Literacy-Based Promotion Act

Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act requires all third-grade students to demonstrate at the end of the school year that they are ready for fourth-grade reading instruction. Under the law, third-grade students who do not read proficiently on grade level at the end of the year may be retained and not promoted to the next grade level. However, students may qualify for an exemption. Parents should ask their child's teacher about "good cause" exemptions. The resources linked below are for parents, educators and others to help support successful reading outcomes for students.

Testing

The reading portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) English Language Arts (ELA) test will determine whether students meet the requirement for promotion. Students will have two retest opportunities. The test is multiple choice and given online via a computer or tablet at school.

MDE Literacy-Based Promotion Act Resources

• Literacy-Based Promotion Act Assessments
• Literacy-Based Promotion Initiative
• Literacy-Based Promotion Act FAQs (PDF)

MDE Literacy Videos

• Literacy-Based Promotion Act (YouTube)
• Parent Involvement Helps Children Improve Reading Skills (YouTube)
• Strong Leaders = Strong Readers – Mississippi (YouTube)

MDE Parent Reading Resources

Find more easy-to-understand reading resources for parents on the MDE website.