In order to participate in the District of Innovation and
School of Innovation program established by Miss. Code Ann. §
37-179-1,
et seq., local education agencies shall apply through the procedures
established by the Mississippi Department of Education. Districts and schools
selected through that process and approved by the State Board of Education
shall be designated District of Innovation or School of Innovation status for
five (5) years, which will be available for renewal according to the rules and
guidelines. Each renewal shall not exceed five (5) years. Because there are no
funds associated or granted with District of Innovation or School of Innovation
designation, local education agencies must plan carefully for inclusion of
at-risk students and may use their local and Federal funding to support
programs.
1. Purpose of a District of
Innovation or School of Innovation
Innovative programs are intended to better prepare students
for success in life and work. Innovative programs shall focus on reducing
achievement gaps by expanding learning experiences for students; increasing
participation of subgroups of students in innovative instructional components
to enhance student achievement; increasing the number of students who are
college- and career-ready; reducing the number of students that exit high
school in need of remediation; and motivating students by expanding curriculum
choices and learning opportunities for students.
2. Definitions
a. District of Innovation: A District of
Innovation is a district that has developed a plan of innovation in compliance
with this policy and has been approved by the State Board of Education to be
exempted from certain administrative regulations and statutory provisions to
improve the educational performance of students within the district.
b. School of Innovation:
1. A School of Innovation is a school that
voluntarily participates in a district of innovation plan to improve
instruction, including waivers and exemptions from local school board policies,
selected provisions of rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of
Education, and selected sections of Miss. Code Ann. §§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3.
2. A School of Innovation, independent of a
designated District of Innovation, is also defined as a school that voluntarily
participates in a School of Innovation plan to improve instruction, including
waivers and exemptions from local school board policies, selected provisions of
rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education, and selected
sections of Miss. Code Ann. §§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3
for only one school in the district. Current models are high schools
participating in an Early College High School program (ECHSP) or high schools
with a Middle College Program (MCP) approved by the district superintendent and
the State Board of Education. Both models are designed to target underserved
public-school student populations that are at-risk of dropping out of high
school or of not continuing in postsecondary school. Underserved students are
students that come from households in poverty, students that are
first-generation college-goers, or students of color.
c. An ECHSP is a small high school program
located on a partnering college campus or a location other than a traditional
high school campus with a dedicated principal, counselor, and four (4) to six
(6) certified teaching staff in core subjects only. The students must complete
an application process to enter as freshmen and continue through the ECHSP as a
cohort. All eligible students are selected by random lottery if the application
pool is larger than the defined cohort. The goal of an ECHSP is for students to
graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree from a
partnering postsecondary institution. At a minimum, all members of the cohort
should graduate from high school meeting the ACT or SAT Mississippi benchmarks
for admission to college without remediation and earn college credits while in
high school.
Beginning in July 2019, new students participating in an ECHS
program will not be considered transfer students and are not prohibited by the
MDE from participating in after-school activities at their high school of
residence. Students must meet full academic day requirements at the ECHS
program to be eligible to participate in activities.
For accountability purposes, student academic performance
results shall be included in the students' high school of residence beginning
in academic year 2018-2019 (results reported in the fall of 2019).
Additionally, unofficial accountability results for the ECHSPs shall be
reported on the MDE District and School Report Card webpage, and other annual
performance measures shall be publicly reported each year in the
Superintendent's report. ECHSPs must adhere to all applicable
Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards.
1. For regional, multi-district ECHS models,
one district or the partnering postsecondary institution shall serve as the
fiscal agent and other districts shall participate through a Memorandum of
Understanding. The lead district shall represent the secondary agency
considerations to the partnering postsecondary institution. All MOUs must
include the lead secondary, the postsecondary, and the participating secondary
agencies. The MOU shall include financial considerations such as
transportation, child nutrition, and the mutually agreed upon cost for students
enrolling from another district to attend the program. The MOU shall also
include a data sharing agreement, fixed asset management, and revocation
procedures.
d. An MCP is
a dual credit/dual enrollment (DCDE) program run by a school district (or an
individual high school) and a partnering postsecondary institution that offers
high school students a wide range of dual credit and dual enrollment classes.
