#AskExcelinEd: What is the State of Black Education in Mississippi?

Nearly 1 out of every 2 students in Mississippi public schools is Black. Yet, Black students lag behind their White peers in most academic indictors. According to an article published by the Hechinger Report, “Although white and black students make up a similar proportion of Mississippi’s student population, white students were more than twice as likely to attend one of Mississippi’s 31 A-rated school districts.” No state in the Union would benefit more from closing the achievement gap between Black and White students. In states with fewer Black students, achievement gaps may be easy to mask; but Mississippi has high percentages of Black students, which makes its gaps more visible. In 2020, the Quality Counts Report touted the state as No. 2 in the nation for improvement in education in the “Chance for Success” category, but does this projection hold true for its Black students?

The discussion of the achievement gap is, ordinarily, reserved mostly for Hispanic students, Black students, and students from low-income backgrounds. Frankly, it is a phrase to describe why those students aren’t doing as well academically as white students.

A Lack of Opportunity, Not Knowledge

Lack of access to educational opportunities is a major barrier to students’ quality of life. What has Mississippi prioritized over the last decade to advance education and increase opportunities? In 2013, the Magnolia State passed historic legislation focused on improving early childhood education and early literacy and providing public school choice to parents.

As a Mississippi poor boy growing up in the Delta, my upbringing had some challenges due to my mom being blind and deaf. The school was the place that made me feel whole…They simply worked with me to ensure my success. As a high school junior, I remember the day sitting in the gym trying to decide what I will do because we had to write a paper about it. I decided I would become an educator. I have no regrets.

Will Smith, Ph.D, Principal Utica Elementary and Middle School

Mississippi made its first state investment in early childhood education with the passage of the Early Learning Collaborative Act which establishes Early Learning Collaboratives (ELCs), or partnerships among school districts, Head Start agencies, childcare centers, and non-profit organizations. The goal of ELCs is to prepare 4-year-olds for Kindergarten. In 2019, the percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled in ELCs meeting the Kindergarten Readiness score was 8% higher than those enrolled in other public pre-kindergarten programs, but ELCs only serve 3,000 students, or 7.9% of 4-year-olds, annually. Most recently, the legislature increased its investment, appropriating $8.6 million to serve an additional 3,000 plus students.

The Literacy-Based Promotion Act  was enacted to ensure that all students read on grade-level by the end of third grade. The policy has led to unprecedented gains for MS students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) over the last six years.

The legislature authorized the Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013 to give parents an alternative to public schools. The number of charter schools has grown since then as they became “the first credible competition to the traditional system of public schooling—and a direct competitor for tight resources.” To date, the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board has approved seven charter schools serving approximately 2,000 students, 99% of whom are Black or minority, and whose accountability ratings range from B to D on an A-F accountability scale.

Enacting Policy and Effective Implementation Go Hand in Hand

Since passing legislation there has been a coordinated effort by all stakeholders to implement these education reform efforts with fidelity. Although these education reforms have led to improvement and even national recognition, there is still work to be done to “even the playing field” for students of color. Mississippi’s NAEP performance is an extraordinary story of overall improvement. Yet, Black students’ performance remains decades behind their White peers.

In 1992, Black students’ average score on the 4^th grade Reading NAEP was 186, compared to 217 for their White peers—a 31-point difference. This gap narrowed to 21 points by 2019. Despite this improvement, Black students’ average score of 209 in 2019 is still 8 points less than White students’ performance in 1992 – 27 years later.

Mississippi’s 4th Grade NAEP Reading Scores

Math NAEP results  reveal a similar pattern. In 1992, Black students’ average score on the 4th grade Math NAEP was 189, compared to 219 by their White peers—a 30-point gap. By 2019, both groups of students’ scores improved dramatically, with Black and White students improving by 41 and 32 points respectively. Still, the overall gap only narrowed to 21 points. One difference, however, is that unlike the 4th Reading NAEP results, Black students in 2019 outperformed White students in 1992. The bottom line, Black students’ average score on every NAEP 4th grade math and reading assessment between 1992 and 2019 was at least 20 points less than White students.

Mississippi 4th Grade Math Scores

Preparing More Students for College, Career and Beyond

During this same decade Mississippi focused its education reform on improving early literacy outcomes, the state adopted rigorous College-and-Career Ready academic standards and an equally rigorous state assessment. Recently, the state released its 2021 graduation rate, exceeding the national average at 87.7% and Black and White students showing only a 3.9% difference with graduation rates of 86% and 89.9%, respectively.

Literacy is both an education and economic issue, and, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation, “the South has a particularly high concentration of residents in poverty” with the Mississippi Delta being one of the most “economically disadvantaged regions in the country.” But, recent data show promise. 2019 NAEP results show that Mississippi students living in poverty are outperforming their peers nationally and that Black, white and Hispanic students from low-income homes in Mississippi achieved higher scores than the national average in all four NAEP subjects. The latest data show that Mississippi can improve the educational performance of students with comprehensive, targeted reforms. Now is the time to be more intentional about closing, not just narrowing, the gaps between White students and students of color.

The reason why I got into the field of education is because of the influence of my late grandparents who were all educators. They instilled in me a sincere love for learning; I in turn want to do the same for the children that I proudly serve.

Dr. Kiana Pendleton, Principal, Laurel Magnet School of the Arts

Keeping the Momentum

The Magnolia State has made several advancements in education to narrow equity and opportunity gaps for Black students; however, the performance gaps that have historically existed between White and Black students remain considerable. Protecting the policies that are the foundation of the state’s progress and taking the following actions would improve the state of Black education.

• Continue to invest additional funding in pre-kindergarten and expand the number of Early Learning Collaboratives. The National Institute for Early Education (NIEER) recently recognized Mississippi as one of only four states that meet all 10 quality standards for early childhood education. The data show that this model works, and more students should have the access and opportunity for a strong start.
• Expand educational opportunities for students. Currently, the state has three educational choice programs for students with disabilities, serving less than 1,000 students combined. A recent study has shown a positive correlation between the number of school options in a state and improved NAEP results.
• Provide high-dosage tutoring, ideally during the school day for students who need it most. A University of Chicago report shows that the benefits of intensive tutoring could lead to the “equivalent to closing nearly two-thirds of the average gap in math test scores between white and black students—the equivalent of what the average American high school student learns in math over three years.”
• Reimagine Learning. An article by McKinsey and Company asserts, “There is now both the political will and a sense of urgency to take on the challenge of fixing long-broken delivery models.” The pandemic has brought to light many educational inequities that exist in MS – from the lack of access to Broadband and devices for students and teachers to measuring the quality of education that was being delivered remotely. Addressing long-standing issues alone will no longer suffice in Mississippi. Now is the time to rethink education entirely.