Establishment

Title 7: Education K-12 Part 2: Organization Part 2 Chapter 1: Organization of State Department Rule 1.1 Organization of State Department. There shall be a state department of education which shall be under the direction and supervision of the state superintendent of public education. The state department of education shall be organized into functional divisions as established by the state board of education, including any divisions established by law and prescribing the duties of the directors of such divisions. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-1(3) Rule 1.2 Seal. The state superintendent of public education shall provide and keep a seal having around the margin thereof the words "State Department of Education" with the coat of arms of the state in the center. All official acts of the department shall be certified under said seal. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-3 Rule 1.3 Responsibilities. The State Department of Education is hereby charged with the execution of all laws relating to the administrative, supervisory and consultative services to the public schools and agricultural high schools of the State of Mississippi. The State Department of Education is also authorized to grant property to public schools and agricultural high schools of the State of Mississippi. Subject to the direction of the State Board of Education as provided by law, the administration, management and control of the department is hereby vested in the State Superintendent of Public Education, who shall be directly responsible for the rightful functioning thereof. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-3-5 Part 2 Chapter 2: Organization of State Board Rule 2.1 Organization of State Board. There shall be a state board of education which shall manage and invest school funds according to law, formulate policies according to law for implementation by the State Department of Education and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law. The board shall consist of nine (9) members of whom none shall be an elected official. The board shall elect a chairman from its membership at the first meeting of the original board members and every year thereafter. A majority of the membership of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. The board shall meet regularly once a month at such time as shall be designated by an order entered upon the minutes thereof. Special meetings of the board shall be held upon call of the chairman or upon the call of a majority of the members thereof. The State Superintendent of Public Education shall be the secretary of the board. The board shall hold its sessions at the seat of government, or at such location in the State of Mississippi as shall be designated by an order entered upon the minutes thereof. 1

Source: Miss Code Ann. § 37-1-1 Rule 2.2 Responsibilities of State Board. 1.The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations and set standards and policies for the organization, operation, management, planning, budgeting and programs of the State Department of Education. a. The board is directed to identify all functions of the department that contribute to or comprise a part of the state system of educational accountability and to establish and maintain within the department the necessary organizational structure, policies and procedures for effectively coordinating such functions. Such policies and procedures shall clearly fix and delineate responsibilities for various aspects of the system and for overall coordination of the total system and its effective management. b. The board shall establish and maintain a system-wide plan of performance, policy and directions of public education not otherwise provided for. c. The board shall effectively use the personnel and resources of the department to enhance technical assistance to school districts in instruction and management therein. d. The board shall establish and maintain a central budget policy. e. The board shall establish and maintain within the State Department of Education a central management capacity under the direction of the State Superintendent of Public Education. f. The board, with recommendations from the superintendent, shall design and maintain a five-year plan and program for educational improvement that shall set forth objectives for system performance and development and be the basis for budget requests and legislative initiatives. 2. a. The State Board of Education shall adopt and maintain a curriculum and a course of study to be used in the public schools that is designed to prepare the state's children and youth to be productive, informed, creative citizens, workers and leaders, and it shall regulate all matters arising in the practical administration of the school system not otherwise provided for. b. Before the 1999-2000 school year, the State Board of Education shall develop personal living and finances objectives that focus on money management skills for individuals and families for appropriate, existing courses at the secondary level. The objectives must require the teaching of those skills necessary to handle personal business and finances and must include instruction in the following: i. Opening a bank account and assessing the quality of a bank's services; ii. Balancing a checkbook;

2

iii. Managing debt, including retail and credit card debt; iv. Completing a loan application; v. The implications of an inheritance; vi. The basics of personal insurance policies; vii. Consumer rights and responsibilities; viii. Dealing with salesmen and merchants; ix. Computing state and federal income taxes; x. Local tax assessments; xi. Computing interest rates by various mechanisms; xii. Understanding simple contracts; and xiii. Contesting an incorrect billing statement. 3. The State Board of Education shall have authority to expend any available federal funds, or any other funds expressly designated, to pay training, educational expenses, salary incentives and salary supplements to licensed teachers employed in local school districts or schools administered by the State Board of Education. Such incentive payments shall not be considered part of a school district's local supplement as defined in Section 37-151-5(o), nor shall the incentives be considered part of the local supplement paid to an individual teacher for the purposes of Section 37-19-7(1). MAEP funds or any other state funds shall not be used to provide such incentives unless specifically authorized by law. 4. The State Board of Education shall through its actions seek to implement the policies set forth in Section 37-1-2. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-1-3 Rule 2.3 Student Representatives of the Mississippi State Board of Education Purpose: The Mississippi State Board of Education (State Board), in an effort to include student perspectives on state educational policies, laws and regulations, shall incorporate student representation in a non-voting capacity by and through the appointed position of Student Representative of the State Board. The Student Representative shall serve as a link between board level policy and the classroom. The Student Representative shall serve as a trustee on behalf of Mississippi students and will be 3

