Improving Reading & Math Proficiency: the Mississippi Miracle and Redefining State Standards (S1E6)

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Educators are all too familiar with the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. It's known as the nation's report card– and as a country, our grades are dropping.

According to NAEP's long-term trend report, students' reading and math scores have declined for the last decade. States have been evaluating and adjusting their policies, curriculum and school schedules in response. On this episode of the Educator's Playbook podcast, host Kimberly McGlonn delves into the complexities and nuances of those changes, and the role teaching standards and innovative policies play in shaping the future. What's working, what isn't – and why?

Our first guest on this deep dive is Patrick Sexton, head of teacher ed programs at Penn GSE. He talks about how crucial an effective rollout of new standards is for long-term success. Even the most well-intentioned standards will fall short without adequate training for educators. Then we're joined by Mississippi's state literacy director, Kristen Wynn, who shares what they've been doing to radically transform the state's approach over the last decade. She provides valuable insight into what it took to help their students gain proficiency against various factors.

GUESTS:

• Patrick Sexton, Executive Director of Teacher Education Programs, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
• Kristen Wynn, State Literacy Director (K-12), Mississippi Department of Education

 NEWSLETTER:

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• No. 62: Bringing theater into the classroom
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• No. 22: Math that students can use in real life, right now

 ADDITIONAL ARTICLES & RESOURCES:

• National Assessment of Educational Progress
• 76.3% of Mississippi third graders pass state reading assessment on first attempt (05-18-23)
• National Report Finds Mississippi’s 3rd Grade Promotion Law Leads to Early Literacy Gains (02-07-23)
• Mississippi Literacy-Based Promotion Act
• Mississippi’s State Literacy Plan
  • Strong Readers, Strong Leaders Mississippi
  • Leading in Literacy

The Educator's Playbook podcast is produced in Philadelphia with partner RADIOKISMET.