In the 21st century, Mississippi struggles to meet national assessment standards, and the state has low graduation rates.
The Mississippi Legislature and Board of Education develop policies aimed at building better learning environments and standards in the classroom.
[3] A greater percentage of students were paddled in Mississippi than in any other state, according to government data for the 2011–2012 school year.
In Columbus, Franklin Academy for Boys was opened in 1821 as the first public school in Mississippi for white students.
[7] Mississippi's Constitution of 1868, drafted by a biracial convention[citation needed], was the first legislation to provide for free public education for all children in the state.
Such monies were invested in United States bonds, and the interest collected was allotted to support school systems.
After the war, missionary groups in northern Mississippi helped establish schools to educate African-American youth.
[9] The Constitution of 1868 did not direct integration of the new public school system, in part to gain support to establish it at all.
In 1886, state Superintendent J. R. Preston created a revised education code that slowly raised standards in the classroom.
The council outlined specific qualifications for personnel involved in the screening process: a licensed medical doctor, preferably a pediatrician or general practitioner with expertise in exceptional children; a psychologist holding a doctoral degree, qualified through training and experience in individual testing of children; an educator with elementary school experience, particularly knowledgeable about exceptional children; and a speech therapist with training and experience in speech therapy.
These recommendations reflect the early efforts in Mississippi to improve educational screening and support services for children with exceptional needs.