Magnolia State miracle
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Twelve years ago, when the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scores came out, the Magnolia State surprised no one by landing 49th out of 50 spots. Mississippi is a state with its share of major struggles. Located in a region of the country known as the Deep South, it stands out for some uncomfortable reasons. It ranks as one of the most poverty-stricken states in the nation. In terms of health system performance, Mississippi scored dead last on the Commonwealth Fund’s 2025 scorecard. And even if they’re not from the area, most Americans have at least a small understanding of the tenuous race relations that have plagued the state since its early-19th-century establishment.
For these and other reasons, Mississippi and its people must apply hard work toward vast improvement across the board, and education is no exception.
More than a decade after the abysmal NAEP ranking, Mississippi is now shocking everyone, including those in the state, with an unprecedented turnaround in reading and even math scores. According to the Urban Institute’s 2024 figures, adjusted for demographics, Mississippi now ranks first in reading for fourth grade and fourth in reading for eighth grade. And in math, Mississippi ranks first for both fourth and eighth grade. The twofold question on everyone’s mind is: How did Mississippi get here, and how can other states copy the success? As scores for reading plummet in other states, the Magnolia State is now, rather unexpectedly, a role model for educational improvement.