The 11th and 12th grade
students in the cohort spend a portion of the academic day at the high school
and a portion at the partnering postsecondary institution where the classes are
taught. Participating students are encouraged to take as many DCDE classes at
the postsecondary partner institution as possible, specifically in courses
articulated in the Mississippi Articulation Transfer Tool (MATT) or a
career-oriented program of study. These students should be supported by a high
school/transitional counselor and are monitored closely to ensure that they are
meeting college academic expectations. The goal of an MCP is for students to
earn an associate degree or advanced national certification, as well as a
diploma from their traditional high school. These programs are set up in a
cohort model with student entry at the end of the
10th grade year. No waivers are granted for MCPs;
however, high schools with MCPs must apply through the School of Innovation
application to ensure they meet the approved definition.
3. Waivers and Exemptions
Miss. Code Ann. §
37-179-1
provides for exemptions from certain administrative regulations and statutory
provisions as approved by the MDE to allow flexibility for Districts of
Innovation and Schools of Innovation. Miss. Code Ann. §
37-179-3(4)
includes areas of innovation which the State Board of Education may consider
for exemptions. Districts or schools may request additional waivers if the
waiver is needed to support innovative practices and does not violate state or
federal regulations. Districts or schools are not allowed to request a waiver
from state assessment requirements required by state or federal regulation.
Absent any waivers, districts shall meet the requirements of the current
Mississippi Public School Accountability
Standards.
4.
Application Plan - Approval, Amendment, and Revocation Process
An Innovation Committee (hereafter referred to as the
Committee) shall review all approval, amendment, and revocation processes
involving Districts of Innovation and Schools of Innovation. The Committee
shall be comprised of four (4) MDE employees across offices within the MDE and
one (1) postsecondary representative.
The application plan is a collaborative process between the
district, school, and/or partners, and the MDE prior to approval. If waivers
from Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards, State
Board policies, or state regulations are needed to implement innovative
programs, districts or schools may seek innovative status under Miss. Code Ann.
§§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3.
Through collaboration with the MDE, a determination may be made as to whether
application for District of Innovation or School of Innovation under Miss. Code
Ann. §§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3
is required. Innovative schools, such as ECHS and MCP models, shall apply
through the School of Innovation application process and timeline.
a. Plan Details
1. An application may be from a single
district or a consortium of districts collaborating on an innovative school
and/or program. In the case of a consortium, one of the districts shall be the
lead agency and act as the "district" responsible for meeting all the
guidelines outlined in this policy.
2. The MDE shall collaborate with districts
and schools to review plans to approve innovative status to eligible
districts.
3. Plans are approved
for five (5) years. All districts and schools approved shall be monitored by
MDE for progress and continued support during the five-year term.
b. Amendments to the Plan
A District of Innovation or School of Innovation seeking an
amendment to an approved five-year plan shall submit written justification for
the amendment to the designated MDE office. Requests may be submitted as
needed. Requests shall be reviewed and approved by the MDE and a recommendation
shall be submitted to the State Board of Education for approval. If the
amendment is approved, the innovative district may implement the changes to
their current five-year plan. No amendments shall be considered that increase
the number of years the district is considered a District of Innovation.
c. Renewals
1. Requests for renewals shall be submitted
no later than November 1 in the fifth year of the initial term. Any renewal
shall be for no more than an additional five (5) years.
2. Renewals shall be based on the ability of
the District of Innovation or School of Innovation to meet the goals and
objectives of Miss. Code Ann. §§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3
and the performance measures set forth by the MDE.
d. Reporting Requirements
1. For Districts of Innovation and Schools of
Innovation, an end-of-year report shall be submitted to the MDE that includes,
at a minimum, proficiency on 3-8 and high school Statewide Accountability
assessments, ACT/SAT scores for seniors, graduation rate, and growth in the
lowest 25%, student dropout rate, chronic absenteeism, and discipline
referrals.
