Mississippi Board of Education Meets in Jackson

The Mississippi Board of Education met recently in Jackson and approved
the following:

The methodology to award grants in support of local improvement
efforts authorized by Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965. The purpose is to provide school improvement
funds to Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) for the purpose of
allocating adequate resources to schools and districts with the greatest
need and those that exhibit the strongest commitment to raising student
achievement substantially in the persistently lowest-achieving schools
in the state.

The recommendations of the Commission on School Accreditation
that Quality of Distribution Index (QDI) cut scores and growth model
constants and coefficients applied to 2009-2010 performance standards
remain the same as the 2008-2009 cut scores.

To award grants in support of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Enhancing Education Through Technology
for fiscal year 2010. The ARRA grant provides $650 million in fiscal
year 2009 funds for the Educational Technology program, which is
authorized under Title II, Part D, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The primary goal of the Ed Tech
program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of
technology in schools. Approval to award competitive grants for ARRA
for Title II-D Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2):

Coahoma County School District $241,243.52
Marion County School District $241,242.56
Okolona School District $240,375.02
Hollandale School District $241,242.36
Columbia School District $192,993.52
Clarksdale School District $241,243.52
Oktibbeha County $230,283.00
Coffeeville School District $241,243.52
Hazlehurst City School District $241,243.52
Simpson County School District $241,243.52
South Delta School District $241,243.52
Western Line School District $241,243.52
East Jasper School District $241,243.52
Union Public School District $241,243.52
Humphreys County School District $241,243.52
Tunica County School District $241,243.52
Covington County School District $241,243.52

To award grants in support of Enhancing Education Through
Technology for fiscal year 2010. The purpose is to support educational
technology enhancement and integration into the teaching and learning
process in Mississippi classrooms, and to assist local school districts
in the implementation of a comprehensive system that effectively uses
technology in elementary and secondary schools to improve student
academic achievement and to further integrate technology into the
teaching process in Mississippi classrooms. Approval to award
competitive grants for the Education for Title II-D – Enhancing
Education Through Technology (E2T2):

Marion County School District $182,535.53
Hazlehurst City School District $182,585.73
Hollandale School District $182,585.55
Natchez-Adams School District $182,585.73
Tunica County School District $182,585.73
Simpson County School District $182,585.73
West Point School District $182,585.73
Philadelphia School District $182,585.73
Oktibbeha County School District $182,585.73

To change to the Licensure Guidelines for the Three-Year Interim
Certificate to extend the license for Speech/Language Clinicians (215
license) and Emotional Disability (206) for one additional year. It has
cleared the Administrative Procedures Act process with no public
comment.

To approve the licensure requirements and endorsement codes for
the four new 2010 Vocational Redesign Career Pathways as recommended by
the Commission of Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and
Licensure Development. It has cleared the Administrative Procedures Act
process with no public comment.

To approve school districts with the need for administrators to
participate in the Mississippi School Administrator Sabbatical Program.

To award a grant with Teach for America/MS Delta (TFA) to
recruit, train and support recent college graduates who commit to teach
in hard to staff schools for two years.

Appointed:

Glenn A. Swan as Interim Conservator for the Hazlehurst City
School District
Dr. Oscar Love Jr. as Interim Conservator for the North Panola
School District

Recognized:


State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham (left) and
Mississippi Board of Education Chair Bill Jones (right) congratulate the
students, teachers and administrators of Central Elementary (George
County School District) for being selected as a 2010 Title I
Distinguished School. Accepting on behalf of Central Elementary is from
left: Lisa Brewer, Jacqueline Denmark, Marla Ford and Cindy Maples.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham (left) and
Mississippi Board of Education Chair Bill Jones (far right) congratulate
the students, teachers and administrators of Watkins Elementary (Jackson
Public School District) for being selected as a 2010 Title I
Distinguished School. Accepting on behalf of Watkins Elementary is from
left: Michelle King, Carrie Pillers, Lonnie Edwards, Stacey Hughes and
State Board Member Charles McClelland.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham (left) and
Mississippi Board of Education Chair Bill Jones (right) congratulate the
students, teachers and administrators of Oak Park Elementary (Ocean
Springs School District) for being selected as a 2010 Exemplary
Inclusion School. Accepting on behalf of Oak Park Elementary is from
left: Melanie Howell, Stacey Foresman, Buffy Yuratich and Jennifer
Pope.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham (left) and
Mississippi Board of Education Chair Bill Jones (right) congratulate the
students, teachers and administrators of DeSoto Central Middle School
(DeSoto County School District) for being selected as a 2010 Exemplary
Inclusion School. Accepting on behalf of DeSoto Central Middle is from
left: Mimi Gatlin, Edith Robinson, Debra Ward and Melanie Tuttle.

State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tom Burnham (left) and
Mississippi Board of Education Chairman Bill Jones (right) congratulate
Andy Royes for being named Mississippi Department of Education Employee
of the Month.

Next Meeting:

The next meeting of the Mississippi Board of Education (MBE) will be
held on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the Board Room on the
4th Floor of the Central High School Building, 359 North West Street,
Jackson, Miss. The MBE will also meet on Friday, June 25, 2010
beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Board Room.