FULCRUM Hosts Architects of Mississippi 'Miracle'
Event: Learning Experience with the Mississippi Department of Education
Date: 02/08/2024–02/09/2024
Location: Oakland, CA
Audience: Literacy coaches and leaders
In February 2024, FULCRUM hosted a two-day learning experience, allowing participants to engage directly with literacy leaders from the Mississippi Department of Education. It was a rare opportunity for 35 charter and district educators to come together and build connections outside their immediate networks. Literacy coaches, system leaders, and network leaders from Oakland, Hayward, Berkeley and beyond heard from Kelli Crain and Jill Hoda, MDE’s K–3 Assistant State Literacy Coordinators, before engaging in learning sessions that aimed to build capacity as well as shared community.
Why Mississippi?
Though frequently referred to as a “miracle,” Mississippi’s staggering progress is a product of years of dedication and perseverance—there is no mystery about it.
In 2013, Mississippi passed the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA) to ensure every student completes third grade, reading at or above grade level. The LBPA implemented key changes including the following:
Universal screening of reading skills for all K–3 students at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year.
Individual reading plans (IRPs) for all students not reading at grade level with intensive reading interventions, progress monitoring, and regular teacher-parent meetings.
Completion of a foundational reading test, grounded in the science of reading, by all teacher candidates.
Use of research-based literacy instruction to ensure students receive explicit instruction on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
At the time, Mississippi ranked 49th out of the 50 states in reading, and while these measures seemed drastic, they produced remarkable outcomes. Under the LBPA, schools facing the greatest challenges received increased support from staff coaches, and over the course of a decade, Mississippi moved from 49th to 21st in the nation with an impressive 85% of fourth graders reading at grade level. MDE’s success is the product of the state’s investment in research-based methods and commitment to change, providing a model of excellence in literacy practices and a shining example of what is possible.
Learning from Mississippi
FULCRUM held multiple events to maximize learning, tailoring each session to meet the unique needs of each group.
Literacy coaches discussed building relationships, managing crucial conversations with teachers, handling resistance, building buy-in, and removing implementation roadblocks such as insufficient time and ineffective tools. They explored coaching models and engaged in practice opportunities.
Literacy system leaders discussed creating blueprints at a central office or district level. They considered messaging during strategic plan roll-outs, methods for ensuring quality execution, and approaches to developing coaches.
Network leaders focused on policy, funding, and resource allocation from chief and superintendent perspectives. They examined decision-making around literacy initiatives, ways to support consistent implementation across schools, and features of ongoing communication around progress and success with key stakeholders.
All groups reflected upon MDE’s journey, examining how the state combined changes in policy, funding, and implementation to achieve success and asking questions to aid their schools’ and districts’ literacy initiatives. Attendees left with new ideas, a deeper understanding of effective coaching, and access to valuable resources. Connecting with peers in similar roles, especially those outside their immediate systems, also offered opportunities for new partnerships, illustrating the power of collective capacity building.
We are immensely grateful to Kelli Crain and Jill Hoda for sharing their time, expertise, and inspiring journey with us, and thank you to Education for Change, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, and Lighthouse Community Public Schools for providing space for us to gather.
Key Takeaways
“When we think about the distal outcome of student achievement, we must carefully craft our implementation plan for high-quality instructional materials so that training is not just comprehensive, [it’s] also sustainable. It is not just about preparing teachers—we must prepare our principals to be the instructional leaders we need them to be for the sake of our students.”
Recommended Resources
Literacy Coaches: “Heavy” or “Light” Coaching Activity
System Leaders: Mississippi Department of Education Literacy Coaching Model
Network Leaders: How to Build Strong Readers: Mississippi’s Guide to Developing Literacy Skills from Birth through Grade 12
