"African-American Male Success Academy"; require the SDE to establish to cultivate diversity of social skills and academic success.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 194

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, IN 1
CONJUNCTION WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF 2
HIGHER LEARNING AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO ESTABLISH 3
AND IMPLEMENT THE "AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE SUCCESS ACADEMY" FOR 4
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 8; TO PROVIDE 5
THAT THE ACADEMY SHALL ASSIST PRACTITIONERS, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL 6
LEADERS TO RECOGNIZE TO UNDERSTAND AND CULTIVATE THE DIVERSITY OF 7
SOCIAL SKILLS AND SCHOOL SUCCESS OF YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE 8
STUDENTS IN THE EARLY GRADES THROUGH A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND 9
STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION; TO REQUIRE THE ACADEMY TO 10
BE STRUCTURED AS A ONE SEMESTER COURSE OF INSTRUCTION THAT IS AGE 11
AND GRADE APPROPRIATE FOR PARTICIPATING STUDENTS IN THE APPLICABLE 12
GRADES; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONAL COMPONENTS REQUIRED 13
TO BE TAUGHT IN THE ACADEMY; TO REQUIRE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS TO 14
COMPLETE A SERIES OF TASKS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THEIR ACADEMIC AND 15
SOCIAL ABILITIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 16
WHEREAS, studies have shown that youth imprisonment 17
correlates to a host of negative consequences both while 18
incarcerated and after incarceration as they eventually attempt to 19
reenter society; and 20
WHEREAS, since fiscal year 2007, African-American youths have 21
accounted for nearly 85% of all youth prison admissions in 22
Mississippi, a racial disparity that continues to persist despite 23
the decline of prison admissions for people under age 18; and 24
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WHEREAS, according to November 2021 data from the Mississippi 25
Department of Corrections (MDOC), 1,181 people incarcerated in 26
Mississippi prisons were arrested and detained before age 18, 27
which represents roughly 1 out of every 14 incarcerations; and 28
WHEREAS, the average sentence for youth MDOC admissions over 29
the last five fiscal years is 8.6 years, with various kinds of 30
burglary as the most common offense; and 31
WHEREAS, in addition to the inappropriateness of juvenile 32
long-term sentencing, the state must also account for the 33
financial cost of extended incarceration, averaging a daily cost 34
of $50.63 which, in annual totality of $18,480.00, exceeds the 35
annual in-state tuition cost at Ole Miss and Mississippi State 36
University combined, which is estimated at $18,044.00; and 37
WHEREAS, incarcerating youth has been proven to have many 38
consequences, including an increased likelihood of recidivism 39
after release, exacerbation of mental illnesses, and less success 40
with educational achievement and gainful employment; and 41
WHEREAS, youth incarcerated in adult prisons are twice as 42
likely to be beaten by prison staff, five times more likely to be 43
sexually assaulted and 36 times more likely to attempt suicide 44
compared to youths detained in more age-appropriate environments; 45
and 46
WHEREAS, the 68 people in Mississippi who were arrested as 47
juveniles and have served at least 20 years in prison costs the 48
state in excess of $1.2 million each year of incarcerating, which 49
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such costs could be realized as savings to be reinvested into 50
anti-recidivism efforts such as job training, educational courses 51
and support counseling if the state acted to expand parole 52
eligibility for this small portion of the prison population; and 53
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Mississippi Legislature to 54
promote successful educational, civic and quality of life outcomes 55
for its citizens, regardless of ethnicity or gender, by 56
recognizing and taking the necessary steps to make sound policy 57
decisions to eradicate the grave disparities that exist within 58
health, educational, correctional and judicial systems: NOW, 59
THEREFORE, 60
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 61
SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, 62
the State Department of Education, in conjunction with the Board 63
of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the 64
Department of Human Services shall establish and implement a 65
program known as the "African-American Male Success Academy" for 66
public school students in kindergarten through Grade 8. In 67
addition to assisting practitioners, teachers and school leaders 68
to recognize, understand, and cultivate the diversity of social 69
skills and school success of young African-American male students 70
in the early grades, the academy shall illustrate, through a 71
culturally responsive and strengths-based approach to instruction, 72
what is lost when this demographic of students is prevented from 73
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free participation in boyhood without the demands placed upon them 74
to attend to adult and peer interactions and attitudes. 75
(2) The academy established under subsection (1) of this 76
section shall be structured for one (1) semester of instruction 77
that is age and grade appropriate for students in kindergarten 78
through Grade 8. The lecture-based portions of instruction in the 79
academy must be conducted by culturally competent instructors with 80
adequate certification in cognitive and social-emotional 81
development and behaviors who are licensed by the State Department 82
of Education or who teach those subject areas at the collegiate 83
level. 84
(3) The African-American Male Success Academy must include, 85
but not be limited to, the following instructional components: 86
(a) An orientation, which the parents are encouraged to 87
attend; 88
(b) Classes in social studies that affirm the 89
experiences of adolescent African-American males, which 90
incorporate books, visuals and other materials that reflect the 91
richness of the histories, lives and points of view of 92
African-American men and their contributions to shaping social 93
change through their advocacy and personal sacrifices made for the 94
causes of social justice and equity; 95
(c) African-American literature and artistic 96
expression; 97
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(d) Instructional interaction with authority figures in 98
the home, school and community, including: 99
(i) Caregivers; 100
(ii) Educators; 101
(iii) School administrators; 102
(iv) Law enforcement officers; and 103
(v) First responders; 104
(e) Presentations from community partners; 105
(f) Access to mental health professional for 106
evaluations and assistance in response to traumatic events; 107
(g) Instruction that avoids the effects of unconscious 108
biases by honoring and valuing the cultural and personal 109
identities of all children; 110
(h) Strengths-based approaches to readiness for life, 111
academic and career success; and 112
(i) For students in middle school grades, additional 113
components shall consist of: 114
(i) Facilitation of social interaction with peers 115
and goal orientation to college completion; 116
(ii) Positive youth development grounded in an 117
ethic of care and love; and 118
(iii) Create a pathway to college entrance through 119
early exposure to academic and career options, faculty mentoring 120
and integration into college life. 121
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ST: "African-American Male Success Academy";
require the SDE to establish to cultivate
diversity of social skills and academic success.
(4) Students participating in the academy must complete a 122
series of tasks designed to enhance their ability to overcome 123
traditional barriers to academic achievement, to develop racial 124
pride and self-awareness and develop scholar identity-view of self 125
as intellectual. 126
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 127
and after July 1, 2026. 128