Mississippi Board of Education details strategic-plan gains, cites highest-ever graduation rate
January 18, 2024 | Department of Education, Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Mississippi
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Mississippi State Board of Education on Jan. 18 received a strategic-plan progress report highlighting statewide gains in literacy, career readiness and school ratings and previewing improvements to data systems and licensure services.
"This is the newest graduation rate, is at 89.4 percent, which is the highest in the history of our state," Dr. Raymore said during the presentation, citing recent data and national attention for the state's literacy work. The superintendent said the department's six strategic goals remain focused on student growth, graduation readiness, early childhood access, teacher effectiveness, data systems and raising school ratings.
Why it matters: Board members and staff framed the briefing as evidence that targeted investments, including federal ESSER funds and state pre-K dollars, are producing measurable improvements. The department said a combination of on-demand tutoring, literacy leadership networks and expanded career-technical education has supported increases in proficiency and graduation outcomes.
Key details: Presenter Dr. Marjino (Department of Education) summarized several evidence points. The department reported $35 million invested in learning programs that produced 409,000 on-demand tutoring sessions across 142 districts and 173,856 essays submitted for review through an essay-feedback tool. The department also said ACT WorkKeys testing reached more than 23,000 students, with 65% achieving a silver level or higher.
Licensure and service delivery: Officials credited investments in the licensure call center and MECCA for dramatically shortening application processing times. "Average application processing is 1.4 days," the presenter said, noting the licensure center increased staff and reduced phone-hold times.
Data systems and safety: The board was briefed on MSIS 2, the department's modernization of its data system, which officials said will shift from monthly uploads to near-real-time data access and include additional training for districts. The department also reported cybersecurity improvements after collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, including a sizable reduction in documented vulnerabilities.
Funding context: The presentation noted ESSER funds will wind down in September 2024 and cautioned that some programmatic pressures may follow; the department credited ESSER with enabling many of the recent investments. The superintendent also highlighted an additional $20 million in state allocations for pre-K expansion.
What's next: Staff told the board follow-up materials and detailed backup are available in the published annual report and slide packet, and that training and rollouts for MSIS 2 and other initiatives are scheduled in the coming months. The board did not take action on the strategic-plan briefing beyond discussion.
"This is the newest graduation rate, is at 89.4 percent, which is the highest in the history of our state," Dr. Raymore said during the presentation, citing recent data and national attention for the state's literacy work. The superintendent said the department's six strategic goals remain focused on student growth, graduation readiness, early childhood access, teacher effectiveness, data systems and raising school ratings.
Why it matters: Board members and staff framed the briefing as evidence that targeted investments, including federal ESSER funds and state pre-K dollars, are producing measurable improvements. The department said a combination of on-demand tutoring, literacy leadership networks and expanded career-technical education has supported increases in proficiency and graduation outcomes.
Key details: Presenter Dr. Marjino (Department of Education) summarized several evidence points. The department reported $35 million invested in learning programs that produced 409,000 on-demand tutoring sessions across 142 districts and 173,856 essays submitted for review through an essay-feedback tool. The department also said ACT WorkKeys testing reached more than 23,000 students, with 65% achieving a silver level or higher.
Licensure and service delivery: Officials credited investments in the licensure call center and MECCA for dramatically shortening application processing times. "Average application processing is 1.4 days," the presenter said, noting the licensure center increased staff and reduced phone-hold times.
Data systems and safety: The board was briefed on MSIS 2, the department's modernization of its data system, which officials said will shift from monthly uploads to near-real-time data access and include additional training for districts. The department also reported cybersecurity improvements after collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, including a sizable reduction in documented vulnerabilities.
Funding context: The presentation noted ESSER funds will wind down in September 2024 and cautioned that some programmatic pressures may follow; the department credited ESSER with enabling many of the recent investments. The superintendent also highlighted an additional $20 million in state allocations for pre-K expansion.
What's next: Staff told the board follow-up materials and detailed backup are available in the published annual report and slide packet, and that training and rollouts for MSIS 2 and other initiatives are scheduled in the coming months. The board did not take action on the strategic-plan briefing beyond discussion.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