charged with providing perspectives on issues of interest to students and ensure student’s voices are represented. The Student Representative shall be responsible for attending State Board meetings as well as standing committee(s) or subcommittee(s) to which he or she may be assigned. Unless invited to attend by an affirmative vote of a majority of the State Board, the Student Representative may not attend Executive Sessions of the State Board. Student Representatives shall be excused from school to attend State Board meetings as official school business. Term of Service: Through a competitive application process, the State Board shall appoint one rising junior and one rising senior to serve as Student Representatives consecutively in the initial year of program implementation. The senior representative’s term will end on April 30 th due to graduation. The junior representative shall promote to a senior representative and shall continue to serve for a second year and a new junior shall be appointed annually. The term of service for rising juniors shall begin on July 1st of Year 1 and shall end on April 30th of Year 2. Eligibility: Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for the Student Representative program: 1. Any student who is a Mississippi resident, enrolled in a Mississippi public high school or charter school, and who will be enrolled in good standing in the eleventh grade (or twelfth grade in the 2019-2020 school year) may apply. Confirmation of eligibility will be received from the high school counselor as part of the application process. 2. A student shall have an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above. Confirmation of eligibility shall be received from the high school counselor as part of the application process. Upon appointment, Student Representatives shall maintain eligibility throughout the term of service. Application: The Office of Educational Accountability will prepare and disseminate an application packet to all public high schools and charter schools in Mississippi. The application packet will also be posted on the Mississippi Department of Education web site. Students shall complete all application requirements and submit the application to the Mississippi Department of Education by the deadline to be considered for the program.

Application requirements will include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Student shall submit at least 3 recommendation letters (from a teacher who has instructed the student, an administrator, and other adult who knows the student but is not a family member). 2. Student shall agree to provide his/her own transportation to board meetings, activities, and events. Student Representatives will be reimbursed for approved travel expenses such as mileage, lodging and meals incurred while traveling on official board business upon submission of a claim to the State Superintendent based upon the guidelines established

4

3. 4. 5. 6.

by the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) in accordance with Miss. Code Ann. § 25‐3‐41. Student shall have written consent of a parent or guardian, as well as the approval of the principal and district superintendent to apply for the Student Representative position. Student shall have written confirmation from his/her counselor that the eligibility requirements have been met. Student shall provide responses to the essay questions. Student shall have the opportunity to highlight his/her extracurricular activities, community and volunteer service, work experience and academic achievements and honors.

Screening: Immediately following the application deadline, the Office of Educational Accountability shall review the applications received to ensure all application requirements have been met for candidates to be considered for an interview. Applicants who fail to meet all eligibility criteria and application requirements shall be automatically disqualified. Applications received after the deadline for submission shall be disqualified. All qualified applications shall be screened as follows: 1. The Internal Accountability Subcommittee Chair shall work with the State Superintendent to appoint the internal Ad-Hoc Screening Committee(s) of five members composed of one Internal Accountability Subcommittee member and four Mississippi Department of Education staff. 2. The Screening Committee(s) shall review all qualified applications and rate each application holistically, selecting at least the top 10 semifinalists who reflect the best cross-section of the many outstanding students who apply. Interview and Appointment: The interview and appointment process shall be conducted as follows: 1. The semifinalists shall be interviewed by the Internal Accountability Subcommittee of the State Board. 2. The Internal Accountability Subcommittee shall recommend no more than four finalists to the State Board for an interview. One junior representative and one senior representative shall be appointed by the State Board in the program implementation year. Subsequently, only one junior representative shall be appointed by the State Board annually. 3. The Internal Accountability Subcommittee shall document the next highest scoring candidates in rank order should an alternate(s) be needed to fulfill the duties of a Student Representative(s) during his/her term. Duties and Responsibilities: Upon appointment by the State Board, the Student Representative shall, at minimum, fulfill the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Attending monthly State Board meetings is required in addition to attendance of special called meetings or other meetings or events as requested by the Board Chair. When a school activity prevents a Student Representative from attending a State Board meeting, 5

he/she should provide notice to the State Board Chair. Additional absences shall be limited to no more than two absences per fiscal year. Any other circumstances that would prevent attendance at the meetings must be reviewed and approved by the Board Chair. 2. Preparing for State Board meetings by reviewing the packet of board meeting materials provided prior to the meetings. A report shall be given by each of the Student Representatives at each monthly meeting and shall be submitted for Board Chair review no less than 10 calendar days prior to the meeting. 3. Attending a one-day orientation session. 4. Participating actively in the discussions of the State Board by listening, observing and providing meaningful input. 5. Working harmoniously with other State Board members and Mississippi Department of Education staff. 6. Accepting the will of the majority vote of the State Board in all cases and giving support to the resulting policy. 7. Developing a thorough understanding of current educational issues, State laws, policies, and regulations that directly impact Mississippi students and sharing this info with high school students statewide. 8. Serving as a spokesman for student viewpoints in policy decisions directly influencing students and communicating with students frequently. It is important that the Student Representative elicit information from students statewide and attempt to formulate objective opinions. 9. Participating in the selection process of the incoming Student Representative. 10. Serving as a mentor for the incoming Student Representative. 11. Preparing and presenting a report to the State Board at the end of the term of service that documents lessons learned and ways to strengthen the Student Representative program in the future. 12. During their senior year, Student Representatives may be given the opportunity to complete a capstone project that will be presented to the State Board and other organizations in their community and to receive academic credit for the project. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-1-3 (Revised 11/2023)

6