State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright has announced that the literacy proficiency rate of 3rd graders in Mississippi has nearly returned to pre-pandemic passing rates.
According to the release, 73.9% of 31,068 3rd graders passed the reading assessment for the 2021-2022 school year, compared to 74.5% in 2019.
“The hard work of teachers, students, and parents to overcome academic setbacks caused by the pandemic is paying off,” Wright said. “The initial pass rate on this year’s 3rd-grade reading assessment is nearly the same as the pre-pandemic pass rate. I celebrate this accomplishment and acknowledge there’s more work to be done.”
In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, 3rd graders who do not pass the initial reading test are granted two attempts to retest. After the final retest in 2019, 85.6% of 3rd graders passed and moved on to 4th grade. Students did not test in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic while the passing requirements were waived in 2021.
Students who did not pass this year’s initial assessment received their first opportunity to retest two weeks ago. The second retest window is set for June 20-July 8.
