MISSISSIPPI

One of only three states making progress on all six policy elements, Mississippi set the legislative goal of a graduation rate of 85 percent by 2018-19. The state also directed the Office of Dropout Prevention to establish graduation rate benchmarks for each two-year period until then. With the passage of SB 2602 in 2006, Mississippi created the Office of Dropout Prevention within the State Department of Education, and the Office of Compulsory Attendance Enforcement within the Ofice of Dropout Prevention. Few additional resources were allocated for these: The Office of Compulsory Attendance was funded to support one full-time staff member. The remainder of the resources were expected to come by shifting existing funds. Under SB 2602, each school district across the state is required to develop a dropout prevention plan submitted for approval to this new office.

In 2009, the state appropriated $1.5 million from the State General Fund to establish Dropout Recovery Pilot programs across the state based on a successful program run jointly by Adult Basic Education and the State Board of Community and Junior Colleges. These programs are to serve students older than 17, the state's compulsory attendance age as of 2003. Each of the state's 15 community colleges is to receive $100,000 for program implementation in FY 2010. Colleges are responsible for tracking outcome data, including the enrollment of dropouts in a GED or vocational program.

Since 2006, the state has reported graduation rates using the National Governors Association's methodology. As of 2007, the State Board of Education is required to report this information to the state legislature.

The maximum public school entitlement age in Mississippi is 21.