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Mississippi Proceeds With Holding Back Third Graders

After its state board of education determined passing rates in May, nearly 15 percent of Mississippi's third graders discovered their April reading test scores were not sufficient to enter fourth grade.

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A reading assistant reads on the classroom floor with a small group of fourth graders at Wanke Elementary School in San Antonio on March 9, 2012.
Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune

After its state board of education determined passing rates in May, nearly 15 percent of Mississippi's third graders discovered their April reading test scores were not sufficient to enter fourth grade. Championed by Gov. Phil Bryant, the new cutoffs are intended to inspire improvements in academic achievement, despite more than $1.5 billion in school budget shortfalls since 2009. (Hechinger Report)

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