In the Annie E Casey Foundation's 2024 Kids Count Data Book, Mississippi is ranked 50th in economic well-being, health and family, but 30th in education.
Linda Southward, executive director of the Children's Foundation of Mississippi, says the state’s education ranking is an outlier because investments made in things like reading coaches are paying off.
“I think that we are seeing the results of some investments that have been made over several years, certainly the funding of pre-K collaboratives that began over a decade ago,” Southward said.
While Mississippi has seen significant gains in education in recent years, Southward says access to intensive tutoring needs to be expanded so students don't miss important academic milestones.
Tere are some improvements being made in this area, with more schools shortening summer vacation to add one week to each quarter of the school year. Those are used to help students falling behind catch up, while the rest get it off.
“Having this intermittent tutoring, having a school year that works in the best interests of children, that is something that we're seeing increasingly across the state,” Southward said. “Research has shown that the most effective tutoring is in person, high dosage and tied directly to the school.”
Southward says the state's children also need better access to mental health services and schools should play a part in providing them.
“There's a gap that exists between the number of youth who could benefit from mental health counseling and professionals, and the mental health resources available across the state,” Southward said. “Schools are an important venue for students to receive psychological support and counseling. But we also know that the number of school funded psychologists in Mississippi remains low.”
The Children's Foundation also recommends that access to dual-enrollment courses and equitable broadband be expanded to increase educational outcomes.
