JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Officials with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced that 75.7% of 31,787 third graders passed the initial administration of the third-grade reading assessment. The test was given this spring for the 2023-24 school year.

According to MDE, the percentage is nearly the same as the initial pass rate in 2022-23 of 76.3% when 31,623 third graders took the assessment, and higher than the pre-pandemic initial pass rate of 74.5%.

“When it comes to literacy, the collective efforts of teachers, administrators, literacy coaches and families are essential to students’ success,” said Dr. Ray Morgigno, interim state superintendent of education. “The MDE is committed to supporting instruction and resources aligned to the Science of Reading that will foster more achievement.”

In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), third graders who do not pass the initial administration of the reading test are given up to two attempts to retest. After the final retest in 2022-23, 84.9% of third graders passed the test, and 85% passed the test in 2021-22.

Students who did not pass the reading assessment on their first attempt last month were retested May 6-10. The second retest window is June 17 – 28. Some students may qualify for good cause exemptions to be promoted to fourth grade.