Mississippi Math Act; enact.

S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 1

To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Boyd, Hickman, Williams,
McLendon, McMahan, Blackwell, Blount

SENATE BILL NO. 2242
(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT TO ENACT THE "MISSISSIPPI MATH ACT" ESTABLISHING THE 1
MOVING MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI (M3) PROGRAM WITHIN THE STATE 2
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; TO SET FORTH FINDINGS, PURPOSES, 3
DEFINITIONS AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS; TO AUTHORIZE K-12 MATHEMATICS 4
COACHING AND SUPPORTS, K-5 MATHEMATICS SCREENING AND 5
INTERVENTIONS, AN ALGEBRA-READINESS INDICATOR BASED ON THE GRADE 5 6
STATEWIDE MATHEMATICS ASSESSMENT SCALE SCORE, AND PROFESSIONAL 7
DEVELOPMENT FOR GRADES K-1, 2-6 AND 7-12; TO PROVIDE FOR 8
ADMINISTRATION, RULEMAKING, DATA PROTECTIONS, REPORTING, 9
EVALUATION AND DISTRICT PARTICIPATION; TO CREATE THE MOVING 10
MATHEMATICS IN MISSISSIPPI FUND; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. (1) This act shall be known and may be cited as 13
the "Mississippi Math Act." 14
(2) The Legislature finds that: 15
(a) Early numeracy and fluency with whole-number 16
operations, decimals and fractions are foundational to secondary 17
mathematics; 18
(b) Sustained, job-embedded mathematics coaching 19
improves teacher practice and student outcomes; 20
(c) Systematic screening and targeted interventions in 21
the elementary grades reduce later remediation; and 22
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 2

(d) Ensuring algebra readiness before middle school 23
coursework strengthens the state's workforce pipeline. 24
(3) This act establishes a statewide framework, Moving 25
Mathematics in Mississippi (M3), to: 26
(a) Expand mathematics coaching; 27
(b) Implement Kindergarten through Grade 5 (K-5) 28
mathematics screening with aligned interventions; 29
(c) Establish an Algebra-Readiness Indicator using the 30
Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment scale score; and 31
(d) Provide grade-based professional development 32
aligned to Mississippi's College- and Career-Readiness Standards 33
and assessments. 34
SECTION 2. As used in this act: 35
(a) "Board" means the State Board of Education. 36
(b) "Department" means the State Department of 37
Education. 38
(c) "M3" means the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi 39
Program established in this act. 40
(d) "Coach" means a mathematics instructional coach 41
employed or contracted by the department or a participating school 42
district, trained in the department's coaching model. 43
(e) "High-quality instructional materials" or "HQIMs" 44
means standards-aligned, evidence-based mathematics curricula and 45
assessments approved by the department. 46
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 3

(f) "K–5 Mathematics Screener" means a universal 47
screening system for Kindergarten through Grade 5 addressing 48
grade-appropriate mathematics domains and skill progressions, as 49
determined by the department. 50
(g) "Algebra-Readiness Indicator" or "indicator" means 51
a scale score on the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment 52
established by the department that suggests student readiness for 53
Algebra I and is used to guide supports and placement. 54
(h) "Individualized Math Plan" or "IMP" means a written 55
plan for a student identified by a screener as at risk of not 56
meeting grade-level expectations, and which specifies 57
interventions, progress monitoring and exit criteria. 58
(i) "MIOP" means the Mathematics Instructional 59
Observation Protocol adopted by the department for classroom 60
observation and administrator calibration. 61
(j) "Professional learning community" or "PLC" means 62
educational stakeholders who meet regularly to share expertise, 63
analyze data, plan instruction and collaborate to improve teaching 64
capacity and student performance. 65
SECTION 3. (1) There is created within the department the 66
Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3) Program. 67
(2) In order to administer M3, the department, through the 68
board, may promulgate rules and regulations, enter into contracts, 69
and partner with institutions of higher learning, school districts 70
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 4

and nonprofit entities for implementation, evaluation and 71
professional learning. 72
(3) The department may issue guidance for school district 73
participation, including model schedules, PLC structures, 74
intervention blocks and family engagement resources. 75
SECTION 4. (1) Statewide coaching expansion (Grades K-12). 76
Each district shall place coaches in Grades K-12, with priority in 77
Grades 2 through 6 to provide on-site and virtual coaching cycles, 78
modeling, PLC facilitation, data meetings, administrator 79
walk-throughs using MIOP, and family math resources. Coaching 80
shall be organized by grade band to include elementary (K–6) and 81
secondary (7–12) and may include college- and career-readiness 82
coaches to align mathematics with workforce pathways and statewide 83
assessments. 84
(2) K–5 Mathematics screening and intervention protocol. 85
The department shall develop and adopt a K–5 Mathematics Screener 86
with well-defined scores and skill maps, in order to assist with 87
implementing IMPs for students below benchmark, training teachers 88
and administrators, and implementing periodic progress monitoring. 89
(3) Grade 5 Algebra-Readiness Indicator. The Grade 5 90
Statewide Mathematics Assessment scale score designated by the 91
department shall be used for the Algebra-Readiness Indicator. The 92
district shall develop IMPs for students below the indicator prior 93
to middle school mathematics. The department may develop 94
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 5

