School Focus Winter 2021

School Focus

School Focus

WELCOME

Mississippi educators met unprecedented challenges head-on this academic year with innovative teaching methods and sheer determination to continue instruction no matter the climate or environment, and we here at the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) could not be prouder of those dedicated to public education.

In this issue of School Focus, we’ll reflect on a few of the initiatives sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak and look ahead at a few that will greatly improve educational opportunities and outcomes across the state.

After classrooms went virtual last academic year and digital instruction became a new normal, the Legislature helped us provide technology to school districts in need to ensure students continued to learn (p. 6). I’d like to personally thank everyone involved with making this program — Mississippi Connects — both a reality and a success in such a short amount of time.

Our feature story discusses a transformative partnership between Mississippi State University (MSU) and the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District that will expose students of on-campus learning environments not found anywhere else in the district (p. 14). Additionally, the new campus will allow MSU College of Education students — the next generation of teachers — to receive hands-on learning experiences and classroom observations unlike any they’ve had in the past.

I’m excited to see how new social emotional learning standards (p. 22), high-quality instructional materials (p. 28) and computer science curricula available to students as early as middle school (p. 30) also improve learning outcomes in the future.

These stories, along with features on Mississippi’s Administrator (p. 10), Teacher (p. 20) and Parent (26) of the Year, and other news and recognitions in this issue highlight the great things happening in our schools.

Thank you for being part of educating all of Mississippi’s children.

Nathan Oakley

Chief Academic Officer

Mississippi Department of Education

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nathan Oakley

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Patrice Guilfoyle

MANAGING EDITOR

Carl Smith

EDITOR

Heather Tucker

DESIGNER

Amanda Gronewold

WRITERS

Heather Tucker

Will Graves

Amanda Gronewold

Carl Smith

Brock Turnipseed

All photos were submitted by the MDE or their respective districts unless otherwise noted.

ON THE COVER

Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District

Superintendent Eddie Peasant (right) tours the newly constructed Partnership Middle School with Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum in July before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year.

Read more on p. 14.

Photo by Megan Bean, MSU Office of Public Affairs

Mississippi Schools receive national Blue ribbon Honors

The U.S. Department of Education recognized Center Hill High School (DeSoto County School District), D’Iberville Elementary School (Harrison County School District), Madison Station Elementary School (Madison County School District) and Popp’s Ferry Elementary School (Biloxi Public School District) as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2020.

The recognition was based on the schools' overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

“This prestigious honor is the result of hard work by teachers, administrators, students and parents. I congratulate them on their awards and for providing an outstanding education to all students,” said Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education.

left: Former

Top right: Dr. Todd Boucher, who led Popp’s Ferry Elementary School (Biloxi Public School District) as principal when it was nominated for the National Blue Ribbon School distinction, poses with students and a faculty member.

Bottom: Past graduating seniors at Center Hill High School (DeSoto County School District) pose for the traditional Mustang Walk.

The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 38th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards. Schools are eligible for nomination after five years.

The department recognizes schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates: Exemplary high-performing schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests, and exemplary achievement gap-closing schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Both Center Hill and Madison Station were recognized as high-performing schools, and D’Iberville and Popp’s Ferry were recognized as achievement gap-closing schools.

Top

fifth graders at Madison Station Elementary (Madison County School District) pose during a science lesson.

“Congratulations to this year’s National Blue Ribbon School awardees,” said former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “It’s a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet students’ needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives.”

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

A montage of photos shows D’Iberville Elementary School (Harrison County School District) students learning.

new Members Join Student Advisory Council

The State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council now has more than 200 members after 163 students were chosen last year to join the group.

More than 300 students from across the state applied for membership on the council and 163 were selected. They join the more than 70 students who were selected in 2019. The council includes students in grades 11-12 or their first year in college, and they serve as members for a term of two school years.

These students from different backgrounds, school size and regions of Mississippi will share their opinions and offer advice about educational opportunities and policy in the state with Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education.

“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with such smart, insightful students, and I’m looking forward to hearing from our new members on issues of importance to them,” Wright said. “The public school students of our state are our clients, and we need to ensure that we provide them with the opportunities they need to be successful. The council also allows students, who wouldn’t normally have the chance to interact, to talk with peers in different areas of our state.”

The council’s purpose is to provide a forum for Mississippi’s students to offer diverse perspectives to Wright. The selected students will act as liaisons between the Mississippi Department of Education and public school students from across the state.

Visit mdek12.org/sites/default/files/docs/News/2020_new_sac_final.pdf for a full list of new State Superintendent's Advisory Council members.

Connects MISSISSIPPI

MDe Successfully Mobilizes Digital Learning During the Pandemic

Will Graves

More than 325,000 tech devices were distributed to school districts across the state this fall, marking the successful launch of Mississippi Connects, the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE’s) digital learning plan.

As school leaders began navigating the challenges of the worldwide pandemic and shifted to distance-learning models in 2020, it became clear how vital computer access was to the continuity of classroom learning.

To ensure students and teachers were equipped for virtual classes, the Mississippi Legislature allocated $200 million to the MDE through the Equity

in Distance Learning Act (EDLA) and the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Act to fund Mississippi Connects. This funding made Mississippi the only state in the nation at the time to implement a comprehensive digital learning program that provided computers to every public school student in the state.

Dr. Carey Wright, Mississippi’s state superintendent of education, applauded the Legislature for its investment to provide all students with the digital tools necessary to be successful learners.

“The unexpected need for distance learning provided Mississippi with

the opportunity to re-imagine the digital learning experience and create an innovative approach to getting students what they need to learn, whether in a classroom or at home,” she said. “With this investment from the Legislature, Mississippi sees the urgent need for technology and is ready to meet that need to ensure every student can succeed.”

To receive computers through the program, school districts conducted surveys to evaluate the need for access to technology and internet services, allowing them to determine how many devices were needed throughout their own districts. Each district applied to reserve the number

of devices it needed and submitted a digital learning plan.

Devices began arriving at school districts in September, and all schools received their requests by November.

Prior to the launch of Mississippi Connects, some districts were already working toward a goal of a 1-to-1 student-to-device ratio. In the Rankin County School District (RCSD),

students in grades 7-12 were already equipped with devices. Mississippi Connects allowed the district to provide devices to all pre-K through sixth grade students.

“This year, our order [for grades 7-12] was for 4,650 MacBook Airs that were rolled out at the beginning of the school year. We received 5,050 Chromebooks that supplemented what we had on hand for grades 3-6 and 4,710 iPads for pre-K through second grade,” said Dr. Amanda Harris, the RCSD director of technology. “[Because of Mississippi Connects], we were able to finally get our pre-K through sixth grade students to a 1-to-1 device ratio.”

The rollout for Mississippi Connects was a massive undertaking due to the sheer number of devices needed during a time of extremely high demand for computers, but according to Dr. Leanne Long, the director of

instructional technology and distance learning for the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD), the EDLA provided a quick turnaround in computer program enrollment and installation so devices could be distributed almost immediately.

“There were many MDE meetings and webinars that we attended during September and October to prepare ourselves for receiving the devices,” she said. “Once the devices were received, the SOCSD organized them in numerical order; placed an SOCSD sticker on each device; assigned inventory numbers to each school in the district; organized training for students, parents and teachers; and provided distribution dates and times over a three-week period in November.”

