Mississippi

The purpose of this document is to capture state-by-state information of policy and guidelines related to the science of reading / evidence-based reading instruction to be presented on The Reading League Compass, a website of reliable and reputable guidance and resources for targeted stakeholder groups.

Local control?

Yes

The Mississippi Legislature developed a dyslexia law (MS Code § 37-173) that established the Mississippi Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship for Students with Dyslexia Program that provides the option to attend a public school other than the one to which assigned, or to provide a scholarship to a special purpose nonpublic school of choice, for students with a diagnosis of dyslexia. Students in grades 1 to 12 who have been properly screened and diagnosed with dyslexia shall be eligible to receive scholarship assistance under this program.

In addition, section 16 of the legislation requires public school districts to conduct four hours of in-service training in dyslexia and related disorder awareness education every three years for all licensed educators and paraprofessionals responsible for instruction.

Standard 1 and Standard 2 of the International Dyslexia Association’s “Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading” 2018 Edition shall be the minimum content used for the dyslexia training.

Effective July 1, 2017, MS Code § 37-173-15 mandates that each local school district screen students for dyslexia in the spring of Kindergarten and the fall of Grade 1 using a State Board of Education approved screener. Each local school district shall adopt a policy to ensure students will be screened by a screener approved by the State Board of Education in the spring of kindergarten and the fall of Grade 1.

Non-legislated rule changes:

Revised State Literacy Plan that include(s) goals and action steps from birth to grade 12

In the Spring of 2020, the MDE partnered with EdReports, a national organization with expertise in curriculum review and rubric development, to design a Mississippi-specific ELA rubric and review process. Over the course of several months, ELA and literacy experts from EdReports worked with stakeholders to move through a thorough rubric development process. Stakeholders attended multiple working group sessions where they discussed the design of the rubric and evidence collection processes. Stakeholders provided detailed feedback on rubric drafts to ensure alignment with state standards.

Was evidence-aligned reading instruction a consideration for the curriculum review?

Yes

Our ELA materials were reviewed using rubrics developed in partnership with EdReports. The materials were evaluated based on three Gateways.

• Gateway 1: Text Quality, Complexity, and Alignment to Standards with Task and Questions Grounded in Evidence
  ** This gateway also included a heavier weighted “Criterion” (Criterion 1.3) on the K-5 rubrics. This Criterion includes a review of foundational skills aligned to the Science of Reading.***
• Gateway 2: Building Knowledge with Text, Vocabulary, and Task
  Materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

• Gateway 3: Usability
  Gateway 3 examines the ways in which materials support teachers to fully utilize the curriculum, understand the skills and learning of their students, and support a range of learners.

Does your state mandate or provide guidance on early screening?

Yes. Universal screening assessments will be administered to all students at least three times during the year to provide an especially critical “first look” at individual students. State statute requires that the Mississippi Department of Education “shall select early literacy and numeracy screening assessment instrument or instruments to be used throughout the state in the screening of students in Kindergarten through Grade 3” (Mississippi Code § 37-23-16; Mississippi Code § 37-177-5). The Mississippi Department of Education, in collaboration with Mississippi Reading Panel, has established an approved list of reading screeners to be used by local school districts in grades K-3.

The following screeners are approved for use in Mississippi schools:

• FAST: Adaptive Reading, CBMReading, and earlyReading English (suite of three administered together) (Grades K-12)
• i-Ready (Grades K-12)
• Istation Indicators of Progress (ISIP) (Grades K-5)
• mCLASS Reading 3D (Grades K-3)
• Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth (Grades K-2), MAP (Grades 2-10)
• STAR Early Literacy (Grades PK-3), STAR Reading (Grades 1-12)

All districts are required to complete the District Notification and Grant Application located to the right.

Diagnostic Assessments should be administered to students who fail the screening assessment. Diagnostic assessments provide in-depth information about individual student’s particular strengths and needs for Tier 2 supplemental instruction and/or Tier 3 intensive intervention.