crosswalks and training to support intervention pathways based on 95
students' Grade 5 results. 96
(4) Professional development system. The department shall 97
implement ongoing regional training, virtual courses and 98
school-based professional development cycles providing lesson 99
guides, teacher-facing supports and assessment references aligned 100
to HQIMs and effective mathematics teaching practices. 101
SECTION 5. (1) Coaches shall meet qualifications set by the 102
department, including: 103
(a) Demonstrated content knowledge; 104
(b) Training in the department's coaching model; and 105
(c) Experience facilitating adult learning. 106
(2) The department may employ coaches as state personnel or 107
educators-in-residence, or through personal service or 108
professional contracts, and may authorize participating districts 109
to host coaches via agreements with the department. 110
(3) The department shall establish coach playbooks, dosage 111
targets and fidelity expectations, may prioritize placements based 112
on student need, vacancies and regional access, and shall provide 113
administrator calibration using MIOP. 114
SECTION 6. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, 115
participating districts shall administer the K–5 Mathematics 116
Screener at least three (3) times annually on a schedule set by 117
the department. 118
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 6

(2) For each student identified below benchmark, the school 119
district shall develop an IMP specifying evidence-based 120
interventions, frequency and duration, a progress-monitoring 121
schedule, and exit criteria established by the department. The 122
IMP shall be shared with the student's parent or guardian in a 123
timely manner and in parent-centered language, both as established 124
by the department. 125
(3) The department shall provide model IMP templates, 126
intervention menus and progress-monitoring tools, and may provide 127
additional support for students with persistent risk. 128
SECTION 7. (1) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, 129
the department shall designate and publish an Algebra-Readiness 130
Indicator scale score for the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics 131
Assessment under a standard-setting process approved by the board. 132
(2) Districts shall use the indicator to inform placement, 133
acceleration and IMP development for students scoring below the 134
indicator prior to entry into middle-school mathematics. 135
(3) The indicator shall be used as an indicator of 136
readiness, not as a criterion for student promotion or retention. 137
In determining such criteria, districts shall consider multiple 138
measures, consistent with department guidance. 139
(4) The department shall recommend the indicator cut score, 140
ensure alignment to content standards, and establish validity and 141
reliability evidence. The department shall review the indicator 142
at least every three (3) years. Exit criteria for students 143
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 7

receiving interventions informed by the indicator shall be set by 144
the department and may include sustained proficiency on subsequent 145
mathematics assessments. 146
SECTION 8. (1) The department shall invite districts to 147
participate and shall prioritize high-need districts based on 148
achievement gaps, vacancies, rural access and other equity 149
factors, while ensuring regional coverage. 150
(2) The department shall require a memorandum of 151
understanding (MOU) between itself and the district specifying 152
roles, data sharing consistent with federal and state law, 153
coaching schedules, fidelity expectations, and the obligatory use 154
of HQIMs. 155
SECTION 9. (1) All student-level data collected under this 156
act shall be maintained in compliance with the Family Educational 157
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state law. 158
(2) The department may develop a public dashboard with 159
district-level results and implementation indicators. 160
Student-level data shall not be publicly released. 161
SECTION 10. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a 162
special fund to be known as the "Moving Mathematics in Mississippi 163
Fund." The fund shall consist of money appropriated by the 164
Legislature, grants, gifts and other monies as authorized by law. 165
(2) Monies in the fund shall be used by the department 166
solely for the purposes of this act, including, but not limited 167
to: 168
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 8

(a) Personnel or contracts for mathematics coaches; 169
(b) Adoption, licensing or development of the K–5 170
Mathematics Screener and technical work to set, report and 171
maintain the Grade 5 Statewide Assessment Algebra-Readiness 172
Indicator and related data systems; 173
(c) Professional development content and delivery; 174
(d) Regional trainings and travel; 175
(e) Evaluation and reporting; and 176
(f) Program management and operations. 177
(3) Of the monies appropriated in the fund for any fiscal 178
year, any unexpended balances as of June 30 of that fiscal year, 179
not otherwise obligated, shall be reappropriated and authorized 180
for expenditure for the same purposes in the following fiscal 181
year. Such monies shall not lapse into the State General Fund at 182
the end of the fiscal year. The Department of Finance and 183
Administration shall be authorized to carry forward such monies in 184
accordance with Section 27-104-25. 185
SECTION 11. (1) The department may adopt emergency and 186
permanent rules necessary to implement this act, including 187
establishing cut scores, benchmarking windows, intervention 188
guidance and reporting templates. 189
(2) The department shall publish an initial implementation 190
timeline not later than the start of the 2026-2027 school year, 191
including recruitment and placement of coaches, screener 192
procurement, training calendars, and establishment of the Grade 5 193
S. B. No. 2242 *SS08/R184PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R184PS
PAGE 9
ST: Mississippi Math Act; enact.
Statewide Mathematics Assessment Algebra-Readiness Indicator scale 194
score no later than December 1, 2026. 195
SECTION 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from 196
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 197