The Mississippi Department of Education announced May 16 that 75.7% of 31,787 third-graders passed the initial administration of the third-grade reading assessment given this spring for the 2023-24 school year. The percentage is nearly the same as the initial pass rate in 2022-23 of 76.3%, when 31,623 third-graders took the assessment, and higher than the prepandemic initial pass rate of 74.5%. This spring’s initial pass rate for Webster County School District third-graders was 84.5%, up from the 2022-23 initial pass rate of 83.6%. Eupora Elementary had an 87% pass rate (85.2% the previous year) and East Webster Elementary’s was 82.1% (81.8% the previous year). “When it comes to literacy, the collective efforts of teachers, administrators, literacy coaches and families are essential to students’ success,” said Dr. Ray Morgigno, interim state superintendent of education. “The MDE is committed to supporting instruction and resources aligned to the Science of Reading that will foster more achievement.” In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, thirdgraders who do not pass the initial administration of the reading test are given up to two attempts to retest. After the final retest in 2022-23, 84.9% of third-graders passed the test, and 85% passed the test in 2021-22. The LBPA became law in 2013 to improve 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 thirdgraders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to fourth grade. An amendment to the law in 2016 raised reading-level expectations starting 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. Students who did not pass the reading assessment on their first attempt in April were retested May 6- 10. The second retest window is June 17-28. Some students may qualify for goodcause exemptions to be promoted to fourth grade. Final district-level pass rates will be published this fall in the Literacy-Based Promotion Act Annual Report of Performance and Student Retention for the 2023- 24 school year
