Mississippi Board of Education 5-Year Strategic Plan 2016-2020
Revised August 18, 2016

VISION: To create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens

MISSION: To provide leadership through the development of policy and accountability systems so that all students are prepared to compete in the global community

GOALS:

1. All Students Proficient and Showing Growth in All Assessed Areas
2. Every Student Graduates from High School and is Ready for College and Career
3. Every Child Has Access to a High-Quality Early Childhood Program
4. Every School Has Effective Teachers and Leaders
5. Every Community Effectively Using a World-Class Data System to Improve Student Outcomes
6. Every School and District is Rated “C” or Higher

GOAL 1: ALL STUDENTS PROFICIENT AND SHOWING GROWTH IN ALL GRADES IN ALL ASSESSED AREAS IN ALL SCHOOLS

1. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students who pass the 3rd grade reading assessment at the first administration in each subgroup
2. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students proficient (levels 4 and 5) on statewide assessments (grades 3-8 and high school composite) in each subgroup
3. Outcome: Decrease the percentage of students scoring levels 1-3 on statewide assessments in each subgroup
4. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students demonstrating growth on statewide assessments in each subgroup
   

Goal 1, Objective 1: Implement the Literacy-Based Promotion Act with fidelity

Goal 1, Objective 1 Strategies

1. Provide intensive literacy professional development and literacy resources for all PreK-3 teachers, administrators, and IHL staff related to: (1) resources for 90-minute literacy block, (2) evidence-based reading interventions, (3) protocol for extended school time, and (4) the five components of reading (5) dedicated training on multi-tiered systems of supports, (6) provision of coaching training for all schools
2. Use statewide assessment data to determine K-3 reading deficiencies in the five components of reading to determine professional development offerings
3. Provide resources and guidance for parental and community engagement and templates for parent communication
4. Deploy literacy coaches to all elementary schools with the highest percentage of students scoring at levels 1 and 2 on ELA assessments
5. Implement the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading across the state
   

Goal 1, Objective 2: Continue implementing the MS College and Career Readiness Standards

Goal 1, Objective 2 Strategies

1. Provide targeted professional development to teachers and administrators in all content areas based on data
2. Expand content coaches in literacy, math, and science.
3. Train and place instructional coaches in the field and focus coaching efforts on low-performing schools
4. Train teachers and school leaders in data-coaching model (requires additional funds)
5. Provide content-focused parental outreach sessions regionally and require attendance for low-performing schools   
6. Collaborate with community organizations to engage parents in low-performing schools   
7. Provide resources to all teachers and administrators, including all content areas aligned college and career ready standards
8. Enhance school effectiveness review process for lowest-performing districts
9. Provide districts with strategies to identify and address chronic absenteeism
10. Publish district- and school-level chronic absenteeism data regularly and annually
11. Implement the State Literacy Plan  
    

GOAL 2: EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY SCHOOL GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND IS READY FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER

1. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students graduating from high school in each subgroup
2. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students ready for college as measured by ACT benchmarks in each content area (public school class data, grade 11)
3. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students participating in and passing dual credit in each subgroup
4. Outcome: Increase the number of students participating in and passing AP in each subgroup
5. Outcome: Increase the percentage of students career ready
   

Goal 2, Objective 1: All students enter MS colleges prepared for credit-bearing courses

Goal 2, Objective 1 Strategies

1. Provide resources to districts in how to use an Early Warning System to identify students needing assistance and provide interventions  
2. Administer ACT to all 11th graders and use results to plan courses for students during senior year
   

Goal 2, Objective 2:  All students graduate prepared for careers, meeting academic and employability standards

Goal 2, Objective 2 Strategies                                                                                           

1. Continue training all counselors to meet the American School Counselor Association standards of practice  
2. Require schools to design programs of study that align to local industry demands
3. Establish a statewide Career Readiness Taskforce  
4. Evaluate current pathways to graduation and make recommendations for new diploma options  
5. Implement Individualized Career and Academic Plan (iCAP) for all 8th grade students
   

Goal 2, Objective 3: Increase the number and percentage of students participating in and successfully completing advanced coursework, such as Advanced Placement courses, dual credit/dual enrollment courses, articulated credit, advanced science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related curriculum pathways and national certifications

Goal 2, Objective 3 Strategies

1. Provide expanded access for students to dual credit/dual enrollment opportunities and Advanced Placement courses
2. Expand national certification programs tied to high-skilled, high-wage employment
3. Expand advanced STEM pathways
   

GOAL 3: EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

1. Outcome: Increase percentage of kindergarten students achieving end-of-year target score on Kindergarten Readiness post-test
2. Outcome: Increase percentage of children with disabilities in general education early childhood programs while decreasing the percentage in self-contained special education early childhood classrooms
3. Outcome: Increase number of students enrolled in Title I or locally funded pre-K classes
4. Outcome: Increase the percentage of Early Learning Collaborative sites meeting required rate of readiness
   

Goal 3, Objective 1: Define a high-quality early childhood model and share the model with all stakeholders

Goal 3, Objective 1 Strategies

1. Provide professional development to all early childhood providers on the Mississippi Early Learning Standards for 3- and 4-year-olds
2. Implement a comprehensive monitoring process for public early childhood providers (Early Learning Collaboratives, Title-funded, special education)
   

