Over the recent past, there have been indications of prevalent growth rate in the education sector of Mississippi. Compared to other states and the national average, Mississippi had previously been lagging behind other American states on matters education. However, there have been different incentives that have made Mississippi perfect the results documented in various state sources over the past three years. According to the Mississippi Department of Education, there have been incentives as well as setbacks that have preceded the current state of affairs. Rightly put, it remains on a balance of probabilities whether the trend will be maintained at the current status quo.

MDE News marks 2017 as the third year in the record numbers of High school graduations in Mississippi. At 82.3 percent graduation rate, Mississippi continues to inch closer to the national average of 83.2 percent. This is commendable considering the fact that Mississippi had been, for several years, lagging behind the other states in matters education. Carey Wright, the state Superintendent of education, reports that there have been major advances in the education sector as compared to a couple years back. She claims that different schools in the state have devised multiple ways in which High School students can acquire their diplomas. For example, the state education board has instituted measures that promote improved performance standards among students with disabilities. This has been welcomed by different factions of the state including parents, teachers and administrators (MDN News, n.p.). Wright mentions that Mississippi education sector and key stakeholders ought to be proud of the achievements made in the record three years.

Prior to the apparent increase in High School graduation rates, Mississippi students were prone to dropping out of school for many reasons. However, education policy experts attribute dropping out of school amongst students to lack of incentives to keep the vulnerable students in school. Through intensive efforts, drop out levels have been on the decline. For instance, Mississippi News notes that the statewide dropout rate reduced from 11.8 to 10.8 in three consecutive years. Besides, more students have realized the importance of their diplomas in pursuit of their future goals and dreams. For the education board’s strategic plan, there are benefits for the high rates of graduation. One among the benefits is that there will be adequate preparation for college education. In the long run, Mississippi is bound to have home-made graduates who will enter the work force with the skills required for the various employment opportunities available (Mississippi Today, n.p.).

In the wake of all hope and achievements made in the past three years, 2017 has proven to be a major setback to the strategic plans that the Mississippi education stakeholders had instituted. State program funding for the private and special schools has been sliced by close to 40 percent. The magnitude of this cut translates to a loss of $200,000 every year from these institutions. Such amounts, when properly put to their rightful use, would positively impact close to 60 public schools. Such loss is untenable. It therefore means that whereas the past has been hopeful, the recent developments announced last week mean that Mississippi may bid goodbye to the strategic plan it had before.

Works Cited

MDE News (January, 2017). “What Does The Fossil Record Show?.” BioLogos. N. p., 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2017.

Royals, Kate, Kate Royals, and More Kate. “State Slices Textbook Funding For Some Private and Special Schools.” Mississippi Today. N. p., 2017. Web. 22 Oct. 2017.