Miss. Board of Education Releases Strategic Plan

BY JEFF AMY
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi Board of Education is setting ambitious goals in a new strategic plan, including having all students graduate from high school.

The plan, released Thursday, also calls for giving all children access to strong preschool programs and having all students score at proficient levels on all state tests.

Chairman John Kelly of Gulfport says the board is redoubling its commitment to the Common Core State Standards as part of the plan, although he says members are willing to discuss improvements.

The board’s previous goals were not as ambitious, aiming to reduce dropouts without setting a goal of eliminating them and aiming to have 60 percent of students score proficient by 2016, not all students.