NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: March 28, 2019
JACKSON, Miss – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) today approved plans for the Oxford School District to become Mississippi’s newest District of Innovation, bringing the total number of Districts of Innovation to eight.
The Oxford School District innovation plan includes a modified district calendar, a middle college program, a career academy, a personalized education pathway counseling program, and a comprehensive professional development program for teachers.
Mississippi’s other Districts of Innovation include Corinth, Gulfport, Vicksburg-Warren, Grenada, Baldwyn, Booneville and Hinds County.
Legislation passed in 2015 allows districts to apply for District of Innovation status, which enables the district to request exemptions from certain state regulations to improve student achievement. Through the innovative model, districts have flexibility in areas such as seat time and teacher certification to allow for innovative scheduling and instruction.
“Mississippi’s Districts of Innovation are restructuring and enhancing learning opportunities for students to better prepare them for success in college, the workforce and life,” said Wendy Clemons, executive director of secondary education at the Mississippi Department of Education.
