Learn from the Mississippi Science of Reading “Miracle Workers”
Many states have introduced or signed new reading legislation this year. Others are proposing ways to improve reading by aligning instruction with research-backed strategies. 18+ states are planning to use ESSER funds to back “science of reading” approaches. Still other states are defining what the right curriculum is, particularly those who were strong adopters of balanced literacy programs, or who often leave decisions up to districts.
Before the heat of summer kicked in, education news was all about the
Mississippi ‘miracle’: how Mississippi went from being ranked the second-worst state for fourth grade reading in 2013, to 21st in 2022. The miracle workers?
Former MS State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Carey Wright and her team, who set the model for states and districts working to adopt new reading standards and trained MS teachers in the science of reading, a multidisciplinary field that draws on research from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and education to understand how we learn to read and how reading instruction can be improved.
As students and teachers head back into their classrooms, we invite statewide leaders and districts to join an exclusive roundtable on Thursday, September 7, with Dr. Carey Wright and Dr. Tenette Smith, MSDOE’s Executive Director of Elementary Education and Reading. This executive roundtable will be facilitated by Dr. Christina Kishimoto, the former State Superintendent of Hawaii, and Dr. Karen Beerer, Discovery Education’s Senior Vice President of Statewide Partnerships. Together, they will share insights on what made Mississippi a leader in reading acceleration and the essential strategies to drive YOUR district’s reading achievement. We’ll also share ideas on how to integrate the science of reading with the teaching of science, with a focus on growing language comprehension skills, background building, differentiating and supporting every reader, and applying evidence-based practices at scale.