Regional Administrative Meetings

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Regional Administrative Meetings

• Office of Accreditation

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Graduation Requirements 9th Graders Entering High
School in 2008-2009

• Beginning school year 2008-2009 and thereafter,
  all entering ninth graders (seniors of school
  year 2011-2012 and later) will be required to
  have a minimum of 24 Carnegie units, unless their
  parent/guardian requests to opt the student out
  of Appendix A-3 requirements. Any student who is
  taken out of these requirements of Appendix A-3
  will be required to complete the graduation
  requirements as specified in Appendix A-2. The
  local school district may establish additional
  local requirements approved by the local school
  board as authorized under MS Code 37-16-7.

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Appendix A-3 Requirements
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Appendix A-2 Requirements
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Comparison of Appendix A-2 to A-3
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What Is the Intent of the opt-out Option?

• The intent of the opt out clause in Appendix A-3
  is to give local school districts the flexibility
  needed to help individual students when a
  students individual educational needs can not be
  meet through the requirements established in
  Appendix A-3.

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Do school districts have to provide a
"drop back" option or an opt out
option as stated in Appendix A-3?

• No. Guidelines stated in Appendix A-3 are the
  minimal requirements. Local school districts are
  given the authority to establish policies and
  procedures that the parent/guardian will use to
  opt students out of Appendix A-3. If a district
  chooses not to offer opt out option as a
  graduation alternative, the district shall
  include this decision in the districts official
  school board policies.

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If a drop back option is provided, does it have
to require fewer total Carnegie Units? That is,
can a district require all graduates to earn the
same total number of Carnegie Units?

• Yes, the LEA can require all students to earn the
  same total number of credits. The State Board of
  Education sets minimum requirements for all
  students however, the student must meet the
  graduation requirements established by the local
  school district. Therefore, local school
  districts have the option of establishing
  policies for receiving a high school diploma as
  long as the local board of education establishes
  policies that meet the minimum requirements
  established by the State Board of Education.

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Continued If a drop back option is provided,
does it have to require fewer total Carnegie
Units? That is, can a district require all
graduates to earn the same total number of
Carnegie Units?

• The only stipulation to the opt out option is
  that the student must meet the graduation
  requirements specified in Appendix A-2. A local
  school district may require opt out students to
  earn 24 Carnegie Units as long as 21 of those
  Carnegie Units are the courses specified in
  Appendix A-2. The local school district may have
  additional requirements they consider necessary
  above the 21 required Carnegie Units.

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When does the option have to be provided? As a
student enters 9th grade ? 11th grade?

• Local school districts have the authority to
  establish guidelines for the minimum
  requirements established by the State Board of
  Education. Each local school district shall
  include in their official graduation policies the
  districts plan for a parent/guardian to request
  the opt out option. The opt out process,
  including when and how to opt out of Appendix
  A-3, shall be determined by each local school
  district.

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Can a student change his/her mind their senior
year and drop back?

• Local school districts have the authority to
  establish guidelines for the implementation of
  policies for their school district as long as the
  policies meet the minimum requirements
  established by the State Board of Education.
  Each local school district shall include in their
  official graduation policies the districts plan
  for a parent/guardian to request the opt out
  option. The opt out process, including when and
  how to opt out of Appendix A-3, shall be
  determined by each local school district.

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Can an entire district opt out of the new
requirements?

• NO. School districts are required to meet the
  minimal requirements established by the State
  Board of Education as outlined in Appendix A-3.
  For students entering the 9th grade in 2008-2009,
  the minimal requirements are outlined in
  Appendix A-3. As stated in Appendix A-3,
  students will be required to have a minimum of 24
  Carnegie units in specified curriculum areas
  unless their parent/guardian requests to opt the
  student out. At which time, guidelines
  established by the local school district will be
  utilized for the individual student. Opt out is
  not an option for an entire district but for
  individual students when requested by
  parent/guardian and approved by the local school
  district based on the districts established opt
  out policies.
• In order to meet the minimum requirements
  established by the State Board of Education, the
  local school district must implement Appendix A-3
  for students entering the 9th grade in the year
  2008-2009.

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If a parent requests the option to opt out of
Appendix A-3 for their child and the district
grants the request, will the student be counted
as a dropout in the districts dropout report?

• As long as the student meets the requirements for
  graduation established by the local school board
  and the graduation requirements meet or exceed
  the minimal standards established in Appendix
  A-2, the student will not be considered a dropout
  in the districts dropout report.

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Credit Recovery

• The purpose of the credit recovery policy is to
  provide guidance to Local Education Agencies
  (LEAs) with Credit Recovery Programs
• Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, any LEA
  who provides a Credit Recovery Program shall
  develop and implement a Credit Recovery Program
  that has been adopted by the school board and
  that includes rules, regulations, and processes.
  The rules, regulations, and processes shall be
  available to faculty, students, and
  parents/guardians.

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LEAs Must Address Admission and Removal from
Credit recovery Program

• LEAs shall establish an application process that
  requires parental consent.
• LEAs shall establish minimum criteria to
  determine
• eligibility for participation in the Credit
  Recovery Program
• Students who have already received credit for a
  course are not
• eligible unless they have not passed the
  end of course test(s) required for graduation
• LEAs shall determine the number of Credit
  Recovery Courses that a student can take at one
  time.
• Students shall not remain in a Credit Recovery
  Course for more than one year.

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LEAs Must Address Instruction

• LEAs shall determine the instructional
  methodology used for the Credit Recovery Program
  (i.e online program,
  Mississippi Virtual Public School (MVPS), direct
  instruction, computer assisted instruction,
  etc.).
• LEAs shall provide professional development for
  teachers and facilitators involved with the
  Credit Recovery Program.

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LEAs Must Address Curriculum and Grades

• Credit Recovery Curriculum shall be based on the
  Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks competencies
  and objectives.
• LEAs are responsible for establishing specific
  procedures for evaluation of student progress and
  determining grades.

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Comparison of Appendix C and C-2 for Admission to
IHL Beginning Summer 2012
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Office of AccreditationContact Information

• Jean Massey or any Office of Accreditation Staff
  Member
• 601-359-3764
• jmassey_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• To Download Mississippi Accountability Standards,
  2008
• Go to MDE website www.mde.k12.ms.us Click on
  Student Performance Click Office of
  Accreditation and scroll down until you see Link
  for Mississippi Accountability Standards, 2008