It is no secret that Mississippi has generally not been the cream of the crop in terms of education in recent history.
In 2013, the Magnolia State ranked 49th in Grade 4 Reading, 50th in Grade 4 Math, 50th in Grade 8 Reading, and 50th in Grade 8 Math based on test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
More than a decade later, Mississippi has made substantial progress.
In 2024, Mississippi ranked 9th in Grade 4 Reading, 16th in Grade 4 Math, 41st in Grade 8 Reading, and 35th in Grade 8 Math.
The Magnolia State’s surge in reading and math scores did not occur by accident nor can it be attributed to dumb luck.
The Mississippi Miracle, as it has been coined, is the byproduct of a long-term educational vision that stresses basic skills, accountability, and common-sense classroom strategies.
In 2013, “Mississippi made the decision to completely rethink how we teach and how we prepare students to succeed. We doubled down on phonics, strengthened teacher training, and ensured our schools had the support they needed to focus on literacy from the very beginning.”
Specifically, Mississippi adopted what it calls the “Science of Reading” approach, which emphasizes “Structured Literacy.”
According to the Mississippi Department of Education, “Structured Literacy teaches all the components that evidence has found to be foremost in ensuring reading success. Structured Literacy is not just about phonics; it includes much, much more.”
Dr. Carey Wright, who served as state superintendent of education for the Mississippi Department of Education from 2013 to 2022, described the initiative as “evidence-based reading instruction that centers on five core, research-backed components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.”
“The state’s strategy was enshrined in law with the 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act, which requires all students to learn to read through a ‘science of reading’ approach,” Education Week noted in 2024. Moreover, “the law required schools to hold back 3rd grade students if they scored in the lowest achievement level in reading and assigned—and paid for—coaches to lead intervention programs at low-performing schools.”
Suffice to say, Mississippi’s time-tested approach has paid massive dividends, especially for minority and underprivileged students.
Per the Mississippi Department of Education, in 2024, the Magnolia State was number one in “NAEP Grade 4 Reading Scores” for “Economically disadvantaged” and “Hispanic students” and number three for “African American students.”
Great strides have also been made in pre-K to Grade 3 literacy skills. In fact, “63.8 percent of kindergarteners met the end-of-year target score in spring 2024” and “84.6 percent of 3rd graders passed the 3rd Grade Reading Assessment after their final attempt in 2025.”
While Mississippi has certainly been a leader in the reading instruction crusade, it must be mentioned that the Magnolia State is not in the vanguard when it comes to education choice.
Currently, Mississippi offers three school choice programs, the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program, the Nate Rogers Scholarship for Students with Disabilities, and the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program.
However, these programs are extremely limited in terms of funding and participation. As of the 2025-26 school year, only about 1,000 Mississippi children were enrolled in all three school choice options.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wants more school choice. In January, Reeves “opted Mississippi into the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program to promote school choice in the state.”
“Mississippi believes that parents – not government – know what’s best for their children’s education,” Reeves said at the time.
Unfortunately, the Mississippi Legislature has not cooperated in passing a statewide school choice bill that Gov. Reeves can sign into law. On February 3, the Mississippi Senate killed a school choice passed by the state House.
Yet the battle for school choice is far from over. After the Senate voted down the House bill, Reeves said he would consider calling a special legislative session to get “more options for our kids … across the finish line.”
I hope Mississippi lawmakers realize that every Mississippi family, no matter their economic circumstances, deserves the right to choose which school best fits the unique needs of their children.
Who knows, if Mississippi adopts universal school choice, in another decade or so, it could become the paragon for excellent education policy among all states.