While the first major step of the program was to get computers to all students in the state, the new digital learning plan also expanded internet connectivity, provided access to digital curricula and learning management systems and connected students to telehealth and teletherapy services, as well as training and technology support for successful digital learning.

Top: RCSD Network Specialist Hunter Brock works alongside members of Highland Bluff Elementary School’s student technology team during the fall semester.

Bottom: RCSD staff at Pelahatchie Elementary School prepare new laptops for use before distributing them to students in the fall semester.

“We were able to expand outdoor Wi-Fi access at all of our middle and high schools,” Harris said. “Additionally, we purchased a fleet of personal hot spots available for checkout, community hot spots that have been installed at churches in rural areas and bus hot spots that can be deployed as needed. Our goal is that access to reliable Wi-Fi will be available to students who do not otherwise have it in the event they

Opposite page: Charley Miller (left) and Moses Robinson, two students enrolled at Rankin County School District's (RCSD's) Puckett Elementary School, pose with laptops distributed this fall.

are in a quarantine or stay-at-home learning environment.”

The expansion of virtual learning was a significant change for many educators, students and parents in a short amount of time. Mississippi Connects continues to provide online resources ensuring all students can continue learning from school or home and that teachers have the training and support needed for their new, innovative classroom environments.

For William Bradford, a math teacher at Jackson Public Schools’ (JPS’) Murrah High School, the efforts of teachers and administrators in the early stages of the transition to virtual learning are continuing to pay off, and he wants parents to know students are still actively engaging with teachers and diving into course materials during class time despite not being in a traditional faceto-face setting.

“This is uncharted territory,” he said in a JPS video post. “We’re all new to it, but I would definitely say to give it a chance because there is … learning going on. Our teachers here at Murrah, as well as across the district, have done a lot of preparation to make sure that your child is not just looking at a screen for 60 minutes. Your child is interacting with the teacher, as well as the instruction piece.”

Clockwise from top left:

• From left to right: District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson discusses technology needs of students brought on by the shift to distance learning with Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD) Director of Instructional Technology Dr. Leanne Long, District 38 Rep. Cheikh Taylor and SOCSD Superintendent Dr. Eddie Peasant prior to a demonstration of hardware in November.

• Partnership Middle School (PMS) seventh graders Sophie Taylor (left) and Kylon Hampton work together in class on a SOCSD Chromebook.

• From left to right: PMS seventh graders Mary Reeves Gordon, Madison Scott, Addyson Vickers and Kylee Ledlow utilize Chromebooks for an in-class project in November.

Insights

FROM MISSISSIPPI’S STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION

Dr. Carey Wright

What was the most important lesson the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) learned from the COVID-19 outbreak and the move to hybrid/online instruction?

I believe the most important lesson we learned from the pandemic is when challenges arise, we can come together as an agency and seek solutions that will help schools and districts.

In March 2020, we worked with the Mississippi State Board of Education to waive policies we thought would cause an undue burden to school districts at a time of an abrupt halt to public education as we knew it.

We waived testing requirements and accountability. We made sure teachers had learning resources and relief from licensure requirements. We increased online professional development for teachers and launched a high-quality instructional materials website and student book selection guidance. We connected schools with sources for personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies.

We also brought together a group of superintendents to develop guidance documents for district leaders around considerations for restarting school in fall 2020, and we encouraged school districts to select the learning environment that worked best for their students and families. They had the option of in-person instruction, virtual learning or a combination of the two.

Overall, we tried to address issues as they arose by pulling together all the resources at our disposal and supporting teachers, leaders and students as much as possible.

What are public education’s biggest accomplishments during this crisis?

As for schools and districts, I believe their biggest accomplishment during this crisis was employing creative solutions to provide students what they needed, whether that was sending school buses to deliver meals to neighborhoods or using them as Wi-Fi hot spots so children could have internet access.

As for the MDE, our biggest accomplishment was developing and implementing Mississippi Connects, a statewide digital learning initiative, to provide technology to every Mississippi public school student. The project, which would have normally taken up to two years to plan and implement, was completed in weeks.

Once funded by the Mississippi Legislature in July, the work began immediately on the ambitious $200 million initiative to put a device in the hands of every student and to improve access to the internet. Executing such a complex statewide technology plan required coordination from all stakeholders — MDE staff, elected leaders, lawmakers, school and district administrators and vendors. The result was device delivery in the first district by Sept. 30.

What are the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on instruction?

I think online learning will be an ongoing part of public education. Through Mississippi Connects, we are increasing online professional development for teachers and administrators to enhance online instruction.

Now that every student has access to a device, we will be actively working with state and federal partners to improve internet access across the state. We realize there are some pockets of Mississippi with little to no connectivity. For me, that is an issue of equity. All students, no matter where they live, should have the resources they need to be successful in school. This is 2021. Access to the internet should be a right for all.

With Mississippi and the nation facing a teacher shortage, we can take this opportunity to expand students’ access to high-quality instruction through online learning. If a school district has trouble finding a chemistry teacher, we could use technology to connect students from that district to a chemistry teacher in another district. Those two districts could work out a salary arrangement that would provide the teacher instructing both classes additional income.

The possibilities are limitless.

Administrator

Houghton's Hands-On Support, Data-Driven Goals Foster Success OF THE YEAR

Amanda Gronewold

the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) named Debra Houghton, the principal at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School (MUES) in the Madison County School District, the Mississippi Administrator of the Year for 2020.

Houghton has served as the principal for MUES since it was established in 2015. There, her impact on the school, which houses grades 3-5, is evident in its drastic improvements

in testing scores and proficiency levels in the past five years.

Concerned by her students’ proficiency levels in reading and math after the school’s first year of instruction, Houghton set aggressive goals to improve those percentages.

The work paid off. The school increased its proficiency in reading score by almost 16% and its proficiency in math score by more than 23%. MUES also improved from a B to

an A in the MDE’s statewide accountability system.

“That data shows that our focus on proficiency is working to help our students,” she said.

While data is important to Houghton, her leadership goes beyond scores and numbers. Lauren Shotts, a math teacher at MUES, expressed admiration for Houghton’s hands-on, supportive approach. Houghton’s selection as Administrator of the Year came to her as no surprise.

“She is a distinguished leader,” Shotts said. “She meets with her teachers individually to come up with personal goals, she always asks what she can do to help us and she has those uncomfortable conversations with her teachers when they are needed.”

Shotts also lauded Houghton’s drive to create new initiatives to help their

Principal Debra Houghton (right) of Mannsdale Upper Elementary School (MUES) in the Madison County School District (MCSD) is pictured with MCSD Assistant Superintendent Edith Mitchell (left) and MUES Physical Education Coach Rolando Roman after Roman was awarded a Nissan grant in 2020.

Top left: Houghton (back row, pink shirt) is pictured with Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson (front row, right) and a group of MUES students and faculty after the school was presented an agricultural grant from the state in the fall of 2019.

students, such as MAVS on the MOVE, a group of high-achieving third graders placed into a classroom together to learn both third and fourth grade math standards.

“This has been an amazing experience,” Shotts said of MAVS on the MOVE. “These students love to learn, and we are able to push them to that next level. [Houghton] always has a vision in everything she does.”

Looking beyond test scores proved to be especially important in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Houghton to shift the school’s priorities from testing to social emotional learning.

