In Mississippi: Assessment Shows Student Achievement Reaches All-Time High in Three Subjects
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released the results from the 2023-24 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), which show student achievement reaching an all-time high in mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), and science.
Overall, for 2023-24, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced reached a record high of 47.8% in ELA, 56.3% in mathematics, and 63.4% in science. U.S. history decreased slightly from 71.4% in 2022-23 to 70.9% in 2023-24.
The 2023-24 assessment results show student achievement continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Student achievement in Mississippi and the nation dropped in 2021 due to the pandemic, though Mississippi students mostly rebounded by 2022.
One-year Change in the Percentage of Students Scoring Proficient or Advanced
“The continued rise in student achievement across Mississippi is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and school leaders,” said Lance Evans, Ed.D., state superintendent of education. “Our focus now is on building more momentum to guarantee that all our graduates are prepared for the challenges and opportunities they will encounter in college, their careers, and life.”
MAAP measures students’ progress toward academic goals that equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in college and the workforce. Mississippi teachers helped develop MAAP tests, which align with the learning goals for Mississippi classrooms. MAAP measures student performance in ELA and mathematics in grades 3-8, science in grades 5 and 8, and in high school English II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History.
MAAP results make up a large portion of the A-F accountability grades schools and districts earn annually. Accountability grades for the 2023-24 school year will be released at the Mississippi State Board of Education meeting on September 17.
Mississippi is recognized as a national leader in education because students have made faster progress than nearly every other state. Several factors contributed to the steady rise in student achievement including the implementation of higher academic standards and statewide support to teachers to help students reach higher standards. Other factors include the effective implementation of several education reform laws and policies that developed or strengthened early childhood education, literacy instruction, school and district accountability, and advanced learning opportunities for high school students.
Since 2013, Mississippi’s national Quality Counts ranking for K-12 achievement improved from 50th to 35th, and the state’s overall education grade improved from F to C- (nation’s grade is C). In 2024, the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book ranked Mississippi 30th in the nation for education, the state’s highest-ever ranking.
View the MAAP Results Executive Summary and District- and School-level Results Report.
Tags: data, State issues, state policy, STEM
