MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Education
By: Representatives McCarty, Hulum, McLean
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "MISSISSIPPI SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUES RESULTING IN DELIVERING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYABILITY (STRIDE) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM" FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING AND MAKING SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WHO BECOME ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH DUAL-CREDIT AND DUAL-ENROLLMENT OPTION, CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES THAT LEAD TO INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION AND OVERLOAD COURSES; TO ESTABLISH THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR EACH SUBSIDIARY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAMS SHALL BE RESPECTIVELY ADMINISTERED BY THE MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-71-7 AND 37-71-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY PROVISIONS OF THE "MISSISSIPPI LEARN TO EARN ACT" PERTAINING TO APPLICATION PROCEDURES IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE "MISSISSIPPI SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUES RESULTING IN DELIVERING EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYABILITY (STRIDE) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM"; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. This act shall be known, and may be cited as the "Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program."
SECTION 2. There is created the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program, which such program shall consist of:
(a) The Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program provided for under Section 3 of this act;
(b) The Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program provided for under Section 4 of this act; and
(c) The Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program provided for under Section 6 of this act.
SECTION 3. (1) Dual-credit courses at a Mississippi public community or junior college shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the Mississippi Community College Board. The board shall develop rules and regulations to implement the program for participating public community and junior colleges that provide dual-credit and dual-enrollment opportunities to students in Grades 9 through 12 who meet certain qualifications. The Mississippi Community College Board shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of the public community or junior college providing the dual-credit instruction. Public community and junior colleges shall be the sole provider of dual-credit for students participating in the program. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund established at the Mississippi Community College Board.
(2) Subject to appropriation, for the 2023-2024 academic year, each academic dual-credit student scholarship shall be funded at One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) per semester hour of credit, and for each academic year thereafter, the public community and junior colleges shall adjust the per semester credit hour rate based on system-wide actual tuition costs.
(3) All eligible public high school students shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program, subject to the following criteria:
(a) All dual-credit standards including, but not limited to, academic and eligibility requirements, course requirements, faculty and institutional qualifications and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation criteria as provided in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual-enrollment and Accelerated Programs, jointly adopted by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board, or a subsequent document, must be adhered to.
(b) Students participating in the program must reside within the State of Mississippi.
(c) Students participating in the program are responsible for books, supplies and transportation costs.
(4) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis with minimum funding for each student being sufficient to take at least one (1) semester course per academic year.
(5) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE College Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.
SECTION 4. (1) Career technical education and workforce training courses at a Mississippi public community or junior college shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the Mississippi Community College Board. The board shall develop rules and regulations to implement the program for participating public community and junior colleges that provide dual-credit and dual-enrollment opportunities to students in Grades 9 through 12 who meet certain qualifications. The Mississippi Community College Board shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of the public community or junior college providing the dual-credit instruction. Public community and junior colleges shall be the sole provider of dual credit for students participating in the program. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund established at the Mississippi Community College Board.
(2) Subject to appropriation, each career and technical dual-credit student scholarship shall be funded at Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00) per semester hour of credit beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year.
(3) All eligible public high school students shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program, subject to the following criteria:
(a) All dual-credit standards including, but not limited to, career and technical eligibility requirements, course requirements, faculty and institutional qualifications and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation criteria as provided in the Procedures Manual for the State of Mississippi Dual-enrollment and Accelerated Programs, jointly adopted by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the Mississippi Community College Board, or a subsequent document, must be adhered to.
(b) In addition, eligible courses must:
(i) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license or degree as approved by the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development;
(ii) Be courses that are not otherwise available at the student's high school; and
(iii) Allow high school-aged students to participate.
(c) Laboratories designed for providing instruction in career and technical courses must meet community and junior colleges' standards of quality.
(d) Students participating in the program must reside within the State of Mississippi.
(e) Students participating in the program are responsible for books, tools, supplies and transportation costs.
(4) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis with minimum funding for each student being sufficient to take at least one (1) semester course per academic year.
(5) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Opportunity Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.
SECTION 5. Public school personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling students in such courses. Each participating student's high school transcript at the public school at which the student is enrolled shall include the credits earned and grades received by the student for any dual-credit courses taken pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as identified in administrative rule, the course must meet the approved content standards for the applicable subject and grade level.
SECTION 6. (1) Mississippi STRIDE Graduation courses for Mississippi public school students shall be funded by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Fund, which shall be administered by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall create a platform for interested students to apply online for the scholarships and to enroll in courses. Funding from approved scholarships shall be awarded to the credit of participating educational providers. Funding for this program will be administered through a special fund at the State Board of Education.
(2) All eligible public school students in Grades 7 through 12 who reside in the State of Mississippi shall be approved for participation in the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program. Students participating in the program are responsible for books, tools, supplies and transportation costs.
(3) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis and may be used for:
(a) Overload courses;
(b) Challenge courses;
(c) Learn to Earn courses, including apprenticeships, internships, and alternative learning courses;
(d) College entrance examinations;
(e) Preliminary college entrance examinations;
(f) Career technical certificate and licensing examinations that lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license or degree as approved by the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development;
(g) Postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, including advanced placement (AP); international baccalaureate (IB); Cambridge International; and college-level examination program (CLEP).