“You have to do what’s best for your school at the time, and what’s best for my school right now is to focus on people’s emotions,” she said.

Houghton’s compassion for students extends beyond those in her school. She stressed the importance of networking with other administrators across the state. During her term as president of the Mississippi Association of Elementary School Principals, Houghton established a group of Jackson-area elementary principals that meets periodically to share ideas and best practices.

“We’re the state of Mississippi, and we need to work together as a state,”

she said. “We don’t need to compete against each other; we need to help each other. It’s about helping every kid in the state, not just about helping my kids.”

Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education, congratulated Houghton and other Administrator of the Year finalists on their commitment, saying they “showed outstanding leadership and dedication throughout their careers, and the students benefit greatly from having these professionals working on their behalf.”

Bottom left: Houghton (second from left) holds the Administrator of the Year award she received from the MCSD in 2019. She is pictured with (from left) Mitchell, MCSD Superintendent Charlotte Seals and MUES Assistant Principal Nicole Cockrell.

Bottom right: Houghton (left) is pictured in the MUES office during the spring 2020 semester with Cockrell (back right) and students Annika Tuggle, Walker Knight, Avery Trowbridge and Rylie Westbrooks.

MSMS Junior Selected as MSBe Student representative

The Mississippi State Board of Education (MSBE) selected Amy Zhang of Starkville to serve as the high school junior student representative to the MSBE for the 20202021 school year.

Student representatives are nonvoting members but provide input on policy decisions that affect Mississippi public schools. Amy will join Omar Jamil of Hernando, who serves as the high school senior representative to the MSBE.

“The Board is proud to welcome Amy to the student representative program and is looking forward to her contributions to our work,” said Dr. Jason Dean, the MSBE chair. “Students bring tremendous insight to the board, and we value their perspective.”

Student representatives serve for two years. After the senior representative graduates, the junior representative will promote to the senior representative position. A new junior representative is appointed annually.

Zhang is a junior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, a residential public high school for academically gifted and talented juniors and seniors across the state.

Zhang earned a 4.85 grade point average (GPA), achieved a perfect score of 36 on the ACT and successfully completed numerous Advanced Placement (AP) courses. She is an award-winning debate and National History Day competitor and served in numerous school and civic leadership positions including Starkville High School (SHS) Speech and Debate Club president, Starkville-Mississippi State University Chinese School choreographer, MATHCOUNTS student coach, Starkville Mayor Youth Council member and Oktibbeha Young Leaders.

"The personal involvement my community has in the education system motivates me to serve as the student representative because I know how much I can benefit Mississippi,” she said.

The alternate junior representative is Christian Dunne, a junior at SHS in the Starkville-Oktibbeha School District. Alternates are named to fulfill the term of student representatives, should they be unable to complete their term for any reason.

Dunne achieved a 4.72 GPA, successfully completed numerous AP courses and served as class representative on the student council during his freshman and sophomore years. An award-winning singer and actor, Christian is an active member of the SHS Singers and Thespian Troupe, is a varsity soccer player and held numerous volunteer positions in his community.

“I love service, and I love feeling like I’m truly making a difference,” he said. “I don’t think there is anywhere better to make a difference than in a place that will impact countless lives through education.”

Approximately 15 state boards of education have successfully implemented student advisory programs.

Amy Zhang (top) and Christian Dunne

MPB Launches Classroom tV

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB), in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), created a new television channel — MPB Classroom TV — in 2020 to help serve students now and into the future.

The channel airs weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and provides televised instructional content to all learners, from pre-K children to high school seniors.

MPB Classroom TV was developed to support and address needs of Mississippi students, teachers and parents as they navigate educational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students face issues that cause them to miss instruction, including a lack of access to the internet and technology needed for virtual learning environments.

MPB Classroom TV content was developed in collaboration with the MDE and includes pre-recorded, 25-minute lessons taught by certified teachers that are aligned to the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards. The content will benefit students and adults who are supporting students learning at home. New content will be added as the school year continues.

"MDE staff members have worked with MPB ... to develop educational content for this channel, which will reach homes across the state. Resources such as these are critical to ensuring that all students and families have access to high-quality learning, even if they currently don't have access to the internet," said Dr. Carey Wright, the Mississippi state superintendent of education.

Viewers do not need internet at home to watch MPB Classroom TV. The channel is not available on cable and satellite services. To receive and watch this channel, viewers must use an antenna on their TVs. Cable and satellite subscribers will need to purchase a low-cost antenna and change the TV’s input setting. Individuals who already only use antennas will need to rescan their TVs to pick up the new channel.

By providing broadcast instruction on the same subjects taught in schools, students can continue to receive direct instruction even while at home. Content is also available for on-demand viewing on the MPB Classroom TV website as well as MPB’s YouTube channel, under the MPB Classroom TV playlist.

“It has been a rewarding experience to be in the trenches with MDE teachers and coaches to develop such a great resource for our children,” said MPB Director of Education Tara Wren. “I am hopeful that MPB Classroom TV is a resource parents and teachers depend on to make their lives a little easier during this pandemic when education instruction is so volatile.”

MPB Classroom TV channels

• WMAH/Biloxi 19.5

• WMAE/Booneville 12.5

• WMAU/Bude 17.5

• WMAO/Greenwood 23.5

• WMPN/Jackson 29.5

• WMAW/Meridian 14.5

• WMAB/Mississippi State University 2.5

• WMAV/Oxford/University of Mississippi 18.5

Learn more at education.mpbonline.org/mpb-classroom-tv/.

Together BETTER

Starkville-MSU Partnership Provides new Opportunities to Current Students, Future teachers

Carl Smith

Anew Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (SOCSD) middle school located on the Mississippi State University (MSU) campus is positioned — literally and figuratively — to provide one-of-a-kind educational opportunities to its students and prepare the next generation of teachers with hands-on training in a real-world environment unlike anywhere else in the state.

Opened for the 2020-2021 academic year, Partnership Middle School (PMS) serves all Oktibbeha County sixth and seventh graders — an important point of pride for administrators in a

community where two school districts operated separately until a state-ordered merger occurred six years ago.

As its name suggests, collaboration is what sets this school apart from others: It was specifically planned and constructed not only to bring children together in specialized classrooms, but also to have students and teachers plugged directly into the university setting where they benefit from immediate access to faculty and research from a wide variety of disciplines.

The campus also serves as an intersection where theory and practice meet: MSU College of Education

faculty use the school as a place to practice research in the classroom and offer professional development to its faculty, while the college’s undergrads and graduate students observe classroom life and learn the finer details about what it really means to be a teacher — a picture not fully colored by textbooks or lectures.

Although the outbreak of COVID19 slowed the complete integration of college observers throughout the building, Dr. Nathan Oakley, the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE's) chief academic officer, said the school will pay great dividends once it gets up to speed.

Opposite page:

From left: Mississippi State University Provost David Shaw and President Mark Keenum celebrate the opening of Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District’s (SOCSD's) Partnership Middle School (PMS) with Superintendent Eddie Peasant and Principal Julie Kennedy in July before the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. While the pandemic hamstrung many of the school’s planned activities, officials with the university and the Mississippi Department of Education say the unique collaboration will provide cutting-edge resources for all local sixth and seventh graders, college students training to become educators and district teachers.

This page:

Top: Kennedy (center, speaking) leads teachers on a tour of the campus while it is under construction.

