Oklahoma leaders are looking to Mississippi’s education success story for guidance as they work to implement the Strong Readers Act, a new reading law aimed at improving literacy rates and education outcomes.

Mississippi’s Governor Offers Guidance

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said success requires more than passing legislation. “It really wasn’t a miracle at all. It was the direct result of very good strong policy, followed by a plan to properly implement and also and perhaps most importantly, an accountability piece that was built into the statute,” Reeves said.

Reeves explained that Mississippi’s results came from a decade of consistency. “You have to be persistent, and you have to continue to work to make sure that everything that you’re doing is towards that goal,” Reeves said.

Chad Warmington, CEO of the Oklahoma State Chamber, emphasized the connection between literacy and the state’s workforce challenges. “Why is our workforce struggling to be the workforce we need to improve our economy, and when you work your way back, it really starts at literacy,” Warmington said.

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.