Wow, Mississippi!! Our public school students knocked it out of the park on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), scoring higher than students in 41 other states in grade 4 reading!
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) reports these extraordinary rankings for Mississippi students compared to students in all states (plus Department of Defense Schools):
- 9th in the nation in Grade 4 Reading
- 16th in Grade 4 Math
- 35th in Grade 8 Math
- 41st in Grade 8 Reading
- Mississippi’s African American 4th-graders rank 3rd in the nation in reading and math among African American students in all states
- Mississippi’s Hispanic 4th-graders rank first in the nation in reading and second in math among Hispanic students in all states
- Mississippi’s economically disadvantaged 4th-graders rank first in the nation in reading and second in math among economically disadvantaged students in all states
Congratulations to our fabulous teachers, school leaders, students, and parents for their remarkable achievements! And kudos to our legislators who have invested in our public schools and resisted following other states off the school choice cliff. While Mississippi’s scores on national assessments have improved steadily over the years, the national average has declined following the national voucher push to divert critical resources to private schools.
State superintendent Dr. Lance Evans reminded us that public educators will not be satisfied until all students succeed, saying, “While Mississippi has made tremendous progress, we need to build upon our momentum to close achievement gaps and ensure all students are proficient.” MDE continues to deploy math coaches to strengthen instruction at all levels and is launching a literacy initiative to improve outcomes in grades 4-8.
Join us in thanking our public school teachers for all they do to move Mississippi students toward brighter futures!