Bottom: Keenum and Peasant inspect the school's gymnasium this summer during a tour of the completed facility.

Photos by Megan Bean, MSU Office of Public Affairs

“The little I’ve seen so far from it is remarkable. It’s a great example of the value of a collaborative approach where broad stakeholder input and support from a community came together to address a need,” he said. “It’s not solely benefitting the kids, the university’s instructors or its education majors. No matter what angle you look at this from, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Coming Together

David Shaw, MSU’s former vice president for research and economic development, said he walked out of

one of the first meetings in 2013 ahead of the Mississippi Legislature-ordered consolidation of the two local school districts demoralized and unsure how all the associated entities would ever come together in harmony.

Parents of students in both districts — the former Oktibbeha County School District (OCSD) and Starkville School District — wanted the best for their children and what would become SOCSD, but decades of grievances and distrust came to a head that night.

Many issues lingered unresolved since the desegregation orders of

the previous century. The city school district, for example, survived financially on Starkville’s tax base and even expanded its territory into outlying areas outside of the municipality, while county residents as a whole routinely opposed bond issuances — additional tax increases — for the primarily African American OCSD.

“Books could be written about what we went through during the commission process itself,” said Shaw, who served as the university’s representative on the consolidation commission charged by the Legislature with

presenting a plan on how to bring the two systems together in 2015.

MSU officials had long worked with both school systems, with efforts including administering programs that provided teacher education, mentoring and tutoring. Shaw and local public education stakeholders always knew the potential existed for an opportunity that could fundamentally change education in both the county and state by bringing the three entities together under one roof.

Shaw and his MSU cohort got their opportunity: The same legislative measure that forced Oktibbeha County residents to confront years of division by merging its school systems also tasked the newly created district and university with working together on a campus that would serve as a model for rural education.

After studying the university-public school partnerships that existed in the nation at the time, Shaw and MSU administrators pitched an early college high school-styled campus modeled after an existing Ohio State University program to stakeholders, but they rejected the idea out of concerns the university was “trying to construct a school for … faculty’s and staff’s children and [was] going to siphon off the best kids for it,” thereby perpetuating two separate educational pathways for families of different socio-economic classes in the same county.

“We walked away knowing we had to start all over again. We had listening sessions in the county and city to hear what was needed,” Shaw said. “I can proudly say the school, as it stands now, was not on anybody’s mind when we started to process it, and it truly came out of a very open and

transparent set of conversations. What came out was what nobody thought of initially, but it uniquely fits our needs.”

Ground broke on the 128,000-square-foot facility in 2017 after about $30 million was secured from a variety of public funds and private donations. The university also donated about 40 acres toward the effort.

Shaw, now the university’s provost, was on hand for 2020’s ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony. Great teamwork, he said, is why the project came to fruition.

“This really is the best example I’ve ever seen of a community coming together to make something happen. There wasn’t one champion out there — it was everyone coming together in the best interest of the children in the entire county,” he said. “From the parents and teachers to the university

Adrienne Minor, who teaches English Language Arts to sixth graders at PMS works with her masked and socially distanced students during the fall semester.

and its staff, everyone worked together to find the best way forward. I could not be prouder of the way we did it.

“There were strong opinions, and we went through a lot of hard discussions and work to get here; however, everyone’s heart was in the right place,” Shaw added. “They all wanted to do the right thing.”

Formative Years

While landmark legislation that would forever change the course of education in Oktibbeha County emerged in 2013, that same year was also transformative for the MDE.

The department entered a time of reorganization after welcoming Dr. Carey Wright to her post as the state superintendent of education. Internally, numerous changes were made to important elementary and secondary areas, from providing students access to high-quality

early childhood programs and taking deliberate, systematic approaches to improving literacy rates by completion of third grade to redesigning the school accountability model and placing a new emphasis on advanced placement and dual-credit courses.

Since then, MDE officials have spent a considerable amount of effort and resources prioritizing middle school outcomes and student growth, and Oakley said PMS will prime pupils for a lifetime of learning by enhancing their social and emotional skills through rigorous academic offerings.

“The middle school initiative is really all about encouraging a sense of self-advocacy for kids,” he said. “We really want them to be in touch with what their goals and dreams are and how they translate academically; what they want to be two, five and 10 years down the road; what they want

to study as they progress through school; how to manage their emotions as they interact with their peers and teachers; and how to work both individually and collaboratively to accomplish all of those things.

“I think the partnership school supports all of those,” he added. “The design of the school allows for collaborative approaches and social and emotional development. The classes the students take there, the access they receive from physically being on a major institution of higher learning and the foundation they get in those middle school grades will set them on a trajectory for success. These experiences may lay the groundwork to careers or higher education previously not considered.”

Engaging students in middle school — answering “Why?” at all possible times, specifically — is the key to

Ashley Allen, a seventh grade science teacher at PMS, poses in her classroom.

launching the personal exploration needed to keep children focused in these important grades and beyond, said Dr. Eddie Peasant, who took over as SOCSD superintendent shortly after ground broke on the school.

“If they don’t see what their 'Why? is, then we stand a great chance of losing them,” he said. “I want this school to introduce our students to understanding what their own personal ‘Why?’ is, what they’re interested in, what they’re good at — even what they’re not good at — and allow us to shape their education in a way that allows them to explore those opportunities on a bigger stage. This is the time we get them on the track to the right avenues of learning.”

Excitement Now and for the Future

Kim Smith is one of the few Oktibbeha County residents whose current life almost completely revolves around the new school.

As an elementary education instructor focused on middle grades for the MSU Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, all but one of her fall semester classes involved students observing live teaching at the new campus; as the mother of a sixth grader at PMS, she saw firsthand the educational outcomes of this new hybrid learning environment; and as the leader of the school’s parent-teacher organization, she also

saw how families quickly embraced this unique opportunity.

“I was always excited about this project because I knew what opportunities it could bring,” Smith said. “Every school in this town already enjoyed a good relationship [with MSU], but this takes it to a new level.

“As a parent, I want everyone to know there’s a whole lot of excitement here from us and from the kids.

For kids to be excited about learning and participating in all these new programs, that’s huge,” she added. “As someone who prepares future teachers, I want people know how excited we are for it to help us produce better-prepared teachers for the entire state, and that’s going to make us all better. We can explain to them all day

A bulletin board encouraging critical thinking and reasoning in a PMS science room is pictured.

Photo by Megan Bean, MSU Office of Public Affairs

long the best practices and theory; we can even demonstrate it — and we do — to them, but it doesn’t mean anything until they see it for themselves in the classroom.”

That live look inside classrooms, Peasant said, fundamentally changes a teacher’s first-day perspective as a professional, and having cohorts of better-prepared middle school teachers could even change how the school district prepares students as they transition to and from those key grades.

“We’re very fortunate to have this opportunity to enhance the work we’re doing for middle schoolers, and there needs to be sufficient training because that age group is so different than [elementary and high school groups],” he said. “There are things that have to

MDe

be addressed at that adolescent age to make a difference and keep them focused and successful. Right now, we can reduce the dropout risk for students with positive middle school experiences and fuel their desire to complete their education. Knowing we’re expecting children to do things different [at PMS] means we have to get them ready for that experience, and that experience also opens doors for them in high school they might not have access to before.

