Mississippi Administrative Code

Each educator, upon entering the teaching profession, assumes a number of obligations, one of which is to adhere to a set of principles which defines professional conduct. These principles are reflected in the following code of ethics which sets forth to the education profession …

An educator shall comply with state and federal laws and charter school board policies relating to confidentiality of student and personnel records, standardized test material, and other information covered by confidentiality agreements. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not li…

An educator should fulfill all of the terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the charter school board or educational agency for the duration of the contract. A. Unethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Abandoning the contract for professio…

An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Encouraging and supporting colleagues in developing and maintaining high standards 2. Respecting fellow educators…

An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice and does not knowingly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the charter school board and the MCSAB policies. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the f…

An educator shall abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes and charter school board policies. A. Unethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the commission or conviction of a felony or sexual offense. As used herein, conviction includes a finding or verdict of …

An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:1. Fulfilling the roles of mentor and advocate for students in a professional relationship. A pro…

An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with colleagues, both in and outside the classroom. A. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to the following: 1. Revealing confidential health or personnel information concerning colleagues unless disclosure …

An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol and/or tobacco during the course of professional practice and should never use illegal or unauthorized drugs. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Factually representing the dangers of alcohol, to…

An educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use funds, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Maximizing the positive effect of school fu…

An educator should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation. A. Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Insuring that institutional privileges are…

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board shall grant an initial charter to each qualified applicant that has been approved pursuant to Section 37-28-19. Notes 10 Miss. Code. R. 403-7.1 Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-21 Adopted 2/13/2020

The charter contract shall be for a term of five (5) operating years. The term of the charter shall commence on the charter school's first day of operation. An approved charter school may delay its opening for one (1) school year in order to plan and prepare for the school's open…

The authorizer and the governing board of the approved charter school shall execute a charter contract that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance expectations and measures by which the charter school will be judged and the administrative relationship between…

All charter school contracts must be approved by the authorizer board. The charter contract must be signed by the chairman of the authorizer board and the president of the charter school's governing board. A charter school may not commence operations without a charter contract ex…

The authorizer may establish reasonable preopening requirements or conditions to monitor the start-up progress of a newly approved charter school and to ensure that the school is prepared to open smoothly on the date agreed and that the school meets all building, health, safety, …

Charter operators that seek amendments to executed charter contracts must notify the authorizer of such amendments in writing, according to a procedure developed and implemented by the authorizer. Material amendment require approval of the authorizer and the charter operator's go…

The authorizer may also initiate contract amendments. All material contract amendments initiated by the Board must also be approved by the charter operator's governing board. Any change in the authorizer board's policy or regulations constitute a non-material amendment. Notes 10 …

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board shall issue a charter school performance report and charter renewal application guidance to a charter school whose charter will expire the following year. These documents provide both the authorizer and the charter school the time t…

A charter may be renewed for successive five-year terms of duration. The authorizer may grant renewal with specific conditions for necessary improvements to a charter school and may lessen the renewal term based on the performance, demonstrated capacities and particular circumsta…

Before September 30, the authorizer shall issue a charter school performance report and charter renewal application guidance to any charter school whose charter will expire the following year. A. The performance report must summarize the charter school's performance record to dat…

In making each charter renewal decision, the authorizer must: (A) Ground its decision in evidence of the school's performance over the term of the charter contract in accordance with the performance framework set forth in the charter contract; (B) Ensure that data used in making …

A charter contract must be revoked at any time or not renewed if the authorizer determines that the charter school has done any of the following or otherwise failed to comply with the provisions of this chapter: (A) Committed a material and substantial violation of any of the ter…

The authorizer shall develop revocation and nonrenewal processes that: (A) Provide the governing board of a charter school with a timely notification of the prospect of revocation or nonrenewal and of the reasons for such possible closure; (B) Allow the governing board a reasonab…

Notwitstanding any provision to the contrary, the authorizer may not renew the charter of any charter school that, during the school's final operating year under the term of the charter contract, is designated an "F" school under the school accreditation rating system. Notes 10 M…

Charter School Renewal Application and Guidance. The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board (hereinafter "MCSAB") is tasked with approving, overseeing, and holding charter schools accountable. One of its most important functions in fulfilling this mission is to conduct a cha…

A charter school may close for a variety of reasons including, for example, voluntary relinquishment of a charter, charter revocation, or nonrenewal of a charter by the authorizing authority. A charter school closure is governed by applicable laws and regulations, and appropriate…

