Southern states are outperforming much of the nation in reading and math, showing the strongest academic recovery since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning. New education data reveals that states like Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee are leading the way in student achievement gains, surpassing national averages and reversing years of academic decline.
Education analysts attribute this success to a combination of policies prioritizing in-person learning, strong literacy initiatives, and targeted tutoring programs. While many states kept schools closed longer, several Southern states reopened earlier, minimizing the impact of remote learning gaps. Mississippi, for example, has seen record-breaking gains in reading scores after years of implementing a “science of reading” curriculum focused on phonics-based instruction.
Florida’s education reforms under Governor Ron DeSantis, including banning radical curriculum content and emphasizing core academics, have also been credited for the state’s sharp improvements. Tennessee has invested heavily in early literacy and intensive tutoring, resulting in measurable gains in both reading and math proficiency.
In contrast, states that maintained extended school closures, such as California and New York, continue to lag behind in student recovery. National test scores show lingering deficits in these states, with minority and low-income students hit the hardest by prolonged remote learning.
Education experts warn that while Southern states have made notable progress, more work remains to fully close the learning gaps caused by the pandemic. However, the data underscores the importance of strong state-level leadership, traditional literacy instruction, and prioritizing classroom time over ideological distractions.
This trend challenges the narrative that Southern states are inherently weaker in education. Instead, their commitment to academic fundamentals, parental choice, and rejecting extended lockdowns has put them ahead in the nationwide education recovery.