“For our teachers, [the MSU partnership] is about growth for them, too,” Peasant added. “They’re going to get knowledge and training from university faculty, of course, but they’re also going to be mentors for future teachers heading to our district and others

Announces new teacher Advisory Council Members

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced the addition of more than 100 experienced and highly regarded professionals from across the state to serve on the Mississippi Teacher Advisory Council (MTAC) during the 2020-2021 academic year.

The MTAC, formed in 2016, now has more than 300 educators representing schools in urban and rural settings and an array of content areas, including general education, arts, special education and career and technical education.

The purpose of the MTAC is to provide feedback to Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education, on the initiatives of the MDE, the Mississippi State Board of Education and the Mississippi State Legislature. Wright meets with teachers regularly. The MTAC aims to empower teachers to discuss topics critical to their success in the classroom and how the MDE can assist.

across the state. That’s an exciting prospect, and it’s definitely a situation we’re happy to be part of.”

“The way we change the state of Mississippi is through education, and the way we change education is by putting out people that are ready to teach once they graduate,” Shaw said. “Everyone looks at this as the Partnership School benefiting the school district, but we, from the university’s standpoint, know we’re a greater beneficiary. It’s fantastic to see sixth and seventh graders there every day, but it warms my heart when I see college students learning firsthand what it’s like to be a teacher.”

Highlighted counties indicate areas represented by the teachers added to the Mississippi Teacher Advisory Council during the 2020-2021 academic year.

“Over the last four years, I have greatly valued the feedback from teachers across this state through our meetings. The MDE has provided professional development opportunities, resources and changes in policy based in part on conversations I’ve had with members of the MTAC,” Wright said. “I look forward to hearing from our new members as we work collaboratively on behalf of students.”

Teacher OF THE YEAR

Austin Forges Personal, Global Connections With Students

Amanda Gronewold

the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) selected Petal High School (PHS) freshman and sophomore social studies teacher Ben Austin as the state’s Teacher of the Year for 2020.

Austin, who was nominated for the statewide award after he was named PHS Teacher of the Year by his fellow educators, said having a positive impact on students’ lives is one of the most important aspects of his job.

“The most rewarding thing about teaching is relationships with students — the opportunity that I have to make a difference,” he said.

PHS Principal Rob Knight vouched for Austin’s passion for connecting with his students and said, “That’s what he does the best.”

“He makes you feel better about yourself when you are around him,” Knight said. “That is why our students and staff love him so much. He takes a genuine interest in each person.”

Austin grew up overseas, graduating from high school in Lima, Peru, and prioritizes sharing his global

Ben Austin, a freshman and sophomore social studies teacher at Petal High School, was selected as the state's Teacher of the Year for 2020 by the Mississippi Department of Education.

perspective with his students from the moment they walk in his classroom.

“I let them know that we’re not just in Mr. Austin’s classroom. It’s not just Room 113 — you’re walking into a global classroom,” he said. “We take virtual tours. Say we’re talking about Tsar Nicholas the Second — we take a tour of the Winter Palace in Russia.”

Austin, who is currently in his fifth year of teaching, also provides hands-on, global experiences by bringing relics, such as pieces of the Berlin Wall, to class. He also connects his classroom to the local community by

inviting guest speakers and showing letters from area soldiers.

Dr. Carey Wright, Mississippi’s superintendent of education, congratulated Austin for his award and the other finalists for their impact on students.

“I join with their school communities in congratulating them on their achievements,” she said. “All of the finalists showed outstanding leadership and dedication throughout their careers, and the students benefit greatly from having these professionals working on their behalf.”

The annual Mississippi Teacher of the Year program awards the winner a $5,000 stipend and encourages the recipient to share expertise through various presentations and activities.

Austin said he plans to use the stipend to aid him in furthering his education by pursuing a specialist degree in

educational leadership from William Carey University.

Austin said he hopes to inspire his fellow teachers, especially through the challenges presented by COVID-19.

“I want to … rekindle the fire and the flame of every teacher, to help

them know that they can make a difference — that they have the power to change lives,” he said. “They still have a goal in mind, and 2020 shouldn’t hinder that. It should challenge us to become better teachers.”

Austin (standing) instructs his 10th grade World History class during the fall semester. Pictured are students (from left to right) Amari Butler, Cincere Clems and Lleyton Coleman

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL

Learning

Aubrey Jones practices a relaxation exercise at Natchez-Adams School District's (NASD's) Gilmer McLaurin Elementary (GME) before the pandemic.

Formalizing ‘that Special Something’ for Mississippi’s teachers, Classrooms

Heather Tucker

the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) implemented the state’s first Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards in January to address the needs of pre-K and K-12 students in classrooms across the state, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and decision-making skills.

The standards were already in the planning and defining phase when the global pandemic led to the shift to online and hybrid learning,

highlighting the need for formal SEL tools. What was originally a plan for the near future became a cemented reality when educators realized the effects of the pandemic caused high levels of stress and uncertainty for students of all grade levels.

“When COVID-19 hit and we saw that there was going to be a substantial need for these standards, we absolutely sped up our design and implementation,” said Ginger Koestler, the MDE’s behavioral intervention specialist.

In its push for developing the standards quickly, the MDE had outside help. The plan is a joint effort between the MDE; the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL); and Realizing Excellence for ALL Children in Mississippi (REACH MS). CASEL is the organization that helped defined SEL more than two decades ago. REACH MS is a sub-grantee of the MDE’s special education department that partners on much of the department’s behavioral intervention work, making

• Then-Natchez Early College Academy sophomore Tiana Thomas attends the third-annual youth summit on peer pressure and bullying in 2019.

• Kristen Sibley counts cereal during a 100 days of school celebration at GME before the pandemic.

• Michaela Mitchell and Chloe Mims participate in a job fair at NASD's Joseph Frazier Elementary in 2019.

it well-suited to assist with developing the SEL standards.

MDE project managers also found themselves looking to a wide range of specialists within their own office in developing the new standards.

“This was a huge group effort. We pulled in our special education department, office of elementary and reading, our counselors and our secondary education specialists,” Koestler said. “We could not have done it without them. They did a lot of the heavy lifting on this project.”

With the standards covering every year of students’ K-12 education,

Koestler relied on one group of specialists to serve as the glue that held the SEL standards together at every developmental stage. Due to its vast experience in SEL, the early childhood department stepped into the role of helping all the standards work together fluidly.

“They had social emotional standards built into those pre-K standards, so we brought them in to make sure the standards mesh,” Koestler said. “Because of the pre-K department’s experience, the standards use the same language, all the way from pre-K to K-12. We really thought that was key.”

As far as the new standards’ effect on teachers’ classrooms this year are concerned, that will depend on the individual teacher.

Despite perhaps not giving a formal name to their own SEL efforts, most teachers already engage in SEL in their classrooms daily.

“Teaching expectations, responsibility and consequences for actions — in the same way that teaching those things at home is good parenting — good teachers already teach these things on a day-to-day basis,” said Dr. Nathan Oakley, the MDE’s chief academic officer.

Clockwise from upper left:

Top Right: Penny Tumminello, a counselor at Madison County School District's Highland Elementary School (HES, shares a lesson with fourth graders on effective communication styles. This academic year, students acted out passive, aggressive and assertive stances and discussed what kind of communication is most productive and works best.

