Mississippi Students Face Higher Hurdle

The Mississippi Department of Education—in a move likely to cheer longtime critics of the state’s assessment policies—is raising its testing standards to more accurately measure how students in the Magnolia State compare with their peers elsewhere in the country.

The unanimous July 25 vote by the Mississippi Board of Education raising the scores required for students to qualify as proficient on state tests is part of a broader effort to raise student achievement that also includes a...