A record percentage of third-graders in Mississippi have passed the initial spring reading assessment administered annually.
The Mississippi Department of Education reported Thursday that 25,399, or 77.3%, of pupils scored successful grades on the first go around. A total of 32,839 third graders took the assessment. In 2023-24, 75.7% of third graders passed the initial administration of the reading assessment. After the final retests in 2023-24, 84% of third graders passed the test.
“Another record-high in education! One reason we achieved the Mississippi Miracle is because we implemented the 3rd-grade reading gate,” Gov. Tate Reeves wrote on X. “It was a promise to kids that we wouldn’t pass them until they were ready. Our hard work is paying off, and kids are better off because of it!”
Another record-high in education!
One reason we achieved the Mississippi Miracle is because we implemented the 3rd grade reading gate. It was a promise to kids that we wouldn’t pass them until they were ready.
Our hard work is paying off and kids are better off because of it! pic.twitter.com/KUEQwTTI00
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) May 15, 2025
In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, third-graders who do not pass the initial administration of the reading test are given up to two attempts to retest. Students who did not pass the initial reading assessment were retested in early May. The second retest window is June 16 through June 27.
The LBPA became law in 2013 to improve the reading skills of kindergarten through third-grade students in public schools, so every student completing the third grade is able to read at or above grade level. The LBPA requires Mississippi third-graders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to fourth grade. Some students may qualify for good cause exemptions to be promoted to fourth grade.
An amendment to the law in 2016 raised reading-level expectations in the 2018-19 school year, requiring third graders to score at level three or higher on the reading portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program English Language Arts assessment.
