A bill revising licensure requirements has cleared the Mississippi Senate unanimously, paving the way for hundreds of students to become trained as teachers.

Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann announced that Senate Bill 2511 would allow college students to enter a School of Education if they have achieved a 21 ACT score, OR a 3.0 grade point average on pre-major coursework, OR a passing score on the Praxis Core, the test traditionally used in teacher certification programs.

The law currently requires a 21 ACT score AND a 2.75 grade point average in content coursework.

“More than 50 of our school districts are facing a critical shortage in teachers this year. Many of our other districts face shortages in specific subject areas like special education and math,” Hosemann said. “This bill will open up the pipeline of teachers flowing through our universities and colleges to help address this dire situation. I am grateful for Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar’s commitment to this issue.”

All of the Schools of Education in Mississippi’s private and public universities and colleges across the State support the change, citing the 21 ACT requirement as an obstacle blocking more than 350 students from becoming teachers.

Click here to track Senate Bill 2511.