2024 Third Grade Eye Exam Program

Optometry in Mississippi has the opportunity to continue providing a service which supports children and education in Mississippi.

 

The Third Grade Eye Exam program began in 2015 as a response to the large number of third Graders who failed the initial reading assessment, a new state requirement implemented that same year. That year 5,800 third graders did not pass the required reading level required to advance to the fourth grade. 

The Mississippi Optometric Association and the Mississippi Vision Foundation partnered to offer no-cost eye exams to all Mississippi third graders who did not pass. We found that many of the students had never had an eye exam. 88% of the students who took advantage of the exe exam program were found to have vision issues and needed vision correction and/or therapy. The program has continued to operate and support Mississippi’s third graders since then, with a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the state assessments being temporarily suspended.

The MOA and MVF are continuing to offer the Third Grade Eye Exam program in 2024.

You will have received communication from the MOA office asking you to re-commit to participating in the program. As a participating OD, you will be listed as an optometrist who will offer services to any third-grade students who did not pass the reading assessment. If your name has not been listed in the past, you will be contacted shortly (if not already) by Laci Hunter, MOA's Administrative Assistant, to confirm participation. If you want to verify the accuracy of your listing, go to:

http://www.msvisionfoundation.org/participating-eye-doctors.html

In most cases, these students likely have some type of coverage, but if they do not, we will ask you to provide an eye exam at no cost to the family. We will again work with industry partners to provide any needed frames or lenses that students may need which are not covered.

We have again provided access to all ODs with materials and suggested approaches to your school district officials and your media outlets to help get the word out. See below for the participating eye doctors instructions and files.

Program Guidelines for Participating Eye Doctors
Talk Points for Eye Doctors
Publicity Guidelines for Participating Eye Doctors
Template Letter to Third Grade Parent/Guardian

We ask that you keep track of how many third graders use the program, and their eye exam results, and report them back to the MOA/MVF by August 23. The eye exam program is offered until July 31.

Reporting Sheet - Third Grade Eye Exam Results