/State delays approval of Jackson Public Schools plan

State delays approval of Jackson Public Schools plan

A meeting of the State Board of Education was held Thursday. Members decided to delay the approval of corrective action plans (or CAPs) from some districts because they needed further work. With the assistance of the Mississippi Department of Education, three districts — JPS and Natchez-Adams — will continue to work on the plans. They will be submitted for approval in March. The work will be done jointly by Jackson and the state education officials. Paula Vanderford, Chief Accountability Officer at Mississippi Department, stated that the required revisions were “across-the board.” These changes include changing certain timelines and providing more information on how instructional strategies directly affect students. The CAP must address the findings of an investigation by the Mississippi Department of Education that found the district had not met the 32 state accreditation standards. Sherwin Johnson, a JPS spokesperson, said that the district is working to make all necessary changes and that the school board must approve them before the plan can be resubmitted to the state. The plan must be submitted again by February 23rd, and will be reviewed at the March 15th state board meeting.