May 13, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Education Commission of the States (ECS) has announced the state of Mississippi as the 2016 recipient of the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation for a transformational education reform package that prioritized early learning reading skills, expanded charter schools opportunities and created a clear A through F rating system for schools, among other accomplishments.
Signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2013, the Education Works legislation also gave incentives to Mississippi students who pledge to teach in state, increased teacher pay and channeled more funds toward education than at any time in state history.
ECS stated that Mississippi has seen clear results. Since the implementation of the Literacy Based Promotion Act of 2013, 92 percent of third-graders passed the state reading exam. Also, scores from the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the nation’s report card, showed historic jumps. Additionally, Mississippi was one of only two states to see increases in NAEP scores at both 4th and 8th grade levels.
“I thank the teachers, school and district leaders and staff across this state for working incredibly hard over the last several years to implement these initiatives, and we have seen the results of those efforts. Our students have risen to the challenges and will continue to benefit from the high expectations we have set for them,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “I appreciate the work of Gov. Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and the legislative leadership. By continuing to work together on behalf of children, I believe we will raise academic achievement in this state.”
ECS Chair and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock will present the award on Thursday, June 30, at the National Forum on Education Policy in Washington, D.C.
The Frank Newman Award for State Innovation recognizes a state for any of the following:
- Education improvement efforts that are replicable and hold valuable lessons for other states.
- Bold and courageous policies, including existing approaches with evidence of significant impact on student achievement in the state.
- Policies or programs that have bipartisan, broad-based support.
“The dedication we are seeing in Mississippi to improve outcomes for students of all ages is quite impressive and is absolutely paying off,” said Education Commission of the States President Jeremy Anderson. “We are honored to present them with the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation.”
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR
Communications Specialist
601-359-3519