Literacy Series: Factors Related to Post-Pandemic Improvement

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part series on third grade literacy achievement. You can find the first part here. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate In the first part of this series, we explored the effectiveness of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA) across Mississippi school districts, as well as trends…

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Literacy Series: Factors Related to Post-Pandemic Improvement

Raising Student Achievement in Mississippi’s Highest-Need Districts

By Toren Ballard I Director of K-12 Policy For the second year in a row, results from the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) exams suggest that Mississippi is continuing to defy nationwide trends in educational achievement: proficiency levels across all subjects were at all-time highs in 2023, and Mississippi is now one of just two states…

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Raising Student Achievement in Mississippi’s Highest-Need Districts

How We Meet the Needs of English Language Learners

Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate Mississippi’s population of students who identify as English Language Learners (ELLs) has grown in recent decades, reflecting a nationwide trend. During the 2000-2001 school year, ELL students made…

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How We Meet the Needs of English Language Learners

The Growing Popularity of the Balanced Academic Calendar

Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate As most districts welcomed students back to school in August, districts on a balanced academic calendar were already going into their second month of the school year. The…

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The Growing Popularity of the Balanced Academic Calendar

Trends in High School Graduation and Postsecondary Enrollment Rates

Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate Mississippi’s high school graduation rate has steadily risen over the past five years, which would typically be a cause for celebration. But in this case, the rise in…

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Trends in High School Graduation and Postsecondary Enrollment Rates

Ensuring the Effectiveness of Social-Emotional Learning

Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate In early 2021, the Mississippi Department of Education released its first-ever social-emotional learning (SEL) standards. The release of these standards was a positive step towards increasing attention on…

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Ensuring the Effectiveness of Social-Emotional Learning

The Devastating Consequences of Declining School Enrollment

Editor’s Note: This blog post is part of an ongoing series of posts dedicated to K-12 education policy in Mississippi. *** By Grace Breazeale I K-12 Policy Associate Mississippi experienced a steep decline in public school enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many schools have yet to experience the full consequences. Since enrollment is directly tied…

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The Devastating Consequences of Declining School Enrollment