Mississippi Ed Talk Podcast Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit

In November’s episode, we speak with a principal who implemented holistic improvements to elevate her school’s state accountability rating. For more information about Mississippi’s school accountability grading system, visit mdek12.org/OCGR/mact.

This month, we sit down the state and national leaders of the Education Policy Fellowship Program. Fellows of this nine-month program concentrate on three major topics: public policy, leadership, and professional networking. Fellows remain in their full-time positions and use their environment as the context for examining important leadership and policy issues in Mississippi. To find out more about EPFP, visit rcu.msstate.edu/EPFP.

Each summer, hundreds of career and technical education instructors and administrators come together in person and online to receive additional training. These educators represent a wide swath of teachers, ranging from veterans needing continuing education units to first-time teachers entering the classroom. In this episode, we interview Research and Curriculum Unit training leaders to learn about the process for preparing these courses and trainings, and the benefits these programs bring to participants. To find out more about online and in-person professional learning opportunities, visit rcu.msstate.edu/PL.

In this episode, we talk with James Brownlow, Hattiesburg’s polymer science instructor, and several of his students to learn about the Science Saturdays for Young Einsteins program. We also hear from the RCU’s own Kenny Langley for an overview of polymer science. In our Research Minute, Jailaih Gowdy shares how schools are implementing character education and the research behind this growing trend.

Career academies continue to grow across the magnolia state, and one district has achieved national recognition for its academies. The first district to achieve this status in Mississippi, Madison now has model academies in engineering and health sciences. In this episode, we interview district and school leaders to learn about the process for achieving model status and the benefits this designation brings to students.