Nearly 85% of Mississippi 3rd graders pass reading assessment
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Thursday, October 19, officials with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced 84.9% of 3rd graders passed the 3rd-grade reading assessment after final retests for the 2022-23 school year.
The 2023 final pass rate is practically the same as the final pass rate in 2022 (85.0%) and 2019 (85.6%). Due to the pandemic, the assessment was canceled in 2020, and the passing requirement was waived in 2021.
Jim Hill senior receives more than $1.4 million in scholarships
Final district-level pass rates are published in the Literacy-Based Promotion Act Annual Report of Performance and Student Retention for the 2022-23 school year. Students are provided with three attempts to pass the test. Though the 2023 final pass rate was nearly identical to previous years, officials said the initial pass rate increased to an all-time high of 76.3% since the passing score was raised in 2019.
“It is encouraging that 3rd graders have maintained their pre-pandemic achievement levels. Now is the time to continue our focus on building literacy skills from pre-K through 3rd grade and beyond,” said Dr. Raymond Morgigno, interim state superintendent of education. “Students need strong reading skills to perform well in every subject. MDE will continue to provide professional learning opportunities for educators grounded in the science of reading to help all students be successful.”
Families can visit strongreadersms.com for resources to help children build reading skills at home.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
