To Save Public Education, Look to Mississippi

The state, once a laggard, now leads the nation by many measures thanks to a back-to-basics approach

By Jason L. Riley. Excerpts:

"Yet Mississippi, which spends less per student than almost every other state, is outperforming other states with far larger education budgets."

"Adjusted for state demographics, Mississippi ranks first nationally in fourth-grade reading and math, and at or near the top in eighth grade, according to an Urban Institute analysis. Among black students, it ranks third nationally in reading, and its low-income students outperform all other states.

How did the Magnolia State pull it off? “It did not do so by relying on some of the most common proposals held up as solutions in education, like reducing class sizes, or dramatically boosting student funding,” according to the [NY] Times. “Rather, the state pushed through a vast list of other changes from the top down, including changing the way reading is taught, in an approach known as the science of reading, but also embracing contentious school accountability policies other states have backed away from.”

While other states “have gone in the opposite direction, backing off accountability and lowering proficiency standards, sometimes in the name of equity,” Mississippi raised its academic standards, held back third-graders who lacked proficiency in reading, and sent literacy and math coaches to help teachers in low-performing schools. Notably, the Times reports that Mississippi “was able to muscle through some changes, in part, because it has weak teachers’ unions, which have traditionally resisted accountability linked to standardized testing.”"