The committee shall review the data for sustained increase in
performance and decrease in dropout, chronic absenteeism, and discipline
referrals and shall consider the data of the district or school prior to the
District of Innovation plan implementation for comparison.
2. Additionally, an end-of-year report for
ECHSPs and MCPs shall be submitted to the MDE that includes, at a minimum, the
percentage of senior cohort earning academic, distinguished academic, or CTE
endorsement; the percentage of senior cohort meeting ACT/SAT benchmarks for
college and career-readiness; the graduation rate; retention of cohort; the
number of college credits earned per cohort; and percentage of cohort earning
an Associate Degree.
The committee shall review the data for sustained increase in
performance and shall consider the data of the school of residence for
comparison. Because of the model of the ECHSP, it is recommended that all
students meet the College and Career Readiness benchmarks for entering
Mississippi IHLs by graduation.
e. Revocation of Plan
When an innovative model is not meeting the required
performance measurements listed in section d. reporting requirements; contrary
to changes in state or federal laws; or not meeting the purpose of Miss. Code
Ann. §§
37-179-1
and
37-179-3,
the MDE's Office of Secondary Education shall notify the school and/or district
of deficiencies and concerns related to the success and sustainability of the
model and its intent to recommend to the State Board of Education that the plan
be revoked.
1. The district or school
shall have 30 calendar days to provide a written response to support its
position.
2. Following review of
the written response from the district or school and the Office of Secondary
Education's recommendation for revocation of the plan, the Committee shall, if
requested, schedule a date and time for oral presentation by the district or
school, and the Office of Secondary Education. Oral presentations shall be
limited to 15 minutes per side.
3.
Following oral presentations, the Committee shall issue a written decision
either affirming the Office of Secondary Education's recommendation to revoke
the innovative status, or permitting the innovative status to remain, or
ordering the district or school to modify their program to comply with
specified corrective actions and timelines for compliance.
4. If the district or school disagrees with
the Committee's decision, the district and/or school may appeal in writing to
the State Board of Education within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the
Committee's written decision, otherwise the Committee's decision is
final.
5. If the district or school
appeals the Committee's decision, the appeal shall be considered for action by
the State Board of Education at a regularly scheduled board meeting. The appeal
shall be on the record before the Committee
6. The district or school shall be entitled
to appear in person at the board meeting for oral presentation. The Office of
Secondary Education shall also appear at the board meeting. Oral presentation
shall be limited to ten (10) minutes per side.
7. Following presentation, the State Board of
Education may ask questions to either the district or school or the Office of
Secondary Education. The State Board of Education shall not consider any new
factual evidence. The State Board of Education makes the final determination of
the appeal's disposition.
8. If a
district or school is provided the opportunity to comply with specified
corrective actions, and fails to comply with the corrective actions within the
timelines specified, the district or school's innovative status shall be
automatically revoked and the school or district shall transition to "regular"
status for implementation in the following school year to minimize academic
disruptions.
9. Should a district
or school that has been awarded innovative status decide to voluntarily
terminate their approved innovations, they shall submit a plan to the MDE
outlining the reasons for the decision and actions necessary to return to
"regular" status. Districts or schools may submit termination plans at any time
during the school year, but changes shall go into effect the following school
year and shall be designed to minimize all academic disruptions.
5. District of
Innovation or School of Innovation Plan Components
By July 1 of each year, the MDE shall release guidance on the
application process, the application requirements, selection procedures, and
criteria. At a minimum, the plan application shall be organized with the
following sections:
a. Innovative
Program Design
b. Annual Reporting
of Performance Measures
c.
Students
d. Funding
e. Staffing
f. Stakeholder Collaboration
g. Governance
h. Waivers and Exemptions
i. Timeline of Activities
j. Data Sharing agreement
k. Assurances
An up-to-date copy of the rules, procedures, guidelines, and
current application shall be kept on file at the Mississippi Department of
Education.
