Mississippi falls in Heritage Education Freedom Report Card rankings
JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi dropped six spots this year to No. 17 in the Heritage Education Freedom Report Card, an annual ranking by The Heritage Foundation that evaluates states on how well they support education freedom.
The report measures states in four categories: education choice, teacher freedom, transparency, and return on investment, with a separate score for civics education. States like Florida and Arizona scored near the top, while Mississippi’s results were mixed.
Mississippi earned its highest mark in teacher freedom, ranking third nationally. Nearly half of the state’s teachers enter classrooms through alternative certification, and Mississippi maintains full reciprocity with other states’ teaching licenses. The state does not employ district “chief diversity officers” and does not use Common Core–aligned assessments. Critics of the system note Mississippi still requires prospective teachers to pass the Praxis exam, which some have questioned as a predictor of teaching quality.
The state’s lowest score came in civic education, where Mississippi ranked No. 39. Students scored in the bottom quartile of the 2018 NAEP Civics Assessment, and while a half-year civics course is required for graduation, the state lags behind others in expanding civic instruction. Mississippi also has fewer classical education schools per capita, and state universities do not yet accept the Classical Learning Test for admissions.
Transparency was another weak area, with Mississippi ranking No. 29. Heritage analysts said the state could strengthen parental access to curriculum information and public accountability.
Supporters of the report card say it provides a roadmap for states to expand parental choice and teacher flexibility. Critics counter that the rankings reflect conservative policy priorities.
