October 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM - Regular Board Meeting

I. Call to Order

II. National Anthem

II.1. Gulfport High School Madrigals
Gulfport High School
Gulfport School District
Daniel Vernon, Gulfport High School Music Director / Choral / Band Director
Dr. Rachel Gibson, Principal
Mr. Glen East, Superintendent

 

III. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and Invocation

IV. Approval of minutes of September 17, 2026  Board meeting

V. Approval of Agenda

VI. Recognition Ceremony

VII. Report of State Superintendent of Education

VIII. Report of Chair

IX. Report of Student Representatives

X. Discussion and/or Approval of Board Items (All action items require vote)

X.1. Action:  Approval of the 2025-2026 Mississippi Statewide Accountability Results [Goals 2, 3, 4, and 5 – MBE Strategic Plan] (Paula Vanderford)        

 

X.2. Information:  Updates by the Interim Superintendents of the Districts of  Transformation for Holmes County Consolidated School District, Noxubee County School District, and Wilkinson County School
[Goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 – MS Strategic Plan] District (John Ferrell)

 

X.3. Consent Agenda (All consent items are action items which require vote, unless otherwise noted.) 

X.3.A. Approval of monthly expenditures for the Mississippi School of the Arts (Wendy Clemons)
 

X.3.B. Approval of monthly expenditures for the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (Wendy Clemons)   

 

X.3.C. Approval to adopt policies required by state statute for the Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and the Blind to be placed on the District Policy Service website established by the Mississippi School Boards Association (Wendy Clemons)
 

X.3.D. Approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process:  To create Miss. Admin. Code 7-3:  74.19, State Board Policy Chapter 74 Rule 74.19 – State Policies Regarding Children with Disabilities under the Individual with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2004 (Wendy Clemons)
 

X.3.E. Approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process:  To establish Part 276:  Mississippi Ethical Standards for School Counselors, to be implemented during the 2026-2027 school year (Wendy Clemons)
 

X.3.F. Approval to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to establish a one-time, one-year reinstatement option for holders of an expired, non-renewable Entry-Level Administrator License type    
(Has cleared the Administrative Procedures Act process with/without public comments) (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.G. Approval to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to expand MDE-approved options for obtaining the Personal Finance (Licensure Endorsement Code 941) and College and Career Readiness (Licensure Endorsement Code 942) endorsements        
(Has cleared the Administrative Procedures Act process with/without public comments) (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.H. Approval to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7–24: Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, 2026, specifically the business rules of the Mississippi Statewide Accountability System effective for the 2025-2026 school year [Goals 1 and 2 - MS Strategic Plan]                            
(Has cleared the Administrative Procedures Act process with/without public comments) (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.I. 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 Special Education Birth-Kindergarten, endorsement code 211, that may be added to a valid five-year standard Class A or higher Mild-Moderate Disability (K-12) license type, endorsement code 221, upon completion of a Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE)-approved supplemental endorsement program in Special Education: Birth-Kindergarten (B-K), endorsement code 211 (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.J. Approval to establish a qualifying score for the Praxis Subject Assessment: Speech and Theatre (Test Code 5222) and begin the Administrative Procedures Act process: To revise Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to add Speech and Theartre (Licensure Endorsement Code TBD) to the list of approved supplemental endorsements that may be added to a valid three (3) year internship license or  valid five (5) year standard license by obtaining a passing score on the appropriate Praxis Subject Assessment (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.K. Approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise Miss. Admin. Code 7 – 4: Part 4: Licensure Guidelines K-12 to include Pearson FLEX for Foundations of Reading assessment as an option for eligible candidates to demonstrate knowledge and skills through a multiple measures approach (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.L. Approval of Blue Mountain Christian University’s request to establish a Mild/Moderate Disability (K-12) licensure-track supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 
 

X.3.M. Approval of Blue Mountain Christian University’s request to modify course titles within its existing approved initial licensure-track programs: Bachelor of Science in Education in Biology 7-12, Elementary Education K-6, English 7-12, Mathematics 7-12, Social Science 7-12, Spanish K-12, and Bachelor of Music Education with emphasis areas of Instrumental K-12 and Vocal K-12 (Paula Vanderford)
           
 
 

X.3.N. Approval of Blue Mountain Christian University’s request to modify required courses and course hours within its existing English as a Second Language (ESL) (K-12) approved supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 
 

X.3.O. Approval of Blue Mountain Christian University’s request to delete its approved traditional teacher education preparation initial licensure-track Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education (K-3) program (Paula Vanderford)

 

X.3.P. Approval of Mississippi State University’s request to establish a Special Education Birth-K (B-K) licensure-track supplemental endorsement, pending Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) approval of a separate request to establish proposed Special Education Birth-Kindergarten, endorsement code 211, supplemental endorsement licensure criteria to be included in the Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure K-12 (Paula Vanderford)

 

X.3.Q. Approval of Mississippi State University’s request to modify course codes within its existing approved Elementary Education (K-6) supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 
 

X.3.R. Approval of Mississippi State University’s request to modify course codes within its existing approved Reading (K-12) supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 
 

X.3.S. Approval of The University of Southern Mississippi’s request to modify the program name, course prefixes, course codes, and course titles within its existing initial licensure-track Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Sciences (Child Development) (PreK-K) program (Paula Vanderford)

 

X.3.T. Approval of The University of Southern Mississippi’s request to modify a course code within its existing licensure-track Master of Library Information Science (K-12) program (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.U. Approval of The University of Southern Mississippi’s request to modify required courses within its existing approved Library/Media (K-12) supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.V. Approval of William Carey University’s request to establish a Hearing Disability (K-12) licensure-track supplemental endorsement (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.W. Approval of William Carey University’s request to delete the approved initial licensure-track Master of Education in Gifted Education (K-12) program (Paula Vanderford)
 

X.3.X. Approval to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process:  To establish Miss. Admin. Code 7-3: Chapter 55, Rule 55.3 Internet Safety and Social Media Protection Policy for Public School Districts (John Kraman)
 

X.3.Y. Approval to create the methodology to reimburse costs incurred by school districts and charter schools related to student preparation materials and activities for the American College Test (ACT) (Wendy Clemons)

X.3.Z. Approval of the 2026-2027 Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and the Mississippi State University Articulation Agreement (Wendy Clemons)

 

XI. Consideration of Executive Session

XII. State Board of Education

XII.1. Report on meetings attended

XII.2. Approval of attendance at meetings

XIII. Other Business

XIV. Adjournment