For all the national concerns about the future of the Department of Education, the South has already shown that states can turn around struggling schools if they choose to put in the work themselves.

Mississippi has become one of the biggest success stories for reading scores in the country. The state had the largest growth in fourth-grade reading (and math) scores from 2013 to 2024, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress assessment. For the first time, Mississippi fourth graders scored higher than the national average.