Managerial planning and coordination, the requirement of accountability of the educational system to the people, and the collection of meaningful data for the purposes of management and review were found to be three issues which face state supported education in Mississippi and were the concern of this report. The report also discussed issues noted in previous PEER reports on education. (See report numbers 15, 23, and 26, pages 5, 8, and 9, respectively.)
Within the educational system in Mississippi, various segments have worked in relative isolation from each other. Informal consultation did occur, but statewide planning was practically nonexistent. The result was the overlapping of programs and the inefficient utilization of resources. This lack of meaningful planning should be corrected at the governance level. The absence of statewide goals and objectives in turn had deprived the people of Mississippi of standards with which the system may be evaluated. In addition, relevant data for the purposes of management and review was unavailable in standardized form.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.