Hattiesburg Public School District’s Dyslexia Specialist provides Dyslexia therapy and support to students with Dyslexia and/or students that display similar characteristics and tendencies of Dyslexia. Students who receive dyslexia therapy receive small group intervention in an explicit, systematic, multisensory, Orton-Gillingham-based program.

The mission of the Hattiesburg Public Schools REACH Gifted Program is to address the needs of intellectually gifted children. This program serves students in second through sixth grade and provides necessary instructional modifications to increase student skills in Autonomous learning, creative, productive thinking, metacognition, Developing and maintaining healthy, enriching relationships.

These instructional modifications include an environment that allows intellectually gifted children to learn from one another, a curriculum that addresses the unique characteristics and needs of the gifted by balancing cognitive and affective instruction/experiences, and a delivery system that employs multiple instructional strategies to accommodate individual learning differences.

Who Do We Serve?

The REACH Program serves intellectually gifted students in 2nd through 6th grade.

Our Program Goals

• Thinking Skills
• Creativity
• Decision Making Skills
• Communication
• Information Literacy Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills

Program Benefits

• Learners focus on interests, strengths/weaknesses, and develop social-emotional skills. 
• Learners develop communication skills and explore various career options.
• Learners receive more challenging tasks (higher-order thinking skills). 

Referral To Placement Process

1. Referral Form: Students may be referred by a parent, counselor, administrator, teacher, peer, self, or anyone having reason to believe that the student may be intellectually gifted. 
2. Checklist of Giftedness, Creativity, and Leadership. 
3. Local Survey Committee (LSC) determines if a student qualifies to move on to the Assessment Phase.
4. Parental consent for testing. 
5. Assessment Phase: Individual IQ Test Administered.
6. District Team determines if the student meets the criteria to be ruled eligible for the gifted program. 
7. Parental consent for placement. 

Gifted Options

• The REACH Program is offered for eligible students in 2nd-6th grades.
• Advanced Placement Courses offer a more rigorous and
  challenging curriculum for our high school students. Current course offerings include English Literature (11th Grade), English Literature (12th grade), Art: Studio Art, World History, U.S. History. 
• Hattiesburg High School Dual Enrollment Program where Hattiesburg High School students can enroll and earn credits with the following institutions: Pearl River Community College, University of Southern Mississippi, and William Carey University.
• Middle College Program advances Hattiesburg High School students in grades 11-12 through a partnership with Pearl River Community College, where students can simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an Associate's Degree. 

For more information regarding our program, please refer to this document: Identifying Gifted Traits

Gifted Policy Handbook

Gifted Policy

HPS Reach IMP

OUR TEAM

Keonna Howard, Executive Director of Exceptional Children and Health Services 

Email: Keonna.howard@hattiesburgpsd.com  

Tocarra Causey, District Psychometrist

Email: Tocarra.causey@hattiesburgpsd.com

Kim Miller-Andrews, District Psychometrist 

Email: Kim.miller@hattiesburgpsd.com 

Elvira Deyamport, Gifted Department Chair, and Teacher 

Email: Elvira.deyamport@hattiesburgpsd.com 

Schools: Thames, Woodley

Amy Lister, Teacher

Email: Amy.Lister@Hattiesburgpsd.com

Schools: STEAM Academy, Grace Christian

Jerice Williams, Teacher 

Email: Jerice.williams@hattiesburgpsd.com 

Schools: Hawkins and Rowan 

For the 2021-2022 school year, the Hattiesburg Public School District (HPSD) adopts the Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards, Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks and the Career and Technical Education curricula. Consequently, the HPSD adopts all the standards, competencies, and objectives found therein. The Information provided depicts general grade levels and/or subject areas to which these curricula apply for grades PK-12.

For additional information, curriculum and instruction questions, and/or curriculum and instruction and professional development support, contact Hattiesburg Public School District Assistant Superintendent of Academic Programs, Tonsa Vaughn at Tonsa.vaughn@hattiesburgpsd.com.

• Curriculum and Instruction Quick Access  Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LZ6iGDvD4yF5DkCL_Q8sQPeH-frOU81AkBxJYXEYl3I/edit

• HPSD 2021-2022 Literacy Plan 

• HPSD Teacher Induction Academy Guidance Plan 
• HPSD Recruitment and Retention Plan
• Advancement Placement https://www.mdek12.org/secondaryeducation/advancedplacement
• College Board https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses
• Counseling Services https://www.mdek12.org/CTE/OCCSS
• Dyslexia https://www.mdek12.org/OAE/OEER/Dyslexia
• Intervention Services https://www.mdek12.org/OAE/OEER/InterventionServices
• MS College & Career Standards PK-12 https://www.mdek12.org/OAE/college-and-career-readiness-standards

Instructional Management Plan 2021-2022

• HPSD Instructional Management Plan 2021-2022

HPSD Lesson Plan 

• HPSD Lesson Plan

HPSD Cursive Writing Plan 

• HPSD Cursive Writing Plan SY 2021-2022

HPSD Literacy Plan

• HPSD District Literacy Plan (2021-2022)

MDE Resources for Parents

https://www.mdek12.org/OAE/OEER/ResourceParents

MDE English Learners Parent Resources 

https://www.mdek12.org/EL

Elementary Schools in HPS are expected to:

• Differentiate instruction for the learners based on readiness, interest, etc., to prevent learning gaps.

