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Inside the Mississippi Marathon

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Inside the Mississippi Marathon
Language: English
Authors: Rachel Canter, Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)
Source: Progressive Policy Institute. 2026.
Availability: Progressive Policy Institute. 600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Suite 400, Washington, DC 20003. Tel: 202-547-0001; Fax: 202-544-5014; Web site: https://www.progressivepolicy.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 68
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Educational Improvement, School Turnaround, National Competency Tests, Institutional Evaluation, Institutional Characteristics, Educational Practices, Literacy, Reading Achievement, Mathematics Achievement, Educational Policy, Federal Legislation, State Legislation, Educational Legislation
Geographic Terms: Mississippi
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: No Child Left Behind Act 2001
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: National Assessment of Educational Progress
Abstract: Mississippi gradually moved from the bottom of national rankings on math and reading to at and above the national average, reflecting years of reform efforts rather than a single major change. When adjusting for demographics, the state now ranks number 1 on some measures. Rather than a single policy or person, Mississippi's successful transformation rested on four pillars: (1) standards, testing, and accountability; (2) consequences for poor performance; (3) evidence-informed instructional policy; and (4) support for implementation. These pages explain each element of Mississippi's reforms with great specificity so that other states can find their own roadmap to success. First, the author briefly review Mississippi's data to provide a common understanding of just how deep Mississippi's transformation has been. Then, the report turns to the policy agenda, how it came about, and what everyone gets wrong about Mississippi's literacy work. Next, the author describes the people who made this work possible and sustained it, while diving deeper into the political context of the reforms. Finally, the report concludes with some consideration of this moment in educational history, both for Mississippi and the nation, and why the author remains hopeful that America's public schools can improve.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680449
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Mississippi gradually moved from the bottom of national rankings on math and reading to at and above the national average, reflecting years of reform efforts rather than a single major change. When adjusting for demographics, the state now ranks number 1 on some measures. Rather than a single policy or person, Mississippi's successful transformation rested on four pillars: (1) standards, testing, and accountability; (2) consequences for poor performance; (3) evidence-informed instructional policy; and (4) support for implementation. These pages explain each element of Mississippi's reforms with great specificity so that other states can find their own roadmap to success. First, the author briefly review Mississippi's data to provide a common understanding of just how deep Mississippi's transformation has been. Then, the report turns to the policy agenda, how it came about, and what everyone gets wrong about Mississippi's literacy work. Next, the author describes the people who made this work possible and sustained it, while diving deeper into the political context of the reforms. Finally, the report concludes with some consideration of this moment in educational history, both for Mississippi and the nation, and why the author remains hopeful that America's public schools can improve.