The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Mississippi creates Moving Mathematics in Mississippi Program to mandate K-5 math screening and coaching statewide
Last action · February 3, 2026: 02/03 (H) Died In CommitteeSponsor: Kent McCarty
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1254 establishes the Mississippi Math Act and the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3) program beginning July 1, 2026, requiring participating school districts to administer math screeners three times annually, create Individualized Math Plans for students performing below benchmark, and establish an .
Participating school districts must deploy specialized mathematics coaches, implement mandatory kindergarten through Grade 5 diagnostic screening three times per school year, and draft formal Individualized Math Plans for students identified at risk of falling behind.
- Representative McCarty introduced House Bill 1254 during the 2026 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
students in kindergarten through Grade 12
Students undergo mandatory multi-annual math screeners and receive targeted interventions or Individualized Math Plans based on their scores.
participating school districts
Districts must enter into memoranda of understanding, administer periodic math screeners, deploy coaches, and implement Individualized Math Plans.
mathematics instructional coaches
Coaches are employed or contracted by the department or districts to provide on-site coaching cycles, professional learning facilitation, and classroom walkthroughs.
Key Facts
- The act establishes the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi (M3) program within the State Department of Education to deploy math coaches and implement K-5 diagnostic screenings.
- Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, participating school districts must administer a kindergarten through Grade 5 mathematics screener at least three times annually.
- Schools must develop and implement Individualized Math Plans (IMPs) for every student identified by screeners as at-risk, and share these plans with parents or guardians in parent-centered language.
- The Department of Education must publish an Algebra Readiness Indicator scale score for the Grade 5 Statewide Mathematics Assessment no later than December 1, 2026, to guide middle school placement and supports.
Show all 7 facts
- The legislation creates the Moving Mathematics in Mississippi Fund in the State Treasury, consisting of legislative appropriations, grants, and gifts, to finance coaching personnel, screener licensing, and professional development.
- Unexpended funds in the special fund as of June 30, 2027, are reappropriated and authorized for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2028 without lapsing into the State General Fund.
- All student-level data collected under the act must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and applicable state laws, prohibiting the public release of individual student records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What testing requirements do participating districts face under the bill?
What happens if a student scores below benchmark on the math screener?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 3, 2026House02/03 (H) Died In Committee
- Jan 19, 2026HouseCommittee01/19 (H) Referred To Education;Appropriations A
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Universal Math Screening
The legislation introduces mandatory K-5 math screening three times a year, mirroring early literacy screening structures.
Connected Entities
Sources
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools