Education Commission of the States is proud to announce the state of Mississippi as the 2016 recipient of the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation for a transformational education reform package that prioritized early learning reading skills, expanded charter schools opportunities and created a clear A through F rating system for schools, among other accomplishments.
Signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2013, the Education Works legislation also gave incentives to Mississippi students who pledge to teach in state, increased teacher pay and channeled more funds toward education than at any time in state history.
The Magnolia State has seen clear results. Since the implementation of the Literacy Based Promotion Act of 2013, 92 percent of third-graders passed the state reading exam. Also, scores from the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the nation’s report card, showed historic jumps. Additionally, Mississippi was one of only two states to see increases in NAEP scores at both 4th and 8th grade levels.