That means screening for signs of reading deficiencies or dyslexia as early as kindergarten, informing parents if a problem is found and giving those kids extra support. They’ve dispatched literacy coaches to help teachers implement that training, especially in low-performing schools. “In this region, we have decided to go big,” said Burk, now a senior policy fellow at ExcelinEd, a national advocacy group.Īll three states have trained thousands of teachers in the so-called science of reading, which refers to the most proven, research-backed methods of teaching reading. The states have passed laws adopting similar reforms that emphasize phonics and early screenings for struggling kids. The turnaround in these three states has grabbed the attention of educators nationally, showing rapid progress is possible anywhere, even in areas that have struggled for decades with poverty and dismal literacy rates. Louisiana and Alabama, meanwhile, were among only three states to see modest gains in fourth-grade reading during the pandemic, which saw massive learning setbacks in most other states. Mississippi went from being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022. Instead of looking down on the Gulf South, they’re seeing it as a model.

Lately, the way people talk about those states has started to change. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - It’s a cliché that Kymyona Burk heard a little too often: “Thank God for Mississippi.”Īs the state’s literacy director, she knew politicians in other states would say it when their reading test scores were down - because at least they weren’t ranked as low as Mississippi.

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