MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Education
By: Senator(s) Boyd, Hickman, Williams, McLendon, McMahan
AN ACT TO ENACT THE "MISSISSIPPI MATH ACT" ESTABLISHING THE MOVING MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI (M3) PROGRAM WITHIN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; TO SET FORTH FINDINGS, PURPOSES, DEFINITIONS AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS; TO AUTHORIZE K-12 MATHEMATICS COACHING AND SUPPORTS, K-5 MATHEMATICS SCREENING AND INTERVENTIONS, AN ALGEBRA READINESS INDICATOR BASED ON THE GRADE 5 STATEWIDE MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT SCALE SCORE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR GRADES K-1, 2-6 AND 7-12; TO PROVIDE FOR ADMINISTRATION, RULEMAKING, DATA PROTECTIONS, REPORTING, EVALUATION AND DISTRICT PARTICIPATION; TO CREATE THE MOVING MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI FUND; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Math Act."
(2) The Legislature finds that:
(a) Early numeracy and fluency with whole-number operations, decimals and fractions are foundational to secondary mathematics;
(b) Sustained, job-embedded mathematics coaching improves teacher practice and student outcomes;
(c) Systematic screening and targeted interventions in the elementary grades reduce later remediation; and
(d) Ensuring algebra readiness before middle school coursework strengthens the state's workforce pipeline.
(3) This act establishes a statewide framework, Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3), to:
(a) Expand mathematics coaching;
(b) Implement Kindergarten through Grade 5 (K-5) mathematics screening with aligned interventions;
(c) Establish an Algebra-Readiness Indicator using the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment scale score; and
(d) Provide grade-based professional development aligned to Mississippi's College- and Career-Readiness Standards and assessments.
SECTION 2. As used in this act:
(a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
(b) "Department" means the State Department of Education.
(c) "M3" means the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi Program established in this act.
(d) "Coach" means a mathematics instructional coach employed or contracted by the department or a participating school district, trained in the department's coaching model.
(e) "High-quality instructional materials" or "HQIM" means standards aligned, evidence-based mathematics curricula and assessments approved by the department.
(f) "K–5 Mathematics Screener" means a universal screening system for Kindergarten through Grade 5 addressing grade-appropriate mathematics domains and skill progressions, as determined by the department.
(g) "Algebra-Readiness Indicator" or "indicator" means a scale score on the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment established by the department that suggests student readiness for Algebra I and is used to guide supports and placement.
(h) "Individualized Math Plan" or "IMP" means a written plan for a student identified by a screener as at risk of not meeting grade level expectations, and which specifies interventions, progress monitoring and exit criteria.
(i) "MIOP" means the Mathematics Instructional Observation Protocol adopted by the department for classroom observation and administrator calibration.
(j) "Professional learning community" or "PLC" means educational stakeholders who meet regularly to share expertise, analyze data, plan instruction and collaborate to improve teaching capacity and student performance.
SECTION 3. (1) There is created within the department the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3) Program.
(2) In order to administer M3, the department, through the board, may promulgate rules and regulations, enter into contracts, and partner with institutions of higher learning, school districts and nonprofit entities for implementation, evaluation and professional learning.
(3) The department may issue guidance for school district participation, including model schedules, PLC structures, intervention blocks and family engagement resources.
SECTION 4. (1) Statewide coaching expansion (Grades K-12). Each district shall place coaches in Grades K-12, with priority in Grades 2 through 6 to provide on-site and virtual coaching cycles, modeling, PLC facilitation, data meetings, administrator walk-throughs using MIOP, and family math resources. Coaching shall be organized by grade band to include elementary (K–6) and secondary (7–12) and may include college- and career-readiness coaches to align mathematics with workforce pathways and statewide assessments.
(2) K–5 Mathematics screening and intervention protocol. The department shall develop and adopt a K–5 Mathematics Screener with well-defined scores and skill maps, in order to assist with implementing IMPs for students below benchmark, training teachers and administrators, and implementing periodic progress monitoring.