• Teach the appropriate depths of knowledge to prepare students for higher-order thinking.

• Study a concept of backward planning based on the principles of Understanding by Design.

Elementary schools are encouraged to implement a balanced literacy approach to teaching reading and content areas. Where appropriate, science, social studies, and math are integrated into the reading curriculum for building background knowledge and making connections across academic disciplines. Developmental Reading Assessments are used to differentiate the levels of the learners for appropriate instruction in small, guided reading groups. Hands-on mathematics and problem-solving are a daily part of the elementary classrooms to develop confident critical thinkers.

 

Grading Scale

Kindergarten – Grade 5

• A   90-100

• B   80-89

• C   70-79

• D   65-69

• F   64 and below 70 (Very Poor / Failure)

• I    Incomplete

 

Hattiesburg Public Schools has implemented the Multi-Tiered System of Support. As a part of this implementation, a three-tiered instructional model designed to meet the needs of every student co-exists. The model consists of three tiers of instruction.

• Tier 1   Quality classroom instruction based on MS Curriculum Frameworks

• Tier 2   Focused supplemental instruction

• Tier 3   Intensive interventions (both academic and/or behavioral) specifically designed to meet students' individual needs.

Universal screeners and progress monitoring will be utilized to (a) determine if students are making adequate progress, (b) identify students as soon as they begin to fall behind, and (c) modify instruction early enough to ensure every student gains essential skills. Monitoring of student progress is an ongoing process that may be measured through informal classroom assessment, benchmark assessment instruments, and large-scale assessments.

If strategies at Tiers 1 & 2 are unsuccessful, students must be referred to their school’s Teacher Support Team (TST). The TST is a problem-solving unit responsible for interventions developed at Tier 3. Interventions will be:

• Designed to address the deficit areas

• Research-based

• Implemented as designed by the TST

• Supported by data regarding the effectiveness of interventions

After a referral is made, the TST will develop and begin implementation of an intervention(s) within two weeks. No later than four weeks after the implementation of the intervention(s), the TST will conduct a documented review of the intervention(s) to determine the success of the intervention(s). A second review will be conducted eight weeks after the intervention(s) implementation to determine whether the intervention is successful. A third review will be conducted no later than 12 weeks after the intervention(s) performance. Suppose the intervention(s) is determined to be unsuccessful. In that case, the student will be referred to the school’s Local Survey Committee to determine the need for a comprehensive assessment for special education services.

In addition to failure to make adequate progress following Tiers 1 & 2, students will be referred to the TST for interventions if any of the following events occur:

1. Grades 1-3: A student has failed one (1) grade.

2. Grades 4-12: A student has failed two (2) grades.

3. A student failed either of the preceding two grades and has been suspended or expelled for over twenty (20) days in the current school year.

4. A student scores at the Minimal level on any part of the Grade 3 or Grade 7 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program

5. Referrals to the TST must be made within the first twenty (20) school days of a school year if the student meets criteria A-D above.

 

Promotion / Retention

Kindergarten – In accordance with Section 37-13-91, students who attain the age of five (5) years on or before September 1 of the calendar year may attend kindergarten in Hattiesburg Public Schools. The student will advance to grade one when academic skills are met. If the student has not successfully met the criteria to advance to grade one, the student will be placed in kindergarten for an additional year. Students must read on or above Independent DRA Level 3 and master 70% of Language Arts and Mathematics skills* to be promoted to the next grade.

Transfer 5-year-old or 6-year-old students who have not attended an accredited public/private school will be assessed, and appropriate educational placement will be assigned individually. “Section 37-15-33, which governs the testing and assignment of transfer students, states each child is to be assigned to the grade and class in the child's best interest.

 

Hattiesburg Public Schools will consider each child's educational needs and welfare. Considerations will include but will not be limited to:

• Academic level

• Welfare of the child involved

• Welfare and best interest of all pupils attending the school(s) involved

• Health factors

Process for retention of a kindergarten student will be as follows:

1. Review of student’s yearly progress and growth

2. Documentation of parent notification

3. Kindergarten assessment

4. Recommendation of retention to the school principal