Pineville Elementary School is starting the new school year as one of 15 schools statewide recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education for its approach to teaching young students to read.
MDE named Pineville a Mississippi Emerging Science of Reading School for the 2026-27 school year. The annual designation recognizes schools that have trained teachers in the Science of Reading, changed instructional practices and developed a school culture focused on building stronger readers in kindergarten through third grade.
Pineville Principal Abby Engle said the recognition gives the Harrison County School District an example of how those literacy strategies can be implemented in classrooms.
“Harrison County School District now has a school that can say, ‘Here is what implementation looks like in real classrooms,’” Engle said. “Instead of Science of Reading being something discussed in professional development, Pineville can demonstrate the practices, planning, instructional routines, intervention systems, and teacher collaboration that led to the recognition.”
MDE began offering the Science of Reading recognition during the 2021-22 school year. Schools apply annually for the Emerging Science of Reading designation, and 33 schools have received Science of Reading recognition since the program began.
Engle said Pineville plans to build on the recognition during the 2026-27 school year.
“HCSD can proudly point to an MDE-recognized campus as evidence that its literacy work is producing meaningful implementation,” Engle said. “The 2026-27 school year is the year Pineville Elementary moves from ‘award winner’ to ‘literacy leader.’”
Families interested in learning more about early literacy will also have an opportunity to hear from MDE next month. The department will hold a regional literacy meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at 19200 Pineville Road in Long Beach. The meeting will cover state literacy and assessment requirements for kindergarten through third grade and provide strategies families can use to support reading at home. No registration is required, and families from surrounding communities may attend.
