Mississippi Miracle Featured in New Policy Book
Governor Tate Reeves and Dr. Carey Wright contribute a chapter on Mississippi's reading gains to the book Do What Works.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Secondary Education
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Governor Tate Reeves and Dr. Carey Wright have published a chapter on the Mississippi Miracle in the book Do What Works, edited by Results for America co-founders Michele Jolin and David Medina. The chapter describes how Mississippi moved from 49th in the nation in fourth grade reading to a top ten state.
Why it matters
The book presents Mississippi's approach as a research-based model for improving reading and student achievement that other states may consider. Reeves says the Mississippi Miracle is just getting underway, positioning the state's reforms as ongoing rather than complete.
The chapter draws on Mississippi's move from 49th nationally in fourth grade reading to a top ten ranking, a shift the source ties to reforms begun more than a decade ago. The article does not report outcomes from years after the 2019 NAEP results.
The players
Tate Reeves
Tate Reeves is the Governor of Mississippi, who outlined the state's education reform work while serving in the Legislature as Lt. Governor.
Carey Wright
Carey Wright is an education leader who previously led Mississippi's education department and now runs Maryland's public schools.
Results for America
Results for America is an organization that promotes evidence-based policymaking, co-founded by Michele Jolin and David Medina.
The details
Reeves outlined the work in the Legislature while serving as Lt. Governor, and the policy changes followed a research-based approach to reading and overall achievement. Dr. Carey Wright, who set six main goals for the Mississippi Department of Education, now runs Maryland's public schools.
Timeline
More than a decade ago: Mississippi education reforms began.
2019: Mississippi ranked first in the nation in reading gains on NAEP scores.
Fall 2026: The book will be featured at bipartisan events at the Obama Presidential Center and the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Season Trajectory
The chapter presents Mississippi's 2019 NAEP reading gains as the opening stage of a longer reform effort, which Reeves says is just getting underway. This frames the state's results as an early phase in a sustained push rather than a finished achievement.
Parents and educators in Mississippi and other states can look to the state's research-based reading approach as a reference point for local school decisions. Those interested in the policy details can find the chapter in the Do What Works book.
The takeaway
Mississippi's reading gains show that sustained, research-based changes to early literacy can move a state's national ranking over time. Readers in other states can use the approach as a framework for evaluating their own reading policies.
What happens next
The book will be featured at bipartisan events at the Obama Presidential Center and the George W. Bush Presidential Center in fall 2026.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how states are approaching reading and achievement reforms.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Delta Democrat-Times.
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