From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

JACKSON, Miss. (InvestigateTV) rCo Education officials in nearly 40 states
are studying MississippirCOs 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, MississippirCOs state literacy director, said the
transformation required sustained effort rather than chance.

rCLA lot of times people call it the Mississippi miracle,rCY Malone said. rCLNow, miracle implies that humans had nothing to do with it. And so itrCOs not a miracle. DonrCOt call it the Mississippi miracle. It is really a marathon.rCY

MississippirCOs 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 MississippirCOs 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 staterCOs 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.

rCLInitially, I didnrCOt like it because I was thinking, okay, well, if that was my child, you know, sometimes students, they have a bad day,rCY Harris said. rCLMaybe they just didnrCOt do well on that test, but it doesnrCOt mean that he or she doesnrCOt 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.rCY

Broader academic improvements
MississippirCOs 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.

GeorgiarCOs 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 MississippirCOs 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.

rCLWe need to do what Mississippi and Louisiana did, high-impact
curriculum,rCY said Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Democratic
candidate Mikie Sherrill responded, rCLInteresting how he keeps citing
places like Mississippi and Louisiana. I think some of the worst schools
in the entire nation.rCY

Today, MississippirCOs graduation rates exceed the national average, and assessments show no state performs better for low-income students or
students of color learning to read.

rCLIt makes me so proud. It really brings tears to my eyes,rCY Malone said. rCLBecause 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.rCY

https://www.investigatetv.com/2026/01/05/states-nationwide-turn-mississip pi-literacy-solutions-reading-crisis-spreads/

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

[AUE only. I treat with suspicion anything cross-posted to a *.guns group.]

On 13/01/26 20:59, Crybaby Alex Padilla wrote:

JACKSON, Miss. (InvestigateTV) rCo Education officials in nearly 40 states are studying MississippirCOs dramatic literacy transformation.

I guess that's one argument in favour of having state control of
schools. Imagine what might have happened if the syllabus was federally set.

MississippirCOs 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.

The question of progression from one grade to another is a tricky one.
WIWAL it was not automatic. I remember that in grade 4 we had one kid
who was twice the size of the rest of us. (We called him Atlas, because
he never wore a hat.) I guess he was going to stay in grade 4 until he
turned 14, the school leaving age at that place and time.

In high school there were final exams every year, and you had to pass to
move on to the next year.

These days, I think the norm in most places is automatic progression.
Final exams are frowned on (except for university entrance) as being
damaging to a child's self-esteem.

Personally, I can't decide which side to back. One the one hand, I can
see problems with putting children into a level when they clearly can't
handle the prerequisites. (This is particularly a problem in
mathematics, where someone who hasn't mastered last year's material will
be totally lost.) On the other hand, I can see the value of keeping
children with others of the same age. (I suffered, myself, by being the youngest in my class.)

I guess I'd never make a good Minister of Education and/or Wrestling.
--
Peter Moylan peter@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.usage.english

Den 13.01.2026 kl. 11.30 skrev Peter Moylan:

These days, I think the norm in most places is automatic progression.
Final exams are frowned on (except for university entrance) as being
damaging to a child's self-esteem.

Personally, I can't decide which side to back.

There is no simple solution. I tend to prefer automatic progression.
I've had a class with one boy had the age but not the focus/intelligence
on par with the others. I've also had a class with a boy who had skipped
a class. He was fully up to the intellectual level and did well, but he
was clearly behind in other aspects. He was quiet beyond what was ideal
for him.

If there were ressources (teachers) enough, we wouldn't have this
discussion.
--
Bertel, Kolt, Danmark

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2