(3) Grade 5 Algebra Readiness Indicator. The Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment scale score designated by the department shall be used for the Algebra Readiness Indicator. The district shall develop IMPs for students below the indicator prior to middle school mathematics. The department may develop crosswalks and training to support intervention pathways based on students' Grade 5 results.
(4) Professional development system. The department shall implement ongoing regional training, virtual courses and school-based professional development cycles providing lesson guides, teacher-facing supports and assessment references aligned to HQIM and effective mathematics teaching practices.
SECTION 5. (1) Coaches shall meet qualifications set by the department, including:
(a) Demonstrated content knowledge;
(b) Training in the department's coaching model; and
(c) Experience facilitating adult learning.
(2) The department may employ coaches as state personnel or educators-in-residence, or through personal service or professional contracts, and may authorize participating districts to host coaches via agreements with the department.
(3) The department shall establish coach playbooks, dosage targets and fidelity expectations, may prioritize placements based on student need, vacancies and regional access, and shall provide administrator calibration using MIOP.
SECTION 6. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, participating districts shall administer the K–5 Mathematics Screener at least three (3) times annually on a schedule set by the department.
(2) For each student identified below benchmark, the school district shall develop an IMP specifying evidence-based interventions, frequency and duration, a progress-monitoring schedule, and exit criteria established by the department. The IMP shall be shared with the student's parent or guardian in a timely manner and in parent-centered language, both as established by the department.
(3) The department shall provide model IMP templates, intervention menus and progress-monitoring tools, and may provide additional support for students with persistent risk.
SECTION 7. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, the department shall designate and publish an Algebra Readiness Indicator scale score for the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment under a standard-setting process approved by the board.
(2) Districts shall use the indicator to inform placement, acceleration and IMP development for students scoring below the indicator prior to entry into middle-school mathematics.
(3) The indicator shall be used as an indicator of readiness, not as a criterion for student promotion or retention. In determining such criteria, districts shall consider multiple measures, consistent with department guidance.
(4) The department shall recommend the indicator cut score, ensure alignment to content standards, and establish validity and reliability evidence. The department shall review the indicator at least every three (3) years. Exit criteria for students receiving interventions informed by the indicator shall be set by the department and may include sustained proficiency on subsequent mathematics assessments.
SECTION 8. (1) The department shall invite districts to participate and shall prioritize high-need districts based on achievement gaps, vacancies, rural access and other equity factors, while ensuring regional coverage.
(2) The department shall require a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between itself and the district specifying roles, data sharing consistent with federal and state law, coaching schedules, and fidelity expectations, including use of HQIM.
SECTION 9. (1) All student-level data collected under this act shall be maintained in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state law.
(2) The department may develop a public dashboard with district-level results and implementation indicators. Student-level data shall not be publicly released.
SECTION 10. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the "Moving Mathematics in Mississippi Fund." The fund shall consist of money appropriated by the Legislature, grants, gifts and other monies as authorized by law.
(2) Monies in the fund shall be used by the department solely for the purposes of this act, including, but not limited to:
(a) Personnel or contracts for mathematics coaches;
(b) Adoption, licensing or development of the K–5 Mathematics Screener and technical work to set, report and maintain the Grade 5 Statewide Assessment Algebra Readiness Indicator and related data systems;
(c) Professional development content and delivery;
(d) Regional trainings and travel;
(e) Evaluation and reporting; and
(f) Program management and operations.
(3) Of the monies appropriated in the fund for any fiscal year, any unexpended balances as of June 30 of that fiscal year, not otherwise obligated, shall be reappropriated and authorized for expenditure for the same purposes in the following fiscal year. Such monies shall not lapse into the State General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. The Department of Finance and Administration shall be authorized to carry forward such monies in accordance with Section 27-104-25.
SECTION 11. (1) The department may adopt emergency and permanent rules necessary to implement this act, including establishing cut scores, benchmarking windows, intervention guidance and reporting templates.
(2) The department shall publish an initial implementation timeline not later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year, including recruitment and placement of coaches, screener procurement, training calendars, and establishment of the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment Algebra Readiness Indicator scale score no later than December 1, 2026.
SECTION 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.