Mississippi’s Graduation Rate Improves Significantly, Dropout Rate Shrinks
April 26, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Mississippi’s graduation rate improved significantly from 2011 to 2015, inching closer to the national average.
Districts showed a four-year graduation rate of 78.4 percent for the 2014-15 school year, up from 74.5 in the 2013-14 school. The national graduation rate average was 82 percent for the 2013-14 school year, the most recent statistic reported.
MDE Targets Expansion of Computer Science Education in Pilot Programs, Teacher Training
April 28, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Next school year, the Mississippi Department of Education will roll out the Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS) pilot program in 34 school districts across the state in an effort to expand the knowledge base of students and open the doors to career opportunities.
State Superintendent Joins Chiefs for Change
May 5, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Chiefs for Change (CFC) today announced Dr. Carey M. Wright, state superintendent of education, is one of four new education chiefs who have joined the organization.
Leflore County Resident Named 2016 Mississippi Parent of the Year
May 5, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Lora Rance Evans, a mother of two children in the Greenwood Public School District, is the 2016 Mississippi Parent of the Year.
MDE Announces Expanded Eligibility for Special Needs Scholarship Program
May 9, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education announced today changes to the Education Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which will expand the pool of students who qualify for the program.
Established by the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act of 2015, the ESA program provides up to $6,500 per school year to parents of students with disabilities who want to remove their child from a public school to seek educational services elsewhere. The law provides for 434 ESA accounts.
MDE Awarded $500,000 Grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation for Teacher, Parent Resources
May 10, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced today that it has received a $500,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to support teachers and parents in their efforts to help prepare students for college and the workforce.
School- and District-Level 3rd Grade Reading Test Results Available for Public Viewing
Mississippi Receives 2016 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation
May 13, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Education Commission of the States (ECS) has announced the state of Mississippi as the 2016 recipient of the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation for a transformational education reform package that prioritized early learning reading skills, expanded charter schools opportunities and created a clear A through F rating system for schools, among other accomplishments.
Mississippi Department of Education Corrects Misinformation on Salary Increases
May 16, 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released information Monday to correct misinformation about employee salary increases.
Statement from State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright on U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Guidance
May 18 , 2016
CLINTON, Miss. – Pending a discussion with the Mississippi State Board of Education, I am instructing the Mississippi Department of Education to follow the lead of state leadership and take no action at this time regarding the non-regulatory guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education.