Holding back third graders feels like punishment in Rhode Island. It’s a kindness in Mississippi.

By: Julia Steiny

Outlets: Rhode Island Current

Published: August 26, 2026

Words: 1,019

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 5 days ago

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The state of Mississippi has long been sick of being the nation’s educational runt. For decades, they’ve scored last among states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) a.k.a., the Nation’s Report Card. Educators in other lagging states consoled themselves with: “At least we’re not Mississippi.”

Until 2019 when the state wowed the nation’s edusphere with improved fourth-grade reading scores while every other state tanked or stalled. However, most

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