MS HB1415

Clarifies the State Department of Education's method for calculating allocations to school districts under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), including changes to how average daily attendance and base student costs are determined.

Revises the at-risk student adjustment from a formula based on federal free lunch participation to a weighted formula that the State Board of Education must develop and adopt by September 1, 2014.

Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules establishing an auditable and weighted at-risk funding formula based on criteria including TANF/public assistance data, juvenile arrests, teen pregnancies, graduation/dropout rates, English language learners, grade retention, standardized test performance, and census data.

Requires school districts receiving at-risk funds to identify and track at-risk students, target expenditures toward effective programs serving them, and account for all at-risk spending with emphasis on student achievement outcomes.

Requires the State Department of Education to submit annual reports to the Legislature on at-risk program spending, number of students served, district programs, and student achievement results.