Before implementing a charter school closure decision, the authorizer must develop a charter school closure protocol to ensure timely notification to parents, orderly transition of students and student records to new schools, and proper disposition of school funds, property and a…

If a charter school closes, all unspent government funds, unspent earnings from those funds and assets purchased with government funds must revert to the local school district in which the charter school is located. Unless otherwise provided for in the charter or a debt instrumen…

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board (MCSAB or Board) has the responsibility of making sure charter schools provide an excellent education for Mississippi public school students. The Board also acknowledges that charter schools need independence in order to develop and…

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board ("MCSAB" or "Board") has the responsibility of making sure charter schools provide quality public education to Mississippi's school children. Part of the equation for all charter schools is proper organizational management. As more …

The Organizational Performance section of the MCSAB Performance Framework, Indicator 6 (a): School Board Governance Requirements evaluates whether a school is complying with school board governance obligations. In order to fulfill their obligation under the Mississippi Charter Sc…

MCSAB staff will evaluate meetings held by each charter school's governing board as often as is necessary to ensure compliance. Notes 10 Miss. Code. R. 414-2.2 Miss. Code Ann. § 37-28-9 and 10 Miss. Admin Code Part 410. Adopted 7/18/2024

This checklist will be used as a tool for MCSAB staff to evaluate school governing board meetings. Board Meeting Observation Checklist Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board School: __________________________ Reviewer: ________________________ Date of Meeting: ______________…

Any charter school may accept any funding through the State of Mississippi and/or the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) to fund a pre-kindergarten program. This includes any State-Invested Pre-K (SIP) programs, any Early Learning Collaborative (ELC) programs, and any othe…

Any charter school awarded funding for a pre-kindergarten program shall amend their charter contract to include the pre-kindergarten program on the school's Grade Level Enrollment Projection Table prior to expending any funds. If the availability of pre-kindergarten funding cease…

Any charter school awarded funding for a pre-kindergarten program that does not have pre-kindergarten as part of their current contract terms or as part of the original school model in the school's application is not required to submit an expansion application under 10 Mississipp…

MCSAB may enter into written agreements with MDE to provide for funding, oversight, monitoring, and data-sharing for any charter school pre-kindergarten programs. Notes 10 Miss. Code. R. 429-1.4 Miss. Code Ann. Section 37-28-9 and 59(2). Adopted 4/11/2024

The SLDS Governing Board was established effective July 1, 2013 through Mississippi Code Annotated § 37-154-1 and 37-154-3. Notes 10 Miss. Code. R. 501-1.1 Miss. Code Ann. § 37-154-3 Amended 9/3/2021

Miss. Code Ann. § 37-154-3 provides for the SLDS Governing Board to be composed of a representative designated from each agency or entity providing data to the system, and others as determined by the Board, in accordance with Board Rules and Regulations. The Chair of the SLDS Gov…

The Research Review and Standards Committee (RRSC) has the responsibility to recommend to the SLDS Governing Board a process for reviewing and evaluating data security and reporting methodology standards on an annual basis and for reviewing and authorizing ad hoc requests and rep…

These public records rules are promulgated by the SLDS Governing Board in compliance with the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1, et seq., except as noted in 3-3.2-D of these regulations. "It is the policy of the Legislature that public records must…

Any person wishing to request access to public records of the SLDS Governing Board, or seeking assistance in making such a request should make the request in writing to the third-party contractor. Information is also available on the LifeTracks website at www.lifetracks.ms.gov. N…

Any person wishing to request access to public records of the SLDS Governing Board is encouraged to view the documents available on the LifeTracks website prior to submitting a records request. Meeting minutes shall be posted on Lifetracks. A. Any person wishing to inspect or cop…

The SLDS Governing Board acknowledges that "providing access to public records is a duty" and that "any person shall have the right to inspect, copy or mechanically reproduce or obtain a reproduction of any public record" in accordance with these rules (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 …

With the consent of the requestor, the SLDS Governing Board may provide customized access if the record is not reasonably locatable or not reasonably translatable into the format requested. The SLDS Governing Board may charge the actual cost for such customized access. Notes 10 M…

The Public Records Act, as well as other statues and court decisions, provide that a number of types of documents are exempt from public inspection and copying. In addition, other statutes or rules of law, such as various privacy restrictions, may prohibit disclosure. Requestors …