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Mississippi releases mixed MAAP scores as officials plan changes to boost proficiency

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Education Daily Wire Aug 21, 2025

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Erin Meyer, Esq. General Counsel | Linkedin

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has released the 2024-25 results for the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), revealing varied performance across grade levels and subject areas. The data shows that 54.5% of students scored proficient or advanced in math, 47.4% in English Language Arts (ELA), 60.9% in science, and 69.7% in U.S. History.

Initial third-grade reading assessments and all four end-of-course exams saw increases in overall pass rates compared to previous years.

Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education, commented on the findings: “Based on these assessment results, MDE is ahead of the curve in addressing changes that should lead to improved scores. An updated accountability model that puts a greater emphasis on proficiency is being finalized now,” said Dr. Evans. “Historically, the model has given a large amount of weight to growth, which is the amount of progress students make from one year to the next. Both factors are important, but proficiency indicates understanding of content, and that’s where more focus is needed now.”

To address identified trends and support areas needing improvement, MDE plans to increase literacy and math coaches for teachers at schools requiring assistance, seek legislative funding for new literacy and math initiatives targeting grades 4-8, encourage wider adoption of high-quality instructional materials by districts, emphasize literacy instruction grounded in science-of-reading research, and promote completion of related professional development by educators.

The MAAP assesses student progress toward academic goals designed to prepare them for college and careers. Developed with input from Mississippi teachers, these tests align with state classroom learning objectives and cover ELA and mathematics for grades 3-8; science for grades 5 and 8; as well as high school English II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History—though there will be no U.S. History end-of-course assessment in the 2025-26 school year.

MAAP outcomes play a significant role in determining annual A-F accountability grades assigned to schools and districts across Mississippi. The updated accountability model will be used starting next year; grades reflecting this year’s results will be released at the State Board of Education meeting on September 25.

Mississippi public schools have seen notable academic gains over the past decade. According to results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2024, Mississippi fourth-graders ranked ninth nationally for reading achievement and sixteenth for math performance while leading all states in gains since 2013 (https://www.mdek12.org/OPR/Reporting/NAEP). Additionally, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book placed Mississippi sixteenth nationally for education—the highest ranking ever recorded by the state—compared to forty-eighth place a decade ago (https://assets.aecf.org/m/databook/2025KCDB_FINAL.pdf).

Further details about district- and school-level MAAP results are available at mdek12.org/publicreporting/2024-25/.

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