View APA submissions in the Mississippi Administrative Bulletin on the Secretary of State’s website.
Division of Accreditation
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025 specifically Accreditation Policy 2.9
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7-24: Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025 specifically Accreditation Policy 2.9: Conditions of Emergency Status, Placement in a District of Transformation and Withdrawal of Accreditation, in accordance with Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-6
Background Information: During the 2024 legislative session, the Legislature took steps to repeal Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-17 and passed Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-6.1 which as of July 1, 2025, abolished the Mississippi Achievement School District. In addition, technical amendments to Miss. Code Ann. § 37-17-6(12)(b) allow the State Board of Education to place a school or district into a District of Transformation based on academic or financial reasons, without a declaration of a state of emergency. The proposed revisions to Accreditation Policy 2.9 reflect the revised statutes. The Commission on School Accreditation will meet on October 14, 2025, to consider the proposed revisions.
All requirements noted herein shall be effective upon receipt of final Mississippi Board of Education approval on the date established by the Secretary of State’s Office at final filing.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Jo Ann Malone, Office of Accreditation, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (accreditation@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Accountability
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2025, Process Standard 24.7
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise the Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2025 specifically, Process Standard 24.7
Background Information: As part of the MS Student Funding Formula (MSFF) enacted by the MS Legislature in July 2024, Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-77, mandating specific student-teacher ratios in Mississippi classrooms was repealed. As part of the MSFF that became effective July 2024, Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151- 213 was enacted and provides the Commission on School Accreditation the authority to establish student-teacher ratios and the State Board of Education the authority to approve or disapprove of waiver requests of established ratios submitted by local districts. The requested revision provides additional clarity to the revisions that were approved by the State Board of Education in June 2025. Additionally, these changes in the teacher ratios must be reflected in the Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2025.
All requirements noted herein shall be effective upon receipt of final Mississippi Board of Education approval on the date established by the Secretary of State’s Office at final filing.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Jo Ann Malone, Office of Accreditation, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (accreditation@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Accountability
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025, Process Standard 28.6
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025 specifically, Process Standard 28.6
Background Information: As part of the MS Student Funding Formula (MSFF) enacted by the MS Legislature in July 2024, Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151-77, mandating specific student-teacher ratios in Mississippi classrooms was repealed. As part of the MSFF that became effective July 2024, Miss. Code Ann. § 37-151- 213 was enacted and provides the Commission on School Accreditation the authority to establish student-teacher ratios and the State Board of Education the authority to approve or disapprove of waiver requests of established ratios submitted by local districts. The requested revision provides additional clarity to the revisions that were approved by the State Board of Education in June 2025. The Commission on School Accreditation met on October 14, 2025, to consider the proposed revisions that will help clarify the student-teacher ratios in the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025.
All requirements noted herein shall be effective upon receipt of final Mississippi Board of Education approval on the date established by the Secretary of State’s Office at final filing.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Jo Ann Malone, Office of Accreditation, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (accreditation@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Educator Licensure
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Title 7 Miss. Admin. Code Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Miss. Admin. Code: 7 ꟷ 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to establish criteria for the issuance of a Two-Year Provisional license via Reciprocity to individuals seeking Mississippi educator licensure through the use of certain valid license types that are less than standard and issued by an educator licensing authority outside of Mississippi
Background Information: The Office of Teaching and Leading, Division of Educator Licensure continues to review all guidelines pertaining to the issuance, renewal, and reinstatement of an educator license to ensure that all requirements remain relevant to the contextual framework of present day.
Miss. Code Ann. §37-3-2(8), outlines criteria for the issuance of a standard five-year license via reciprocity to any individual who holds a valid standard license from another state. As a result of ongoing monitoring and review of reciprocity requirements, it has been discovered that some prospective educators who receive their training outside of Mississippi are not eligible for a standard Mississippi license through the reciprocity pathway. This is because the license they hold from another state is not considered a standard, clear renewable license. Instead, it may be classified by the issuing state educator licensing authority as an Initial encumbered, Preliminary, Provisional, or Beginning license, which does not meet Mississippi’s reciprocity criteria.
These license holders in most cases, depending on the state, have completed an approved educator preparation program but are required to meet the respective state’s specific requirement for license conversion prior to the issuance of the standard clear renewable license. Requirements vary from state to state but include but are not limited to successful completion of a certain number of years of experience, mandated course requirement, licensure testing requirement, securing initial employment within a local school district in that state, and so on.
On September 5, 2025, at its regular meeting, the Licensure Commission granted approval to amend the existing requirements for obtaining a license via the reciprocity pathway to include criteria for the issuance of a one-time, Two-Year Provisional Reciprocity License to an individual that possesses a valid less than standard educator license issued by an educator licensing authority outside of Mississippi as a result of the completion of a state approved licensure-track teacher, administrator, or supplemental service provider preparation program from a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher education outside of Mississippi.
The Two-year Provisional Reciprocity License is to be issued once and is non-renewable but may be converted at any time during the two (2) year period upon completion of all requirements for obtaining Five-Year standard renewable Mississippi educator license.