Bottom left, right: Laura Rowland, a fifth grade science and social studies teacher at HES, livestreams the school’s Mississippi Flag ceremony for her online learners.

“We expect a lot from our teachers,” Koestler added, “but I don’t want them to think this is ‘just another thing.’”

What Koestler mainly wants Mississippi teachers to know is that they will now have SEL resources, tools and support when they look to the formalized standards.

“For teachers, there’s so much going on that a lot of times they don’t know what resources are out there,” she said. “Beyond that, when teachers really look at the performance standards alongside the tasks, they will see that most solid teachers who have created

positive classroom environments were already doing this. This is just putting the ideas on paper so that educators can evolve the good work they are already doing.”

Both Oakley and Koestler agreed everyone, regardless of background, can recognize SEL based on their own learning experiences.

“We all had a teacher who stood out to us and supported us more than others," Oakley said. "That was a teacher that had good SEL practices, even if they were teaching before SEL was defined. It was just good teaching.”

Koestler said she tells people with questions about SEL to “look back to the teacher that made a difference in your life — that teacher who had ‘it,’ who made you feel welcome, who made you feel excited about learning even when you weren’t doing well, and when you made a mistake, who knew to build you up.”

“You probably learned more from that teacher than anybody else — that’s the environment, the good learning space we’re looking to create for all students. That’s SEL,” she said.

Science teachers earn Presidential Awards for excellence

Two Mississippi science teachers are among the nation’s best as awardees of the 2020 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

The PAEMST program is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of mathematics and science (including computer science).

A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists and educators at the state level evaluate all submitted portfolios before making nominations to the national selection committee. National winners are then selected after a rigorous review process based on, but not limited to, evidence of their instructional practices, professional development outreach and impact, and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education within their community and state.

The Mississippi awardees are Dr. Shani Bourn, a grades 7-12 teacher at Hancock High School (Hancock County School District), and LeShundra Young, a grades 7-12 teacher at Germantown High School (Madison County School District).

Bourn and Young serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities and leaders in the improvement of science education.

“It is wonderful to have such incredible teachers in our classrooms. To earn national distinction for their excellence in teaching is worthy of honor and I congratulate them on their awards,” said Dr. Carey Wright, the Mississippi state superintendent of education.

With more than 25 years as a teacher, Bourn said her goal “is to provide all students with as many opportunities as possible for growth while fostering an appreciation and excitement for science.”

Young, who has been an educator for a decade, teaches biology, chemistry and AP Biology. She said, “The art of teaching is to ignite the imagination, inspire creative expression and instill a love of learning.”

The PAEMST program, established in 1983 by the White House, allows each state to select up to five state finalists in mathematics and up to five state finalists in science. One of the state finalists in each content area will be selected as the Presidential Awardee for the state, which is the highest recognition that a K-12 mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the U.S.

Awardees are selected from schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity schools and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. Nominations and awards are facilitated by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Shani Bourn (top) and LeShundra Young

Parent OF THE YEAR

McCusker Promotes Cohesion in Parent Group

Amanda Gronewold

Lisa McCusker, the outgoing president of the Gautier High School (GHS) Band Parent Association (BPA) and a mother of two children in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, is the 2020 Mississippi Parent of the Year.

McCusker was nominated by the school district for her work on several projects that will make long-lasting impacts. Specifically, her work with the GHS BPA was noted, as she helped establish the inaugural Swamp Classic, the first marching band competition hosted in the Gautier area.

Dr. Carey Wright, Mississippi’s state superintendent of education, praised McCusker for her hard work and said she “represents the hundreds of parents who volunteer in schools across the state, supporting teachers, leaders and students as they work toward success.”

“I am grateful for their dedication and hard work in making Mississippi’s schools the best they can be,” Wright said.

McCusker joined the parent group during a time of transition for the

band: A new band director was hired, and a new parent leadership team was formed. Building trust between band parents/ guardians, directors and the school, she said, was among the first large-scale challenges the group faced.

The first step to meeting those challenges, she said, was listening.

“It took a lot of humility to listen to parents’ issues from before and why they weren’t interested in helping,” McCusker said. “So, it was a lot of listening in the beginning, and then it was just small steps of faith.”

and Aidan

Michael is a graduate of Gautier High School (GHS) and the GHS band, and Aidan is a junior at the school.

Those steps included demonstrating follow-through and dependability with her fellow parents and shifting their perspectives of what volunteering for the band means — actions beyond the obvious roles of helping with uniforms or working the concession stand during football games. She also enacted additional-yet-shorter work shifts for game

nights, shifting from a few adults doing the work of many to a larger group that more evenly distributed the load.

The changes were “key in helping them to understand that those 10 volunteers you see serving the nachos; they’re counted in and among another

Lisa McCusker (center) poses with sons Michael McCusker (left)

McCusker.

Clockwise from top:

• GHS Band Parent Association (BPA) members pose while volunteering at the concession stand during a GHS football game. Under McCusker’s (front, second from right) leadership, the group restructured the concession volunteer schedule to distribute the workload more evenly, which led to increased parent participation.

• GHS BPA members are pictured at the Mississippi High School Activities Association Marching Band Evaluations in Gulfport. Pictured (front, left to right) are Jami Ros and Laura Hubbard. Pictured (back, left to right) are Kay C Jamison, Rachel Finnie, McCusker, Brandi Tisbury and Linnette Sanchez.

• McCusker displays the 20192020 Parent of the Year Award presented to her by the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. She was later named 2020’s Parent of the Year by the Mississippi Department of Education.

30 who planned the menu, got the supplies, met the Coke guy, unloaded — those types of things,” McCusker said, and helped establish trust and cohesion with adult volunteers.

McCusker said she was rewarded for her efforts when she saw the band students’ excitement when they achieved their goals. She reminisced fondly of the times the band received high marks at marching competitions.

“There’s nothing better than seeing the look on their faces, hearing the cheers and even seeing their tears,” she said. “They get so excited.”

Brandon Wilson, who served as the director of bands during McCusker’s leadership of the GHS BPA, described her as an invaluable asset, saying she was instrumental in improving parent and student culture for the team.

"She is the embodiment of the type of parent that any teacher would want in their corner,” he said.

Although McCusker plans to transition out of the parent group this semester, her impact will be felt by current and future members of the GHS BPA. She said the group’s focus on communicating their successes will secure these future generations of volunteers.

Instruction High-Quality

initiative Closing Student Gaps through Better Materials

Brock Turnipseed.

the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) recently partnered with seven other states in the Council of Chief State School Officers Instructional Materials and Professional Development Network to develop a high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) initiative that aligns to Mississippi’s Collegeand Career-Readiness Standards and will help the state continue producing tremendous gains in education.

“We recognized that this is our next big push for providing equitable access to materials for all children across the state,” said Dr. Tenette Smith, executive director of the MDE Office of Elementary Education and Reading.

Smith and other MDE leadership met with Dr. David Steiner, the executive director of the Institute for Education Policy and a professor of education at Johns Hopkins University, and Rebecca Kockler, the former assistant superintendent of academic content at the Louisiana Department of Education, to begin crafting Mississippi’s HQIM definition and developing a plan to increase teacher capacity, improve student

outcomes and offer equitable access for all of the state’s students.

