Mississippi Department of Education reports strategic plan progress, highlights graduation and pre-K gains

Superintendent Lance Evans told the State Board of Education on Jan. 16 that the Mississippi Department of Education's annual strategic plan report shows measurable gains across several goals while identifying areas that need further work.

The report described an almost 9.4 percentage-point increase in third-grade reading proficiency from 48.3% in 2019 to 57.7% in 2024, a statewide graduation rate of roughly 89.4%, and a rise in students reached by the department's early learning initiatives from about 1,400 to 8,300 since the program's launch. Evans said the department is expanding literacy supports into grades 4—0 to address middleschool dips in performance.

Why it matters: the strategic plan sets the department's priorities for instruction, assessment and workforce alignment across the state. Board members heard specific next steps tied to the six goals in the plan: strengthen early literacy and assessment practices, grow college- and career-readiness pathways, expand high-quality early childhood programs, improve educator effectiveness and licensing, modernize the state data system (MSIS), and support improvement in low-performing schools.

Key details and evidence from the presentation: - Early…