House Bill 84

6 AN ACT TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS ASSIGNED AN ACCOUNTABILITY RATING OF "C" TO PROVIDE ONLINE REMEDIAL EDUCATION COURSES FOR EVERY STUDENT ENROLLED; TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM SUBJECT AREAS THAT SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THOSE COURSES; TO REQUIRE THE COURSES TO BE GRADED AS SEPARATE CLASS GRADES; TO DIRECT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF A REPUTABLE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION ENTITY TO PROVIDE AND OPERATE THE REQUIRED ONLINE REMEDIATION COURSES; TO REQUIRE THE SELECTED ENTITY TO TRACK STUDENT PROGRESS, ADMINISTER DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATIONS, AND REPORT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WEAKNESSES TO SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) In each public school district assigned an accountability rating of "C" under the state accountability system, the district shall provide online remedial education courses for every student enrolled in the district, regardless of grade level or prior academic performance. At minimum, each online remediation program offered under this section shall include instructional modules addressing:

(a) Vocabulary development;

(b) General mathematics;

(d) Basic science; and

(e) Any additional age- and grade-appropriate subject areas deemed necessary by the State Board of Education to improve student mastery of statewide academic standards.

(2) The online remediation courses required under this section shall be graded as separate class grades, and the grades shall be incorporated into each student's report card in the same manner as other courses.

(3) The State Department of Education shall, through a formal request for proposals (RFP) process, contract with a reputable, qualified virtual instruction entity to:

(a) Provide the online remediation course content to all school districts required to offer such instruction;

(b) Operate and manage the online remediation courses throughout the school year; and

(c) Coordinate with local school districts to ensure effective student access, instructional delivery, and data reporting.

(4) The entity selected under subsection (3) shall:

(a) Track each student's progress from the beginning through the end of the school year;

(b) Incorporate diagnostic tools, evaluative instruments, or other academic assessments necessary to determine each student's weakest academic subject area; and

(c) Provide written or electronic reports identifying each student's demonstrated weaknesses to the student's professional school counselor and the student's parent or legal guardian, in a timely manner and in accordance with federal and state student privacy laws.

(5) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this section, including minimum content standards, uniform grading requirements, data reporting protocols and operational procedures for participating school districts and the contracted virtual instruction provider.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.