Lance Evans, Mississippi Superintendent of Education | Mississippi Department of Education
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has scheduled nine regional literacy meetings for families with children in kindergarten through third grade. The meetings will take place from September 9 to 23 at various locations across the state.
During these sessions, families will be given an overview of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), which outlines state laws related to literacy and assessment. The LBPA is designed to support both prevention and intervention efforts so that children develop essential reading skills before entering fourth grade. MDE officials also emphasized the importance of family involvement in student reading achievement.
According to MDE, “At the meetings, families will receive an overview of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), the state law concerning literacy and assessment, as well as strategies that can be used at home to help students improve their reading skills. The LBPA focuses on prevention and intervention to help children develop the reading skills required for fourth grade. Family engagement is also a critical component of students’ reading success.”
The sessions are open to all interested families from surrounding communities, regardless of meeting location. Each session is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and no registration is necessary. Additional resources for families are available online at strongreadersms.com.
Meeting dates and locations include:
- Sept. 9: Central Services Boardroom, Hernando; Bates Elementary, Jackson; Artis T. Williams Sr. City Auditorium, Vicksburg; Nora Davis Elementary, Laurel
- Sept. 16: D.M. Smith Elementary, Cleveland; Family Education Center, Moss Point; Reeves Elementary School, Long Beach
- Sept. 18: Shirley Elementary, Jackson
- Sept. 23: Brandon Central Office Boardroom, Columbus