Things are looking up for Mississippi educationally. Recognition rolling in

Big Georgia finds itself looking to little Mississippi for some guidance on how to climb out of a deep literacy hole.

This came to light in a recent article by the online “Georgia Recorder” news site detailing that one-sixth of the state’s adults have low literacy skills, a situation costing Georgians $1.26 billion annually, mostly for incarceration.

One literacy report has Georgia 40th lowest in the country, with Mississippi a few spots behind but taking big upward strides. Mississippi outranks Texas and California in the rating.

“If you can read this, count your blessings,” said the Recorder’s lead paragraph in somewhat of an “ouch moment” for Georgia residents.

Some of Georgia’s youngest students are experiencing literacy woes as well, particularly third-graders, of whom 34.1% are reading below grade level, according to spring 2023 testing.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the Southeast’s educational and economic powerhouse state is inquiring how weak-sister Mississippi is suddenly on the cutting edge of literacy improvement programs. Georgia isn’t the only state watching Mississippi’s big elementary-grade literacy gains that have attracted national attention.

Former Mississippi state schools superintendent Carey Wright recently spoke to the newly formed Georgia Council on Literacy about a successful literacy effort initially funded with $3 million from the state Legislature. The fund was later boosted to $34 million per year, the Georgia Recorder reported Oct. 17.

Wright said 53 literacy coaches were hired to help 103 low-performing Mississippi schools.The state also upgraded teachers’ professional development activities, helping reduce Mississippi’s teacr turnover problem. “Teachers will stay in schools and districts where they feel supported,” Wright told the Georgia group. 

Under a strict regimen, Mississippi holds back third-grade students until they improve their reading skills. Mississippi also advanced from 50th in the nation in fourth-grade reading proficiency in 2013 to 21st this year.  

Wright, who now works as an education consultant, was succeeded in the state education department’s top post in January by Robert Taylor.

 She previously told the Georgia publication that the task of improving is difficult to achieve. “You’ve got to, in your heart of hearts, believe that there’s nothing children can’t do with the right amount of access, opportunity and support. And you’ve got to convey that to the children and to their teachers and school leaders. That, in the end, is the North Star.”

Even The Washington Post, never too sweet to Mississippi on societal and educational topics, has issued editorial praise to this state.

“Local officials all over the country are attempting to unspool the story of Mississippi’s journey from worst in the nation in test scores to the middle of the pack. Schools everywhere are struggling. Mississippi, however, set a personal record in reading this year, and its gains on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exceed every one of its peers,’” the newspaper said.

Another recent education report noted how well Mississippi students — fifth in the nation — are doing on college entrance exams, particularly the SAT, which only a few students in Mississippi take.

As Georgia literacy leaders search Mississippi for answers, one official said better results should come quickly in that state, which has three times more people than this one and an overall budget of almost $60 billion — and a $10 billion budget surplus — compared to Mississippi’s overall annual budget of about $25 billion.

“Yeah, it took over a decade for Mississippi to get the results they’re seeing. I don’t think it’ll take that long in Georgia. We have some infrastructure here in place and some leadership here in place, some commitment here in place that maybe (Mississippi) didn’t have,” said vice-chairman Stan DeJarnett, stating the obvious.

Mac Gordon is a native of McComb. He is a retired newspaperman. He can be reached at macmarygordon@gmail.com.