Carey M. Wright, Ed.D.

, State Superintendent of Education

Office of Communications & Government Relations
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR, Director of Communications *601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR, Communications Specialist * 601-359-3519

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: November 6, 2018

National Assessment Governing Board Releases Report on Mississippi’s NAEP

Progress

JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi students have made consistent gains in reading over the
past dozen years on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also
known as The Nation’s Report Card, making Mississippi one of the top leaders in score
improvement in 4th grade reading between 2005 and 2017, according to a recent report
from the National Assessment Governing Board.

The narrative report on Mississippi, “NAEP Gains Follow State’s Efforts to Improve
Student Achievement,” took a closer look at what has changed in the state over the years
to move academic performance in Mississippi, where scores are increasing faster than
the national average.
Score-point increases on NAEP

Mathematics Reading

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress

Central High School Building  359 North West Street  P.O. Box 771  Jackson, MS 39205-0771
 Carey M. Wright, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education
Office of Communications & Government Relations
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR, Director of Communications *601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR, Communications Specialist * 601-359-3519
“Because of the hard work of teachers and leaders, Mississippi students have made
substantial gains in academic achievement, and I am thrilled to see the National
Governing Board’s interest in what we are doing in the state to improve education,” said
Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education.
While Mississippi students still score below the national average on NAEP, the report
noted that student achievement in the state has been improving on NAEP across grades
and subject areas for years. The report includes comments from education, policy and
business leaders in Mississippi who attribute the student achievement gains to higher
academic standards, a coordinated statewide focus on improving literacy; and greater
professional support for teachers.

###

Central High School Building  359 North West Street  P.O. Box 771  Jackson, MS 39205-0771