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Mississippi
137,511 high school students

State Profile
As states work to raise their academic standards, several national high school reform initiatives are assisting them in their efforts to strengthen their high schools so that they provide students with a 21st century education and skills.

Through the profile provided here, the National High School Center offers (a) a snapshot of the state’s graduation requirements and college entrance requirements (see table below) and (b) summaries of national reform initiatives active in the state (see list below table).

High School and College Alignment in the State
The following table shows the state’s alignment between high school graduation requirements and minimum state college entrance requirements, providing a quick source for determining whether there is a gap between what students must know to graduate and what they are expected to have mastered in order to enter college.

  High School Graduation Requirements* College Admission Requirements**

English Units

4

4

 

English I, II, III, IV

all w/ substantial communication skills components

Mathematics Units

4

3

 

Algebra I

Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry

Social Studies Units

4

3

 

4 - World History (1), U.S. History (1)
Geography (.5), U.S. Government (.5), Economics (.5), Mississippi Studies (.5)

World History with geography (1), U.S. History (1), U.S. Government (.5), Economics (.5) or Geography (.5)

Science Units

4

3

 

Biology I, lab-based physical science (1)

2 w/lab

Foreign Language Units

N/S

N/S

Art Units

1

N/S

Additional Units

Health (Comprehensive Health or Family & Individual Health)– .5
Business & Tech. (including 0.5 Computer Applications, 0.5 Keyboarding or 1.0 Computer Discovery)– 1
Electives – 5.5

Computer Applications – .5
Advanced Electives (including Foreign Language Units, World Geography, 4th year lab science, or 4th year Math. 1 unit must be foreign language or World Geography) – 2

Total Units

24

15.5

Tests

MS Subject area testing program (SATP)

ACT or SAT

Source

Mississippi Department of Education

Mississippi State University

* Requirements for those graduating 2011-2012 or later.
** Admissions requirements for Mississippi State University.

National High School Improvement Initiatives at Work in the State
As states work to ready high school students for postsecondary success, many are partnering with national organizations to undertake high school improvement efforts. The following list includes national improvement initiatives at work in the state. National initiatives are defined as significant programs, projects, technical assistance, or key information clearinghouses dedicated to high school improvement. For information about and related to research on these initiatives, please click on the name of the initiative to link to a synthesis:

Mississippi State High School Improvement Initiatives
For information on high school improvement initiatives launched at the state level visit the
Mississippi Department of Education.

Mississippi ARRA Information
For information on Mississippi's ARRA efforts as it relates to education, please visit the state Web page.