Mississippi reports increase in third-grade reading assessment pass rate

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) reported that 85% of third-grade students passed the state's reading assessment after the final retest for the 2024-25 school year. This result marks a slight increase from last year's pass rate of 84%.

Under Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), third graders must score at Level 3 or higher on the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment to move on to fourth grade. The test has five levels, with Level 4 considered proficient and Level 5 advanced.

This year, a record 77.3% of students passed the initial spring administration of the reading test. Those who did not pass were allowed up to two additional attempts in May and June. Students who still did not achieve a passing score may be retained in third grade unless they qualify for exemptions based on disabilities, English learner status, or previous retention. Local districts decide which students meet exemption criteria and also apply their own promotion and retention policies.

To improve literacy outcomes for the current school year, MDE continued job-embedded training with literacy coaches at Literacy Support Schools, expanded professional development opportunities across state and local levels, promoted adoption of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), increased staff training in the Science of Reading, and worked with educator preparation programs to include Science of Reading instruction for pre-service teachers.

MDE stated its ongoing commitment to these initiatives: "MDE remains committed to advancing these initiatives to improve literacy achievement among Mississippi’s students."

The LBPA was enacted in 2013 to help ensure that kindergarten through third-grade students develop strong reading skills. The law was amended in 2016 to raise the passing score requirement starting with the 2018-19 school year.