All requirements noted herein shall be effective upon receipt of final Mississippi Board of Education approval.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Cory Murphy, Office of Teaching and Leading, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (licensure@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Educator Licensure
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Title 7 Miss. Admin. Code Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Mississippi Administrative Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to establish criteria for obtaining a supplemental endorsement in the area of Athletic Administrator that may be added to a valid five-year standard Class AA or higher license type upon completion of a Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE)-approved program in Interscholastic Athletic Administration
Background Information: In accordance with Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-2 there is established within the MDE the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development (Licensure Commission). It shall be the purpose and duty of the commission to make recommendations to the Mississippi Board of Education regarding standards for the certification and licensure and continuing professional development of those who teach or perform tasks of an educational nature in the public schools of Mississippi.
On September 5, 2025 at its regular meeting, the Licensure Commission granted approval to revise current guidelines for obtaining a license in the area of Athletic Administrator (Endorsement Code 495) to establish criteria for obtaining a supplemental endorsement that may be added to a valid five-year standard Class AA or higher license type upon completion of a Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE)-approved program in Interscholastic Athletic Administration.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Cory Murphy, Office of Teaching and Leading, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (licensure@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Educator Licensure
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Title 7 Miss. Admin. Code Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Mississippi Administrative Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to update Appendix I: Glossary
Background Information: On September 5, 2025, at its regular meeting, the Licensure Commission granted approval to update Appendix I: Glossary located within the Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure K–12 to ensure alignment with the terminology in other Mississippi State Board of Education-approved guidance documents. These include, but are not limited to, the Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards and the Guidelines for Process and Performance Review for Educator Preparation Providers documents. The proposed updates will enhance clarity, promote coherence between guidance documents and support the accurate implementation of licensure policies across varied contexts.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Cory Murphy, Office of Teaching and Leading, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (licensure@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Educator Licensure
Office of Chief Accountability Officer
Proposed revision of Title 7 Miss. Admin. Code Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12
On October 16, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to expand existing criteria related to the one-time one-year extension of a provisional nonrenewable entry-level teaching license obtained by way of completion of prelicensure requirements as part of nontraditional teacher preparation programs that lead to a standard Mississippi teaching license
Background Information: The Office of Teaching and Leading, Division of Educator Licensure, continues to review all guidelines pertaining to the issuance, renewal, and reinstatement of an educator license to ensure that all requirements remain relevant to the contextual framework of the present day.
As a result of continuous review of requirements related to the extension of certain provisional nonrenewable licenses, the policy as currently written is restrictive in nature and only allows an extension to be granted to those candidates completing prerequisite teaching requirements for two specific nontraditional pathways to teacher licensure and does not take into account candidates experiencing unforeseen circumstances in other licensure-track nontraditional pathways. The proposed criteria will apply to the following license types and do not include the local district-requested license type:
On September 5, 2025, at its regular meeting, the Licensure Commission granted approval of the proposed criteria as recommended by the Office of Teaching and Leading Division of Educator Licensure as outlined in the attached back-up material included herein.
Please submit written comments to Dr. Cory Murphy, Office of Teaching and Leading, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at (licensure@mdek12.org).
All public comments must be received in the Division of Educator Licensure no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 17, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Secondary Education
Office of Chief Academic Officer
Miss. Admin. Code: 7-24, Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025, Appendix A-8 and Miss. Admin. Code 7-163: Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2025, Appendix A-8
On September 25, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Miss. Admin. Code: 7-24, Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025, Appendix A-8 and Miss. Admin. Code 7-163: Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards, 2025, Appendix A-8
The standards and proposed revisions are available for public comment and review via the MDE APA Notice Website and the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Administrative Bulletin. To locate the filing documents on the Secretary of State website, select “Title 7 – Department of Education” in the Agency Search dropdown menu.
Please submit written comments to Ma’Kesha Adams, Office of Curriculum and Instruction, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at secondaryeducation@mdek12.org.
All public comments must be received in the Division of Secondary Education no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 1, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Division of Secondary Education
Office of Chief Academic Officer
Miss. Admin. Code 7-169: 2018 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science
On September 25, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To readopt Miss. Admin. Code 7-169: 2018 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science
The standards and proposed revisions are available for public comment and review via the MDE APA Notice Website and the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Administrative Bulletin. To locate the filing documents on the Secretary of State website, select “Title 7 – Department of Education” in the Agency Search dropdown menu.
Please submit written comments to Ma’Kesha Adams, Office of Curriculum and Instruction, 359 North West Street, Post Office Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at secondaryeducation@mdek12.org.
All public comments must be received in the Division of Secondary Education no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 29, 2025. APA Comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
Office of School and District Transformation
Miss. Admin. Code 7-24: Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025, Process Standard 3.1
On September 25, 2025, the State Board of Education (SBE) granted approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7-24: Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2025, Process Standard 3.1.
Please submit written comments to Mr. John Ferrell, Office of School and District Transformation, P. O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205-0771. You may also submit comments in writing by email at jferrell@mdek12.org.
All public comments must be received in the Office of School and District Transformation no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 25, 2025. APA comments will be presented to the SBE on November 20, 2025.
