Southern states are quietly leading the country in boosting student test scores

Southern states have often lagged in education. However, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee have recently seen a rise in test scores. Experts call this the "Southern surge," a rare positive trend in U.S. education.

The Education Recovery Scorecard shows impressive gains. Alabama ranked first in math recovery and third in reading. Louisiana was second in math and first in reading. Mississippi placed sixth in math and fourth in reading, while Tennessee was third in math and ninth in reading.

This scorecard is a joint effort. It comes from the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford, and faculty at Dartmouth College. They compare learning loss between 2019 and 2024. Thomas Kane, a professor at Harvard and the center's faculty director, shared insights on what other states can learn.

Why the Southern Surge Matters

The recent educational gains in these Southern states are a big deal. The federal government gave control over K-12 education back to the states in 2015. Since then, national achievement has been falling.

Kane believes many states, including Massachusetts, were not ready to take charge. But these Southern states launched ambitious reforms in how they teach reading. These changes seem to be improving student achievement. State leadership is now more important than ever. States should be encouraged to take bold steps to reverse the decline.

The Center for Education Policy Research highlights states and districts that are improving. For example, Compton in Los Angeles, a low-income area, has made unusual progress since 2019. Union City, a low-income district in New Jersey, also saw bigger increases than many wealthier districts in its state.

Before 2015, many states were making good progress. But in the last decade, policymakers have been hesitant to invest in education reform. They fear controversy. Kane says we need to remind them that investing in state and local education efforts leads to progress. The center aims to provide evidence on specific policies that work, inspiring other communities and states.

What's Driving the Success?

It's not fully clear which policies were most important for these states. Mississippi, for instance, invested heavily in literacy coaches. Other research suggests these coaches might have been key to Mississippi's success.

Massachusetts is also working on literacy reforms. Their plan includes curriculum changes and teacher training, but less funding for coaches. The center is studying whether specific policies, like teacher coaching or holding students back a grade, are the crucial elements. This research will help states avoid picking only the least controversial, and possibly ineffective, parts of these initiatives.

Louisiana offered state incentives for districts to change their math and literacy curricula. It also supported retraining teachers to use new materials. The state made it easier for districts to combine different federal funding streams and cut down on federal funding red tape.

Alabama passed a Numeracy Act in 2022. This act provided math coaches to low-performing schools. It also funded summer learning programs, especially for younger students. Kane cautions against saying every state should do the exact same thing. More evidence is needed to know which specific policies made the biggest difference.

Key Reforms in Mississippi and Tennessee

Mississippi's literacy reforms began in 2012. They shifted early literacy teaching to focus more on phonics, known as the science of reading. The state funded coaches to work with teachers in early grades, starting with the schools that needed the most help.

Mississippi also had a controversial requirement: students had to pass a literacy test at the end of third grade to move to fourth grade. Massachusetts has avoided this requirement, but it might be a critical factor in Mississippi's success.

Tennessee trained its K-5 teachers in phonics-based literacy. They did not invest in statewide literacy coaches, though some individual districts might have. Both Mississippi and Alabama use "universal screeners." These tools help identify children with dyslexia and other issues early, rather than waiting for them to struggle in later grades. During the pandemic, Tennessee also invested in statewide tutoring programs to help students catch up.

The Path Forward for States

States must understand that improving student achievement is up to them. There will be no federal leadership on K-12 education. The federal government returned power to the states in 2015, and student achievement began to decline that same year. The pandemic worsened the situation, but the decline started earlier.

States need to realize that their own leadership will be essential to turn things around. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee have embraced this message. The hope is that Massachusetts and other states will also step up and show similar leadership.

Deep Dive & References

• Education Recovery Scorecard
• Numeracy Act - Alabama Achieves, 2022