Merit Institute Merit

The Mississippi Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (MS-MEWRA)

Mississippi state companion to MEWRA. Builds on the Mississippi Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program (Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-181-1 et seq.), Mississippi charter framework (Title 37 Ch. 28), and AccelerateMS outcome infrastructure.

THE MISSISSIPPI MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (MS-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. Mississippi Legislature, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Education.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Mississippi Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (MS-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The Legislature finds that Mississippi operates the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-181-1 et seq.; that Mississippi’s charter-school framework operates under Miss. Code Ann. Title 37 Ch. 28 with the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-28-7; that AccelerateMS provides workforce coordination under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-153-1 et seq.; that the State Board of Education operates under Miss. Code Ann. Title 37 Ch. 1; and that Mississippi publishes school-performance data through the Mississippi Department of Education (A-F accountability). This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH MISSISSIPPI LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Mississippi outcome-based school” means a provisional school authorized under Title II by the Mississippi Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“MS-OBSA”).
  2. (b) “MS-EOSSN” means the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Program under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-181-1 et seq.
  3. (c) “AccelerateMS” means the Mississippi Office of Workforce Development.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Mississippi Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-181-1 et seq. (MS-EOSSN).
  • Miss. Code Ann. Title 37 Ch. 28 (charter schools).
  • Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-28-7 (Charter School Authorizer Board).
  • Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-153-1 et seq. (AccelerateMS).

TITLE II — MISSISSIPPI OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of MS-OBSA

  1. (a) The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, in coordination with the State Board of Education, shall designate a Mississippi Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“MS-OBSA”) under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-28-7.
  2. (b) MS-OBSA shall authorize provisional schools without requiring regional-accreditor accreditation.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under Miss. Code Ann. Title 37.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY

Sec. 301. MS-EOSSN Extension

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school is eligible as a participating provider under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 37-181-1 et seq.
  2. (b) The Mississippi Department of Education shall treat Title II-authorized schools equivalently.

Sec. 302. AccelerateMS Disbursements

  1. (a) AccelerateMS shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of workforce disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the MS-OBSA Registry or Federal NLMF.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. Mississippi Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) MS-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year earnings medians; licensure/MSRMC/FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: the Mississippi LifeTracks Statewide Longitudinal Data System and Department of Employment Security wage records, to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted under Miss. Code Ann. Sec. 25-61-1 et seq. (Public Records) and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g (FERPA).

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) Suspension of MS-EOSSN participating status; MS-OBSA Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other Mississippi bills: MS-ACSA, MS-GT&P, MS-AI-Workforce.