top of page


Mississippi rising: Look South for progress in reading achievement
Mississippi should be a role model for the nation in how to teach reading, along with Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama, but old stereotypes persist.

Joanne Jacobs
May 132 min read


Getting better: How Louisiana is raising reading and math scores
How Louisiana is raising reading scores and hoping to improve math achievement.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 33 min read


Schools need to get more brains for the bucks
School spending soared in the last 10 years as test scores fell -- except in states such as Louisiana and Mississippi.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 301 min read


Mississippi vs. Masssachusetts: Which state has the best schools?
When states are judged by how well students overcome disadvantages, Mississippi is a winner and high-scoring Massachusetts is mediocre.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20241 min read


Only 1.2% to repeat 3rd grade due to Tennessee 'reading gate'
Sixty percent of Tennessee third graders faced the prospect of repeating the grade, but only 1.2 percent failed to get past the "reading...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 20, 20232 min read


Repeating a grade can help elementary students succeed
Holding kids back if they're way behind in reading is very controversial, but new research shows that repeating a grade in elementary...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 18, 20232 min read


Mississippi rules in reading
Mississippi students used to rank dead last in learning, writes Phil Bryant, the former governor of the state, on Real Clear Education....

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 27, 20232 min read


Will 65% of Tennessee 3rd-graders repeat the year? Not likely
If Tennessee's read-or- repeat law had been in place last year, 65 percent of third graders would have been at-risk of retention for...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 12, 20232 min read


Some teachers resist 'science of reading' laws
Teachers' unions are pushing back against state laws requiring early literacy instruction to be based on the "science of reading," write...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 5, 20232 min read


When 3rd-graders can't read, should they repeat the grade?
Third graders who read more than a year below grade level will be passed on to fourth grade in Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 13, 20232 min read


Teaching reading should not be political
"So the anti-public school, pro-book banning crowd has latched onto the “science of reading” movement…shocked," tweets Ryan Davis...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 7, 20222 min read


Finally, schools are following the 'science of reading'
Phonics is back in classrooms and it's helping young children learn to read, writes Bella DiMarco, a FutureEd policy analyst, in the New...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 18, 20222 min read
bottom of page