Oregon Literacy Scores Drop Behind Mississippi After Reading Strategy Shift
Oregon fourth-grade reading scores have fallen behind Mississippi over the past decade, prompting education leaders in the Pacific Northwest to examine the southern state’s phonics-based reforms, KATU reported.
In 2013, Oregon fourth graders scored 10 points higher than students in Mississippi on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly known as the nation’s report card. Over the next eleven years, that advantage vanished. By 2024, Mississippi students scored 12 points higher than their Oregon peers, marking a 22-point shift between the two states.
The 2013 Literacy-Based Promotion Act in Mississippi
The divergence began in 2013 when Mississippi lawmakers passed the Literacy-Based Promotion Act. The legislation targeted early grade reading proficiency and shifted instructional methods away from balanced literacy toward explicit, systematic phonics under the science of reading framework.
Michelle Nowell, who oversees curriculum and instruction for Mississippi, described the multi-year effort as a gradual undertaking rather than an overnight fix.
“It is definitely not a miracle. It is a marathon, and we are trying to switch from a miracle to a marathon, and it is a lot of hard work, boots on the ground,” Nowell said, according to KATU.
Alongside phonics instruction, Mississippi officials instituted mandatory teacher training, deployed specialized literacy coaches to struggling schools, and implemented universal student screening three times a year. The state also enacted a retention policy requiring third graders to meet specific reading standards before advancing to the fourth grade, unless they qualify for an exception. These changes lifted Mississippi from near the bottom of national reading rankings into the top ten for fourth-grade reading.
Oregon Lawmakers Fund Early Literacy Initiative
Oregon lawmakers responded by establishing the Early Literacy Initiative in 2023. Dana Hepper of the Oregon-based Children’s Institute pointed to the southern state’s trajectory as a model for local policymakers.
“I think Mississippi of late has been a big inspiration,” Hepper said, as reported by KATU.
Funding structures also differ between the two states. Mississippi currently allocates approximately $15 million annually for its literacy initiative. Oregon’s Early Literacy Initiative spends $50 million per year for a comparable number of students. Nowell noted that funding magnitude alone does not drive academic improvement.
“Just invest in professional development and invest in your teachers,” Nowell said.
Compounding the educational challenges in Oregon, a separate study cited by KATU revealed that Oregon students receive three weeks less instructional time than the national average. Mississippi education leaders emphasize that despite their progress, their implementation work continues.
A decade ago, Oregon fourth graders were well ahead of Mississippi in reading. But today, Mississippi has surged ahead of Oregon.https://t.co/xVlOmfoEXb
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