Pupil power: Why the US South is seeing education gains
Studies in 2025 pointed to declining achievement in foundational reading and math skills among American students. But four states in the South are demonstrating that high standards and elevated expectations can raise performance, despite scarce resources.
Studies in 2025 pointed to declining achievement in foundational reading and math skills among American students. But four states in the South are demonstrating that high standards and elevated expectations can raise performance, despite scarce resources.
In a well-known folktale, young Goldilocks tests out three bears鈥� porridge (too hot, too cold, just right), as well as their chairs and beds. The story delights most children of preschool age. But when these children enter school, according to education experts in the United States, a 鈥淕oldilocks approach鈥� to developing foundational skills does not serve them well.
Teaching and grading that aligns content and standards to a 鈥渏ust right鈥� fit, rather than challenging students to grow, is a disservice, in the view of University of Illinois Chicago literacy professor Timothy Shanahan. 鈥淭his popular approach to teaching has been holding kids back rather than helping them succeed,鈥� he wrote in The Conversation last fall. 鈥淪tudents learn more when taught with more difficult texts.鈥�
This observation captures a renewed focus in U.S. public education on elevating standards, curricula, and performance. Too many American students are woefully underprepared for college. And last year鈥檚 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed a continuing decline in test scores in reading and mathematics.
But that same report also highlighted bright spots 鈥� a handful of Southern states that are blazing a trail to higher student achievement, even with limited financial resources. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee 鈥� previously seen as perennial low achievers 鈥� have all made remarkable strides in recent years.
Their gains are challenging conventional wisdom about the links between learning gaps, funding, poverty, and racism. About a decade ago, Mississippi was 49th in fourth-grade national reading results. Now, when adjusting for socioeconomics and demographics, NAEP ranks it No. 1 in fourth-grade reading 鈥� as well as in fourth- and eighth-grade math.
Strategies contributing to the 鈥淪outhern surge鈥� include the tackling of student absenteeism, prekindergarten and holiday learning programs, and teacher upskilling.
Mississippi changed how it teaches reading and also embraced 鈥渃ontentious school accountability policies other states have backed away from,鈥� according to a January New York Times report. One of those is the 鈥渢hird-grade gate鈥� 鈥� a test that all students must pass to move to the fourth grade. There were concerns this test would disproportionately impact low-income children. But according to Times commentator Nicholas Kristof, 鈥淭he third-grade gate lit a fire under Mississippi. It injected accountability: Principals, teachers, parents and children themselves were galvanized.鈥� In fact, the state鈥檚 Black students (about 47% of the student population) now rank No. 3, and Hispanic students (5%) are No. 1, in fourth-grade national testing.
Alongside academic rigor and support systems, elevated expectations and trust in young learners鈥� innate intelligence, curiosity, and goodness are also key. A blog on the educator-focused website New Leaders notes, 鈥淪tudents know and understand when [educators] ... have high expectations for them, and they perform better academically as a result.鈥�
鈥淗aving high expectations means we believe all students can learn at exceedingly high levels,鈥� it says. This, in turn, 鈥渋nstills the confidence and agency ... to strive.鈥