Above is a link to the Evidence Based Academic Intervention Approved List.

The purpose of this list is to provide districts with state-approved, evidence-based interventions that can be used to improve students’ deficit areas. This is not intended to be an all-inclusive or exhaustive list. Districts may choose from this list or choose their own evidence-based academic intervention. While MDE has approved this list it does not endorse individual products.

Does your state have policy or guidance related to instruction and/or professional development

Yes. The Mississippi Department of Education Office of Elementary Education and Reading is responsible for supporting and training K-3rd grade teachers, curriculum specialists, and other educators by providing research-based instructional strategies on literacy and guidance on the implementation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA). Passed during the 2013 legislative session, the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA) places an emphasis on grade-level reading skills, particularly as students progress through grades K-3.

AIM’s Pathways to Proficient Reading and Pathways to Literacy Leadership courses provide next steps training for our Science of Reading Journey while supporting Mississippi’s mission to prepare students to compete in the global community. These two hybrid courses are customized for the Mississippi Department of Education and include asynchronous learning as well as two in-person training sessions with experienced AIM facilitators.

The Pathways to Proficient Reading for Teachers course will give educators access to resources for classroom application-based practices to support strong, proficient readers through the Science of Reading.

The Pathways for Literacy Leadership course will provide educational leaders the tools to create and implement a literacy plan in their schools.

This year, educators who have already completed the Pathways to Proficient Reading or Pathways to Literacy Leadership course can continue their learning with Pathways to Proficient Writing.

We have created a four-part series for building and district-level administrators on HQIM and the importance of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy.

• Part 1: Science of Reading in the Classroom: Implementing HQIM
  Slide deck and webinar available
• Part 2: Science of Reading Implementing HQIM: Assessment and Writing
  Slide deck and webinar available
• Part 3: Science of Reading Implementing HQIM: Small-Group Instruction **Coming Soon**
• Part 4: Science of Reading Implementation Roadmap: HQIM Pitstop PLCs for Leaders
  Slide deck and webinar available

Has your state reviewed standards for alignment to the science of reading?

Yes

• Gateway 1: Text Quality, Complexity, and Alignment to Standards with Task and Questions Grounded in Evidence
  ** This gateway also included a heavier weighted “Criterion” (Criterion 1.3) on the K-5 rubrics. This Criterion includes a review of foundational skills aligned to the Science of Reading.**
• Gateway 2: Building Knowledge with Text, Vocabulary, and Task
  Materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
• Gateway 3: Usability
  Gateway 3 examines the ways in which materials support teachers to fully utilize the curriculum, understand the skills and learning of their students, and support a range of learners.

Does your state have guidance or resources for families related to the science of reading?

Yes

Strong Readers MS

Families want to help their children become strong readers but don’t always know where to start. At the Mississippi Department of Education, we provide the necessary resources, activities and information, so you can help your children become strong readers and strong leaders. Get started by selecting your child’s grade level.

The activities you will find are useful to all students at all levels. Families can move within the grades to provide their children with the activities that are on their level.

Regional Family Nights

The Mississippi Department of Education announces a series of regional meetings across the state for families of students in kindergarten through grade 3. At the meetings, families will receive an overview of the state law concerning literacy and assessment, as well as strategies that can be used at home to help students improve their reading skills.

Do you have a “contact us” website that we can share publicly on TRL Compass?

Use the interactive state map to find descriptions of state-level policy adoption, guidance, and practices related to the science of reading. State policy may include legislation incorporating training or practices related to the science of reading or state education agency guidance regarding policy, professional development, curricula, instruction, or assessment.

Filter by specific topic area(s) to find state-specific work: 

The Reading League expresses gratitude to our collaborators and associates within the state education agencies for sharing their state-specific data. This data will undergo semi-annual updates, contingent upon the availability and resources of the respective state agencies. For any inquiries, clarifications, or updates, please reach out to compass@thereadingleague.org.