Senate Bill 2381

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "COLLEGE AND WORK READINESS ACT OF 2019" WHICH IS AN ACT-STEM IMPROVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM BETWEEN CERTAIN STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND CERTAIN LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO INCREASE STUDENT ACT SCORES AND IMPROVE INTEREST IN STEM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS; TO PRESCRIBE CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "College and Work Readiness Act of 2019."

(2) For purposes of this section:

(a) "ACT" test means the nationally registered college entrance examination based upon what students learn in high school.

(b) "STEM" means the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, used to identify curriculum choices in schools to improve competitiveness and science and technology development.

(3) There is hereby established an ACT-STEM Improvement Pilot Program which shall be a collaboration between certain state institutions of higher learning and certain low-performing school districts to enhance student readiness for college and work by focusing on test-taking skills sets and the STEM program.

(4) The following universities shall be aligned with the indicated school districts for purposes of this program:

(a) Alcorn State University shall coordinate the ACT-STEM Improvement Pilot Program with the Claiborne County School District, the Jefferson County School District and the Natchez-Adams County School District.

(b) Jackson State University shall coordinate the ACT-STEM Improvement Pilot Program with the Jackson Public School District and the Hinds County Public School District.

(c) Mississippi Valley State University shall coordinate the ACT-STEM Improvement Pilot Program with the Leflore County/Greenwood Public School District, the Sunflower County Public School District, all school districts located in Bolivar County, the Tallahatchie County Public School District and all school districts located in Washington County.

(5) The Chief Academic Officer of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the State Department of Education, working collaboratively, shall develop a model to be used by the individual universities and school districts for consistent implementation of the College and Work Readiness Act of 2019 throughout the appropriate regions of the State of Mississippi. The specific goals and components of the College and Work Readiness Act of 2019 shall be to:

(a) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to increase their ACT scores to twenty-one (21) or above.

(b) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to increase their interest in the STEM program.

(c) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to increase their high school graduation rate.

(d) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to increase their college graduation rate.

(e) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to enhance their skills sets in the STEM discipline.

(f) Have the universities work with students in the middle schools in Grades 7 through 9 to enhance their employability skills sets and career development.

(6) The Legislature may appropriate funds for start-up costs and implementation of the College and Work Readiness Act of 2019, and the administrators of the program may accept funds from private sources to implement the College and Work Readiness Act of 2019 in the discretion of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.