The Harvard EdCast

S1E480 - What Mississippi Got Right About Reading | Kymyona Burk

Published: March 18, 2026

Duration: 26:28

0:25 — Why reading scores still struggle

2:15 — Rise of the science of reading

5:00 — Aligning leadership to drive reform

7:30 — Consistency and long-term commitment

10:00 — Implementation matters more than policy

12:30 — Where literacy efforts break down

14:30 — What teachers need to do

17:00 — From percentages to individual students

19:00 — Why some states lose momentum.

20:30 — “Mays vs. shalls” in policy

22:00 — How long it takes to see results

23:30 — Third-grade retention

25:00 — Why early intervention matters most

26:01 — Mississippi Marathon / Closing thoughts