Fact Check Team: America's poorest state just beat the nation in education - Here's how

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Mississippi's school system has emerged as the fastest improving in the nation, with students excelling in reading and math, despite the state being the poorest in the country and spending less per pupil than most other states.

According to the Urban Institute, when student demographics are considered, Mississippi ranks first in fourth-grade math and reading, and fourth in eighth-grade reading. Even without factoring in demographics like income, Mississippi's Black students rank third nationally, and its low-income students outperform those in every other state.

What is Mississippi's key to success?

The state's success is largely attributed to the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, passed in 2013. This law introduced reading coaches to struggling schools, ensured regular reading assessments for young children, and involved parents if their child was falling behind. A key component of the act is the requirement for third graders to pass a reading test to advance to the next grade, unless they qualify for an exemption. This policy has motivated schools and families to intervene earlier, providing additional support for students held back and training teachers in effective reading methods.

According to Grace Breazeale, a K-12 Policy Associate at Mississippi First:

The vast majority of districts showing improvement speaks to the effectiveness of the LBPA at targeting all districts, regardless of location.

Dr. Carey Wright, the former Mississippi superintendent who played a pivotal role in the transformation, emphasized that the progress was not a miracle but the result of years of focused, hard work. Wright, now leading Maryland's schools, highlighted the importance of prioritizing early childhood literacy. Maryland has recently adopted a similar third-grade reading retention policy, though its impact on scores remains to be seen.

Mississippi's demographics, with nearly 50% of the student population being Black and around 42% White, demonstrate that educational success is achievable regardless of income and demographics.