Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana have seen a promising turnaround in their student reading scores after passing a series of similar literacy reforms. The success has grabbed the attention of educators nationally by showing rapid progress is possible anywhere, even in areas that have struggled for decades with poverty and dismal literacy rates. Mississippi went from being ranked the second-worst state in 2013 for fourth-grade reading to 21st in 2022. Louisiana and Alabama, meanwhile, were among only three states to see gains in fourth-grade reading amid the pandemic, which saw massive learning setbacks in most other states.