Goal 3, Objective 2: Increase access to high-quality early childhood programs

Goal 3, Objective 2 Strategies

1. Work collaboratively with public/private partnerships involved with early childhood education (Birth to 2 and 3-4 year-olds) and transitions to the public school setting
2. Identify opportunities to blend and braid funding for early childhood programs  
3. Request additional funds for Early Learning Collaboratives  
4. Expand the number of Title I-funded pre-K programs, with an emphasis on low-performing schools
   

GOAL 4: EVERY SCHOOL HAS EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND LEADERS

1. Outcome: Increase the percentage of teachers rated effective through the teacher evaluation system
2. Outcome: Increase the percentage of principals rated effective through the principal evaluation system
3. Outcome: Reduce the proportion of inexperienced and non-certified teachers in low-performing schools
   

Goal 4, Objective 1: Increase the percentage of educators rated Effective or above on the state evaluation systems

Goal 4, Objective 1 Strategies

1. Implement the revised Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES) and Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES)
2. Provide high-quality, ongoing professional development to teachers and administrators based on the results of MTES and MPES
3. Implement the Superintendents’ Academy and Principals’ Academy (pending funding)
4. Link student performance to the university from which the teacher has graduated in order to evaluate teacher preparation program  
5. Develop teacher leaders through the implementation of the Teacher-Leadership Initiative
6. Implement statewide teacher equity plan
   

Goal 4, Objective 2: Raise the academic standards in MS teacher-preparation programs

Goal 4, Objective 2 Strategies

1. Add the reading assessment as a licensing requirement for special education and early childhood teachers (pending impact of first-year implementation of Foundations of Reading Assessment)
2. Revise the process used to evaluate teacher- and administrator-preparation programs, focusing on increasing knowledge of content, the Mississippi College and Career Ready Standards, pedagogy, assessment, cultural proficiency, the needs of diverse learners and instructional effectiveness
3. Provide professional development to IHL staff related to ELA and math instruction aligned with college- and career-ready standards  
4. Provide districts with guidance/resources for developing a recruitment strategy
   

GOAL 5: EVERY COMMUNITY EFFECTIVELY USING A WORLD-CLASS DATA SYSTEM TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES

1.Outcome: Increase availability of quality data to drive decisions to improve student outcomes
   Deliverables:

1. Modernize MSIS system
   a. dashboards/reports
   b. application development
   
2. Infrastructure
   a. backup and storage expansion
   b. data replication
   c. upgrade primary storage
   
3. Website redesign
   

Goal 5, Objective 1: Modernize current student information system to become a state-of-the-art data system (full modernization is pending available funding)

Goal 5, Objective 1 Strategies

1. Modernize current student information system to improve access, accuracy, and ease of use
2. Build infrastructure of the modernized system, to be called the Mississippi Integrated Quality Management System (MIQMS)
3. Provide training in MIQMS to all stakeholders, with a focus on low-performing schools
4. Develop dashboards, utilizing data from MIQMS, for stakeholders
   

Goal 5, Objective 2: Revise the Office of Technology and Strategic Services plan

Goal 5, Objective 2 Strategies

1. Implement the Office of Technology and Strategic Services plan
2. Develop a technology plan for the state
3. Assist districts with the hiring of their technical staff
4. Develop a data privacy policy for the state
   

GOAL 6: EVERY SCHOOL AND DISTRICT IS RATED “C” OR HIGHER

1. Outcome: Increase the growth of D and F districts along the A – F spectrum, by improving the letter grade and/or increasing the number of points within a letter grade
2. Outcome: Increase the growth of D and F schools along the A – F spectrum, by improving the letter grade and/or increasing the number of points within a letter grade
3. Outcome: Increase the growth of districts under conservatorship along the A – F spectrum by improving the letter grade and/or increasing the number of points within a letter grade
4. Outcome: Increase the growth of schools under conservatorship along the A – F spectrum by improving the letter grade and/or increasing the number of points within a letter grade
5. Outcome: Increase the percentage of districts rated “C” or higher
6. Outcome: Increase the percentage of schools rated “C” or higher
   

Goal 6, Objective 1: Improve academic outcomes in Targeted Support and Improvement Schools and Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools

Goal 6, Objective 1 Strategies:

1. Design a comprehensive professional development plan for elementary, middle and high schools and require participation from schools with the highest percentage of students scoring at levels 1 and 2 on ELA and math assessments
2. Collaborate with administrators in all targeted- and comprehensive-support and improvement schools to design an academic improvement plan
3. Require comprehensive support and improvement schools to develop improvement plans for students who are not making progress toward graduating within four years 
4. Provide coaching to all teachers and administrators in comprehensive support and improvement schools related to school improvement
5. Train and place literacy coaches in the field and focus coaching efforts on comprehensive and improvement support schools
6. Collaborate with community organizations to engage parents in comprehensive and improvement support schools
   

Goal 6, Objective 2: Improve academic outcomes in schools under conservatorship

Goal 6, Objective 2 Strategies:

1. Collaborate with administrators in schools under conservatorship to design an academic improvement plan
2. Require schools under conservatorship to develop improvement plans for students who are not making progress toward graduating within four years 
3. Provide coaching to all teachers and administrators in schools under conservatorship related to school improvement
4. Collaborate with community organizations to engage parents in schools under conservatorship
   

Goal 6, Objective 3: Establish an Achievement School District (ASD)

Goal 6, Objective 3 Strategies:

1. Establish a planning committee to identify components needed for an ASD
2. Develop a comprehensive implementation plan to launch an ASD in 2018-19