MS HB914

Establishes goal of decreasing high school dropout rate and increasing graduation rate to 85% by the 2018-2019 school year through the Office of Dropout Prevention within the State Department of Education.

Requires high priority and priority local educational agencies to conduct practices assessments and adopt student graduation and completion plans with specific components addressing attendance, risk factors, discipline, and re-engagement strategies.

Mandates all local educational agencies notify parents when students drop out of school and provide information about educational alternatives for student re-engagement.

Creates the Student Re-engagement Grant Program Fund to provide grants to local educational agencies for educational services and supports to maintain student engagement and support re-engagement in high school.

Requires annual reports to the Legislature analyzing student data on dropout rates, graduation rates, and effectiveness of dropout prevention strategies, with identification of high-performing and underperforming school districts.