Scores for the nation as a whole dropped significantly in fourth and eighth grade reading and eighth grade math. Only fourth grade math scores ticked upward. State leaders may well look to Mississippi and the district for insights.

Throughout the month of October, the International Dyslexia Association, the National Institute for Learning Development and other organizations have been highlighting stories and resources as part of National Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Literacy is fundamental to a host of things; without the ability to read and write, it’s arguably difficult to do much else. But is literacy — or more specifically, access to an education and instruction that develops literacy — a fundamental right?

We know reading proficiency matters: Research shows that children who are not proficient at the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Yet nationally, 2 in 3 fourth-graders are not proficient in reading, according to the most recent data available.