Commission to seek rulemaking on revisions to Mississippi school accountability standards

The Commission on School Accreditation voted Feb. 1 to ask the State Board of Education to begin the Administrative Procedure Act process to revise the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards 2023.

Presenters from the Office of Secondary Education, Career and Technical Education, and Special Education outlined multiple proposed changes to appendices A6–A12 and a proposed Appendix A-13, updates to the glossary and course-equivalency language, and new guidance on career-technical and JROTC pathways. "One of the biggest changes that we made is on the CTE endorsements," a presenter said, adding that the department plans to add a JROTC diploma endorsement and a JROTC seal for students who complete the required credits.

The proposal would clarify which courses count as science beyond biology, recognize Mississippi studies when offered as an eighth-grade Carnegie unit, and create a full appendix for technology and computer science coursework so course approvals will migrate into MSIS 2 as the approved-courses source. Presenters also described reduced substitution requirements for JROTC: students would need three credits, rather than four, for certain substitutions.

Commissioners asked about a wording change in the special education section that altered an obligation from "must" to "shall/should." A presenter said the change aligns the language with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and reflects that an Individualized Education Program committee determines whether a certificate-of-completion is appropriate. "It changed from the must to the shall to bring it into alignment with IDEA," the presenter said, and added the clarification aims to avoid situations where students age out without a graduation option.

After the presentation, Commissioner Carl Everts moved to submit the APA request; Commissioner Lauren Bailey seconded. There was no further discussion and the commission approved the motion by voice vote.

The next step is for the State Board of Education to accept the request and begin the formal rulemaking schedule under the Administrative Procedure Act; the commission did not set final language or an effective date at this meeting.