Wicker, Hyde-Smith Highlight Miss. Literacy Progress as Senate Passes National Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today applauded unanimous Senate passage of a resolution that designates September 2024 as "National Literacy Month" and encourages greater strides to improve literacy for K-12 students nationwide.

Wicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored the resolution and used it to highlight Mississippi's role as a national leader in literary progress and the "Mississippi Miracle," in which fourth grade reading test scores in Mississippi have skyrocketed over the past decade. Some states, such as Mississippi, have boosted state National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to record highs using an evidence-based reading strategy known as the "science of reading."

"Literacy lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and Mississippi has become a national model for improving these skills," Senator Wicker said. "This resolution is an important way to recognize the value of student literacy and the strides we have made in reading programs in Mississippi. I look forward to other states following our lead and experiencing the 'Mississippi Miracle' for themselves."

"While the educational progress made in Mississippi schools is commendable, we must also acknowledge that there's more to do to improve literacy and reading proficiency among all Mississippians," Senator Hyde-Smith said. "This bipartisan resolution highlights the fact that our personal lives, as well as the wellbeing of our nation, rely on a strong, literate American population."

Nationally, a 2022 NAEP report card indicated two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders are unable to read proficiently. Another 2020 study by Gallup in partnership with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy estimated that low levels of adult literacy could be costing America as much as $2.2 trillion a year.

The National Parents Union, Ed Trust, and Educators for Excellence endorsed the Senate support the resolution, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and HELP Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.).

Full text of S.Res.814 can be found here.