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When Mississippi releases the A–F school and district grades for the 2025-2026 school year, the results may catch people off guard. It is possible that fewer schools will earn As and Bs even though more students are achieving proficiency and making learning gains. That may raise both eyebrows and questions, but it is necessary to ensure Mississippi student performance continues to improve and remain the focus of education.
More than a decade ago, Mississippi policymakers planned for this. They wrote a state law requiring expectations to be raised once 75% of students reach proficiency or 65% of schools earn a “B” or higher.
This past fall, the state Board of Education through the Mississippi Department of Education took this requirement seriously and convened a panel of Mississippi educators and national experts to make recommendations for a new more rigorous A-F grading scale. After reviewing data and discussing past successes, the panel confidently made a recommendation to raise the bar to an aspirational, yet attainable level – and the state Board approved it.
Christy Hovanetz Credit: Courtesy photoMississippi is raising the bar to avoid the mistake seen in other states of becoming complacent and resting on their laurels. While more students are exceeding expectations, not all students are set for success, and raising the bar prompts us to keep our foot on the gas.
Mississippi has already shown what happens when it takes high expectations seriously. Over the past decade, the state has made real improvements on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, moving from one of the lowest-performing states for fourth grade reading in 2013 to the ninth best state in 2025. Math scores also improved, making Mississippi one of the only states to see improvement in all four major NAEP categories.
Most importantly, Mississippi policymakers recognize the work is not done. Just this year, lawmakers appropriated more than $9 million to support and improve adolescent literacy, including banning the harmful reading instructional practice of three-cueing or using available information to determine what unknown words are and instead Mississippi is requiring evidence-based literacy practices.
Mississippi leaders are also investing $3.48 million to better fund the Math Act which supports multiple policy solutions we support at ExcelinEd including: access to math coaches, establishing a K-5 universal math screener and requiring districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials.
Fortunately, Mississippi’s strong state leadership and commitment to students sets it apart from many states that are lowering accountability expectations. The honest, transparent measurement of school performance ensures Mississippi students won’t fall through the cracks or miss out on critical academic intervention. Meeting these higher expectations ensures students progress through the K-12 system obtaining the proper foundation for whatever they choose to pursue post-graduation, ultimately positively impacting Mississippi’s workforce and economic prosperity.
When the new Mississippi letter grades come out, the headlines may focus on how many As and Bs disappeared. There likely will be some frustration, especially in communities where those grades drop. That reaction is understandable but misplaced. We all know educators are working hard to support students. These new ratings simply mean that there’s still room to grow.
Mississippi has made real progress by doing the hard work. Raising expectations is a continuation of that effort, not a departure from it.
In the end, the goal isn’t to protect the appearance of success. It’s to persist and build upon it. That is what Mississippi has been doing since 2013. That is why student performance has improved and there is no reason to stop now.
Christy Hovanetz is a senior policy fellow for ExcelinEd focusing on school accountability and math policies. She served as the assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education and assistant deputy commissioner at the Florida Department of Education. Hovanetz graduated summa cum laude from St. Cloud State University and is a certified teacher in the state of Minnesota. She earned her Master of Public Administration at the University of Minnesota and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University. ExcelinEd is a national non-profit formed by former Florida Gov Jeb Bush to work with states on education improvement efforts.
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