This information was produced by the staff of the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development (B-BC) at the University of Iowa (belinblank.org). The resources and information listed here are for informational purposes; there is no direct or implied endorsement by the B-BC. Services provided by the B-BC include programs for academically talented K-12 and college students, professional development for teachers, the Assessment and Counseling Clinic, the Acceleration Institute (accelerationinstitute.org), and graduate programs and research in gifted education.

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State Policies in Mississippi  

Mississippi does not have a state acceleration policy. LEA's make acceleration decisions.

Grade-based Acceleration

Early entrance to kindergartenState policy does not permit early entrance to kindergarten. Students must be five years old on or before September 1 to enroll in kindergarten. See the Kindergarten Guidelines for more information.
Early entrance to 1st gradeInformation on 1st grade entrance is also included in the Kindergarten Guidelines. Students must be 6 years old on or before September 1 to enroll in 1st grade, and the only exception is if a student was previously enrolled in 1st grade in another state.
Whole-grade accelerationInformation about Mississippi's Gifted Programs can be found here. 
Early high school graduationStudents in Mississippi can follow several pathways to graduation, Graduation Options
Early entrance to collegeInformation about early college programs, such as East Mississippi College, and other Schools of Innovation can be found here.

Content-based Acceleration

Dual or concurrent enrollment in community college, college, or universityState policy specifically permits Dual Enrollment in high school and college for students beginning in grade 9, and allows students to receive high school credit for college courses.
Middle school students permitted dual or concurrent enrollment in high school

State policy leaves LEA to determine whether dual enrollment in middle and high school is permitted.
Advanced Placement®State policy permit Advanced Placement
Talent SearchIf you know where to find this information, please e-mail us. 
Credit by examination/proficiency-based promotion

No state policy; up to LEA to determine whether proficiency-based promotion is allowed.
Other forms of content-based acceleration

Typically left to LEAs to determine. If you know of state-level code, please e-mail us.

Additional Information

Mississippi Department of Education Gifted
Mississippi Department of Education
Mississippi Association for Gifted Children



The information presented on this page was compiled from a variety of resources, including the State of the States in Gifted Education 2020-2021 (a report by the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted and the National Association for Gifted Children), Websites, professional literature, and personal communication. The Acceleration Institute has not verified the accuracy of this information and does not warrant its accuracy or fitness of use for any purpose. Users should verify information prior to taking any action. Furthermore, the appearance of selected programs and/or resources does not imply an endorsement or affiliation. Programs and resources are highlighted for informational purposes only.