Mississippi Miracle Tour (2023)
The USU’s Center for the School of the Future team and leadership of Wasatch School District in Utah traveled together to Mississippi to investigate what is being referred to as the “Mississippi Miracle.” For years, Mississippi was the lowest scoring state on the National Assessment of Educational Performance (NAEP), but in recent years, with systemic statewide changes, and an intense focus on, and implementation of the science of reading, and the science of reading instruction, Mississippi has leapt to 36th position among all states. An achievement of this magnitude and in so few years has never occurred before…hence the “Mississippi Miracle.” With Dr. Angela Rutherford (Ole Miss University) as guide, the team visited Senatobia, Dundee, and Falkner elementary schools. To better understand the system of intervention, the team met with the Mississippi Department of Education’s literacy coaches, and with a representative of the early learning collaborative act, and with Dr. Kim Benton, Chief Academic Officer. The team learned a great deal about the drivers producing the “Mississippi Miracle,” but also left with impressions on actions to improve student reading performance in a individual school district.
