MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Representative Fleming

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE 2000-2001 SCHOOL YEAR; TO SPECIFY CERTAIN SKILLS TO BE TAUGHT THROUGH THE PROGRAM; TO AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO UTILIZE AVAILABLE FUNDING TO TRAIN TEACHERS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) Many young people today consider their knowledge of entrepreneurship and business to be very poor to fair, at best.

(b) Starting and running a business can be the means for a young person to become a productive member of society, while simultaneously creating jobs and stimulating economic growth within the entrepreneur's local community.

(c) Entrepreneurship education provides students with the skills to start a business as well as the inspiration to take a personal path of individual responsibility and make positive goal-setting choices.

(d) In addition to teaching small business formation, entrepreneurship courses help students to improve their reading, writing, math and basic life skills, which improves their grades and self-esteem and gives them practical business knowledge.

(e) Entrepreneurship training provides individuals with the knowledge and initiative to pursue economic self-sufficiency.

(2) The State Department of Education shall develop a program of entrepreneurship education to be made available to students in all public secondary schools beginning in the 2000-2001 school year. The program shall be designed to train students in those skills needed to start and run a business and shall have as its foundation the youth entrepreneurship training system and curriculum model of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Inc., or a similar youth entrepreneurship training program. Through the program, students will be taught the following skills:

(a) How to analyze situations and organize and plan the allocation of resources to creatively solve problems;

(b) Sociability techniques for working with others;

(c) Communication skills and effective marketing techniques;

(d) Written and oral presentation skills;

(e) Research skills, including how to read financial journals and periodicals;

(f) How the free market system operates through supply and demand; and

(g) Computer technologies for creating marketing flyers, business cards and business plan presentations.

(3) The State Department of Education may utilize any available funding for the purpose of awarding scholarships to Mississippi teachers who are accepted to the NFTE University or similar entrepreneurship training program or to provide entrepreneurship teacher training locally through a certified NFTE or a similar entrepreneurship program educator. The department is encouraged to apply for any grants, private or public, which may be used for such purposes and for funding entrepreneurship education.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.