(4) Each local school board shall set forth criteria by which a student may take an overload course. A student must take and successfully be completing a full credit load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of an overload course. An overload course must be taken for high school credit to be eligible for funding. The scholarship distribution for an overload course may not exceed Two Hundred Twenty-five Dollars ($225.00) per overload course. To qualify as an eligible overload course for the program, the course must:
(a) Be offered by an accredited provider; and
(b) Be taught by an individual certified to teach the grade and subject area of the course in Mississippi.
(5) Each local school board shall set forth criteria by which a student may challenge a course. If a student successfully meets the criteria set forth by the board of the public school, then the student shall be counted as having completed all required coursework for that course. The public school shall be funded for such students based upon either actual hours of attendance or the course that the student has successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous to the public school, up to the maximum of one (1) full-time student.
(6) The State Department of Education shall maintain a list of eligible college entrance examinations and preliminary college entrance examinations and costs, provided that a student may not use funds provided under this section to take the same examination more than once. Eligible costs include the cost of the examination, proctor fees, and administrative fees. Eligible examinations include the SAT, PSAT, ACT and other similar examinations identified by the department.
(7) Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarships may not be used to pay an amount that exceeds the price to the student of such courses and examinations pursuant to the limitations stated in this section. These monies shall not supplant existing program funds. No later than December 1, 2023, the State Department of Education shall annually report to the Education Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives details regarding the number of students benefiting from assistance with the cost of overload courses, challenge courses, Learn to Earn courses and examinations. The report shall include the number of credits awarded and amounts paid pursuant to this section during the previous school year. The report also shall be provided to the other members of the Legislature upon request and posted on the department's website for the general public to view.
(8) Public schools, shall be reimbursed, as applicable, up to the stated limits, within one hundred twenty-five (125) days of receiving the necessary data upon which reimbursements may be paid for overload courses, challenge courses and Learn to Earn courses. The submission method and timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the State Board of Education. Payments will be made only for activity occurring and reported within each fiscal year.
(9) Average daily attendance shall be counted as normal for students participating in dual-credit courses pursuant to this section.
(10) If a student fails to successfully complete a course paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete one (1) like course before being eligible for additional course participation. Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not eligible for funding through the program.
(11) If a student fails to take an examination paid for by the Mississippi STRIDE Graduation Scholarship Program, the student must pay for and pass the test before being eligible for additional participation in the program.
(12) Public school personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling students in overload, challenge and Learn to Earn courses. Each participating student's high school transcript at the public school at which the student is enrolled shall include the credits earned and grades received by the student for these courses taken pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as identified in administrative rule, the course must meet the approved content standards for the applicable subject and grade level.
SECTION 7. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this chapter so as to maximize participation in the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program.
SECTION 8. Public schools shall establish timelines and requirements for participation in the Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting in Delivering Excellence in Education and Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program, including implementing procedures for the appropriate transcription of credits, reporting of program participation and financial transaction requirements. Public schools shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who considers participating in the program also considers the challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program, and schools shall make reasonable efforts to include guidance on how the student's participation in the program contributes to prospective college and career pathways. Such efforts shall be performed prior to a student's participation in the program and throughout the student's involvement in the program.
SECTION 9. Section 37-71-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-71-7. * * *
( * * *1) Each local school board * * * shall adopt an Extended Learning
Opportunities policy to include alternative educational opportunities for
course credit that recognizes learning opportunities outside of the traditional
classroom through apprenticeships, internships or pre-apprenticeships, and
grants elective credit for those alternative learning opportunities. * * * The policy shall:
(a) Provide for an application process for entities to submit proposals for alternative educational opportunities that will qualify for elective course credit;
(b) Define which entities are eligible to submit applications for alternative educational opportunities, which such entities shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) Nonprofit organizations;
(ii) Businesses with established locations in the state;
(iii) Trade associations;
(iv) Parents of students involved in programs that may otherwise qualify for alternative educational opportunities; (v) Teachers involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom; and
(vi) School
personnel involved in programs outside of the traditional classroom * * *;
(c) Provide for the criteria used to evaluate the alternative educational opportunity;
(d) Describe any communication
and collaboration needed with local school districts to implement alternative
educational opportunities * * * approved by the State Board of Education;
(e) Place requirements on the entity such as background checks for key personnel and minimum accountability standards; and
(f) Provide a process for student credit transfer.
( * * *2) The local school board is authorized
to approve or deny an application for an alternative educational opportunity. * * *
( * * *3) The State Department of Education
shall have the authority to audit approved alternative educational programs at
any time. If the audit results in findings that an approved program is not
meeting the provisions of this chapter * * *,
then the local school board shall disqualify the program immediately.
SECTION 10. Section 37-71-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
37-71-9. * * *
* * * The State Department of Education shall
provide an annual report detailing the progress that has been made in each
school district in providing alternative courses, programs and opportunities or
apprenticeships. The report shall be provided to the Chairmen of the Senate
and House Education Committees no later than December 1 of each year, beginning
December 1, * * *
2023. The report also shall be provided to the other members of the
Legislature upon request and posted on the department's website for the general
public to view.
SECTION 11. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.