With the HQIM definition and goals in place, the group collaborated with Student Achievement Partners, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving literacy and mathematics achievements in K-12 students, and EdReports, another nonprofit that works with educators to identify HQIM, to develop a rubric that progresses sequentially through three gateways aligned to meet the content standards and other indicators of high-quality curriculum as recommended by educators.

The gateways started with standards alignment and progressed to building knowledge followed by usability. Priority indicators were included in each gateway, including a set of Mississippi-specific criteria under the first gateway.

“As we worked to develop the rubric, we wanted to ensure English language arts materials provide all students access to complex texts and build and expand upon on their knowledge of the world,” said Kristen Wynn, the MDE’s state literacy director.

Packaged textbooks are pictured in a warehouse of The School Book Supply Company of Mississippi. The company has played an important part in the MDE’s high-quality instructional materials review process, efficiently delivering the submitted materials to the review team members at their homes or their schools.

The new rubric was a significant change from the state’s previous textbook adoption process that required materials to meet 80% of a standards checklist, so MDE officials decided to do something not previously done: train textbook publishers on the state’s new expectations for curriculum materials.

Math and social studies review and pilot phases took place during the 2019-2020 school year and were available for adoption in fall 2020. The ELA rubric was also developed in the fall and implemented this year.

Providing teachers, students and parents increased access to the materials, resources and support tools

sense of urgency to provide all students with HQIM.

“We spent an entire day training vendors on the new HQIM rubrics and answering all the questions they could possibly have as it relates to what is required to get on the state textbook adoption list,” said Dr. Marla Davis, the MDE’s state director of curriculum and instruction (K-12) and middle school program initiatives. “We didn’t want this process, as new and rigorous as it was, to be a ‘gotcha.’ It was really important for them to know what the new process was and to be prepared for it.”

The submitted materials were vetted by a review team comprised of Mississippi educators, and the state adopted those that met all three gateways and documented the evaluations of materials in evidence guides.

was vital to the new initiative’s success and is why the MDE collaborated with Mississippi First to launch the Mississippi Instructional Materials Matter website (msinstructionalmaterials.org), a central place for districts to review the HQIM materials, evaluate their current materials and find tools they can use to provide training for standards-aligned materials.

“For students, teachers and parents, the site gives them a better understanding of the importance of having high-quality curriculum materials that are not only standards-aligned, but also help support the teaching and learning process inside and outside of the classroom,” Davis said.

The COVID-19 pandemic struck as schools started to purchase math materials, and it reinforced a greater

“We know that the learning needs of our students are greater due to the pandemic, but instead of seeing this as a challenge, we have an opportunity to ensure all students have access to high-quality materials,” Wynn said. “The pandemic has revealed new layers of instructional inequities.

"teachers are trailblazers, and despite the circumstances, they continue to fight the good fight. High-quality materials reduce the stress of teachers being solely responsible for creating instructional materials for students."

- Kristen Wynn, MDE state literacy director

Teachers are trailblazers, and despite the circumstances, they continue to fight the good fight. High-quality materials reduce the stress of teachers being solely responsible for creating instructional materials for students.”

The pandemic added another challenge to this multi-year process, but MDE administrators have confidence that Mississippi’s students and teachers will reach a bar set even higher than before.

“You set high standards and expectations, teachers and students will meet those expectations,” Smith said. “If we set the bar high, then we are preparing our students to be lifelong learners that are ready for a college or career path.”

From left: Marla Davis, MDE state director of curriculum and instruction (K-12) and middle school program initiatives; Dr. Tenette Smith, MDE Office of Elementary Education and Reading executive director; Kristen Wynn, MDE state literacy director

MDe Deploys Groundbreaking Computer Science Curricula TEACHING Tech

the Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS)

Initiative is now reaching younger pupils through new middle school curricula that will equip all students with important computing and technology skills essential in today’s workforce and for tomorrow’s economy.

The rollout of these new curricula marks a milestone for computer science education, as Mississippi is one of the first states in the nation to implement computer science content at the middle school level.

School districts across the state began a two-phase transition to the new curricula this academic year. In the fall, Cyber Foundations (CF) I replaced the previously offered

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) I and Technology Foundations.

Continued technological advancements require students have a strong foundation of basic technology and computing skills if they are to grow as critical thinkers and adapt to changes in society and the workplace. CF I is designed to teach these foundational skills to students in grade 6 or higher while expounding on fundamental computing concepts — problem-solving and coding, for example — and other topics including digital citizenship, technology applications and career exploration.

Districts will continue with the second phase of the curricula transition in the 2021-2022 school year, as

Shelly Hollis, Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education Assistant Director

CF II replaces ICT II. With this change, students in grade 7 or higher will utilize skills learned from CF I and build upon that knowledge by exploring new content in areas such as databases, graphic design, mobile application

"... There wasn’t a lot happening in the middle school space. When we started looking at this and pulling everything together, we were one of the first in the country to start putting together middle school computer science curricula.”

- Shelly Hollis, Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education Assistant Director

Will Graves

development and microcontroller programming.

Both classes will be available to middle and high school students depending on how school districts implement the new curricula; however, beginning computer science education at the middle school level will allow students to begin learning about technology and computer science at a younger age as well as provide more equitable access to a variety of STEM learning opportunities, which the CS4MS Initiative has found to be crucial in the improvement of computer and technology literacy.

“CS4MS will be transformational in confronting computer illiteracy,

which plagues students and districts throughout Mississippi,” said Dr. Louella Mack-Webster, the Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE’s) STEM program supervisor. “Through coding, Web development, marketing and various other industry opportunities, socio-economically disadvantaged students are afforded opportunities to explore computer science programs early in their educational trajectory.”

The addition of the new middle school curricula comes at the culmination of the initial CS4MS pilot program that began in 2016. The pilot period allowed schools across the state to opt into and sample the computer

Center Hill Middle School (DeSoto County Schools) Cyber Foundations I teachers Ashley Hileman (front) and Alecia Reese work on developing distance-learning plans for their students in the fall to make sure their learners have normalcy, consistency and security in their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a continuation of stable daily learning agendas and a means to connect virtually.

science content of the curricula, which was initiated by the Mississippi State University (MSU) Center for Cyber Education (CCE).

Throughout the pilot period, participating schools provided valuable feedback to the curriculum writing team. The team used the feedback from these first-hand classroom experiences to further refine and improve the content to meet the needs of all students in the state. After reviewing all suggestions and considerations, the writing team prepared and submitted the final curricula to the state board of education, which approved the curricula last spring.

“At the time when we first started the CS4MS Initiative in 2016, we were purposeful in choosing the elementary and high school levels because there was much more material to choose from,” said MSU CCE Assistant Director Shelly Hollis. “People were doing a lot in those two areas, but there wasn’t a lot happening in the middle school space. When we started looking at this and pulling everything together, we were one of the first in the country to start putting together middle school computer science curricula.”

To ensure educators are best prepared for these changes, the MDE Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification

and Licensure and Development, with consent of the Mississippi State Board of Education, approved a new educator license endorsement — the 933 Computer Science Endorsement — required for teaching the new middle school computer science content.

As students are introduced to fundamental computer science concepts, teachers and administrators hope they develop valuable critical thinking skills that will carry on throughout their educational journey and enhance employability as adults when they join the workforce. By providing access to these learning opportunities, students today will be even more prepared to take on the challenge of adapting to

technological advances in society by becoming innovative thinkers.

