
