State Superintendent’s 2024-25 Annual Report highlights a year of historic progress, achievements in public schools

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:  January 6, 2026

State Superintendent’s 2024-25 Annual Report highlights a year of historic progress, achievements in public schools

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education has released its 2024-25 Superintendent’s Annual Report, which covers a year of historic progress of the state’s public education system as well as national recognition of achievements.

Report highlights include:

• An increase in the overall pass rates for all end-of-course assessments
• A record high 77.3% of third-graders passing the third-grade reading assessment on the first attempt
• Statewide graduation rate of 89.2%
• Students took 16,145 Advanced Placement exams, with a record high of 9,155 Advanced Placement exams earning a qualifying score.
• 25,917 students earned ACT National Career Readiness Certificates in 2024-25 for their performance on the ACT WorkKeys.
• 3% of students who took Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses passed their courses and earned college credit in 2025.
• High-quality pre-K programs included 40 Early Learning Collaboratives and an increase of 33 State-Invested Pre-K programs.
• $2.9 million in state funds awarded to nine Institutions of Higher Education to expand the Mississippi Teacher Residency program.
• Mississippi ranked 16th nationally in the 2025 Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book – the state’s highest-ever educational ranking.
• The 2024 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) results show Mississippi fourth graders ranked:
  • No. 1 for reading and math gains since 2013
  • No. 9 for reading scores in 2024
  • No. 16 for math scores in 2024
• 2024-25 Accountability highlights show 8.3% of districts increased a letter grade, 14% of elementary and middle schools increased a letter grade and 12.6% of high schools increased a letter grade.
• MDE’s Office of School and District Transformation was created to oversee the state’s Districts of Transformation, which replaced the Mississippi Achievement School District.
• MDE established the Mississippi Blue Ribbon School program to recognize the state’s highest-performing schools.
• The Mississippi Superintendent Institute was launched to equip new and veteran superintendents with tools to lead thriving school systems.
• The Mississippi REACH initiative was created to bring certified educators into classrooms through live remote instruction.

To view the 2024-25 report, go to mdek12.org/mbe/superintendent2025/.

Find all MDE news releases at mdek12.org/news.

###

Jean Cook, APR
Chief of Communication
601-359-3515
jcook@mdek12.org

Shanderia Minor
Public Information Officer
601-359-3515
sminor@mdek12.org