“Providing employability skills is essential to workforce development,” Mack-Webster said. “The new computer science curricula will train students via preparatory fostering of perceptions, technology application, problem solving, CTE and industry and business opportunities. Mississippi’s CTE instructors and students enrolled in computer science courses have a unique opportunity to learn and apply innovative computer technology skills in a global community. The new curricula are a welcome addition to our current CTE STEM programs.”

Lafayette High School (Lafayette County School District) freshmen computer science students Ethan White (left) and Andrew Jordan collaborate in the computer lab during the fall semester.

Mississippi Leads the South in College Persistence

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) praised Mississippi for its achievements in education from early childhood through college in its 2020 report on the progress of education in the South.

"Mississippi: A Turning Point" details where the state stands in education, highlighting how the effective implementation of education policy has improved student achievement statewide and made Mississippi the leader in the South for college persistence.

“The 2020 SREB report shows how Mississippi’s research-based education policies are improving student achievement from pre-K through college,” said Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education. “I am incredibly proud of all the hardworking students, educators and school leaders who have made Mississippi a national leader for advancing public education.”

The SREB works to improve public education through proven policy and practice in 16 Southern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The SREB’s annual state progress reports evaluate how well states are educating students and preparing them for the workforce. The 2020 report detailed challenges to SREB states’ efforts to increase the educational attainment of working-age adults in the South, including the large number who lack the credentials they need for success in the workplace.

According to the SREB, rapid advancements in automation and artificial intelligence may increasingly displace adults with low levels of education, transforming some positions while eliminating others. Most new jobs — especially ones that pay well — will require education beyond high school. The SREB estimates that by 2030, 18 million workers and their children in the South will be unemployable or stuck in low-wage jobs and in a perpetual cycle of poverty.

The reports urge states to take aggressive action to prepare students and adults for the higher-skilled positions of the future so they can remain employed, earn higher incomes and support the educational progress of future generations.

SREB report highlights for Mississippi

Mississippi is the only state in the region in which the first-year persistence rate of firsttime, full-time students at public, four-year colleges and universities increased from 2012 to 2017, indicating that more first-time, fulltime college students returned to college for a second year.

the high school graduation rate outpaced the region in growth.

the average state Pell Grant award exceeded the national average and was the region’s highest average award.

Fourth graders outpaced the region and nation in gains in reading and math achievement at both the Basic and Proficient levels on the national Assessment of educational Progress ( nA e P). For the first time, fourth graders in the state outperformed the nation in reading and math achievement on the nAeP at the Basic level or above.

e ighth graders outpaced the region and nation in gains in reading and math achievement at the Basic and Proficient levels on the nAeP.

the freshman enrollment increase shrank, indicating that more eighth graders are prepared to make transitions to ninth and then 10th grade.

the early Learning Collaboratives meet all 10 quality standards for pre-K, according to the national institute of early education research (nieer). Mississippi is one of only four states that meet all nieer quality standards.

Quality Counts: State Shows Great improvement

For the third consecutive year, Mississippi earned national recognition for its progress in education, climbing to be among the top five states or jurisdictions with the greatest improvement, according to the latest Quality Counts report published in Education Week.

Mississippi ranked second among states with the most improved standings, excluding the jurisdiction of Washington, D.C. The report examines achievement in school systems from pre-K through grade 12 and socioeconomic factors leading to success in adulthood.

Mississippi earned an overall grade of C- (70.5 out of 100 points), inching closer to the national average. The nation’s overall grade was a C (72.8 out of 100 points).

“this is validation that, over time, we can change the trajectory of public education in Mississippi and raise expectations for what our students can do.”

- Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education

Mississippi, Washington, D.C., South Dakota and Louisiana all saw their overall scores improve. The Quality Counts report is released in three phases based on indicators for opportunities for success, school funding and achievement. In 2020, Mississippi was recognized for gaining 6.2 points in the Chance-for-Success Index, improving its grade from a D+ in 2008 to a C in 2020. The report stated key advances in family income, parental education levels, parental employment, fourth grade reading and eighth grade math contributed to the state’s success.

Mississippi also made the most progress in the nation on the K-12 Achievement Index from 2019 to 2020. Its score jumped by 5.2 points during that time, fueled by increases in the percentage of fourth grade students proficient in math and reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

“This is outstanding national recognition for our teachers and leaders in the state. We have challenged students to meet higher standards of learning, and they are succeeding,” said Dr. Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education. “This is validation that, over time, we can change the trajectory of public education in Mississippi and raise expectations for what our students can do.”

In 2019, Mississippi achieved the No. 1 spot in the nation for gains on the NAEP, known as the nation’s report card. The NAEP measures student proficiency in fourth and eighth grade reading and mathematics, and Mississippi was the only state in the nation to show significant increases in three of the four NAEP subjects. Washington, D.C., was the only jurisdiction to show gains in three of four subjects.

Quality Counts: Most Improved

SBe Opens Public Comment on ACt WorkKeys, Career Preparation indicator

The Mississippi State Board of Education took public comments this winter on the addition of the ACT WorkKeys assessment and a recognized career pathway or industry certification to the accountability measure evaluating how schools and districts prepare students for college and the workforce.

“Mississippi's career and technical education programs help students increase academic achievement through relevant handson instruction and help them acquire marketable skills.”

- Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Education

ACT WorkKeys, a national assessment that measures foundational skills required for success in the workplace, would be included in the college and career readiness indicator in the state’s accountability system that assigns letter grades to schools and districts. Previously, student performance at the national benchmarks in math and reading or English on the ACT was the sole indicator of college and career readiness. The additional career preparation measure would recognize students who score at the Gold or Platinum performance level on ACT WorkKeys or who score at the Silver level and earn an industry certification in a technical field or complete a career pathway in high school.

“Mississippi’s career and technical education programs help students increase academic achievement through relevant hands-on instruction and help them acquire marketable skills,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “Achieving the Gold performance level on the ACT WorkKeys or combining a Silver performance level with a career pathway or industry certification are strong indicators students will graduate prepared for a career."

The Accountability Task Force (ATF) began looking at the inclusion of ACT WorkKeys in the accountability system in 2020. Although it considered many options, the ATF recommended adding ACT Work Keys as an alternative to ACT at the Silver level with no requirement for completion of a career pathway or industry certification.

The Commission on School Accreditation in December approved unanimously a proposal from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to require a WorkKeys Silver level student performance and completion of an industry certification or pathway to ensure comparable rigor between ACT and ACT WorkKeys in the accountability model. The proposal was based on feedback from the ATF, discussion within the MDE and in consultation with the Center for Assessment and the MDE’s Technical Advisory Committee.

The Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit proudly offers a collection of short online video tutorials to help teachers and administrators promote their programs.

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View these webinars & more at www.rcu.msstate.edu/webinar WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS whenever!

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Laura Rowland, a fifth grade science and social studies teacher at Madison County School District's Highland Elementary School, livestreams the school’s Mississippi Flag ceremony for online learners in January.

Social emotional Learning Standards: Formalizing

The Mississippi Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability in the provision of educational programs and services or employment opportunities and benefits. The following office has been designated to handle inquiries and complaints regarding the nondiscrimination policies of the Mississippi Department of Education: Director, Office of Human Resources, Mississippi Department of Education, 359 North West Street, Suite 203, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. 601.359.3511