Afternoon Announcements: Mississippi Looks for Alternative Routes to a High School Diploma

High school students in Mississippi would have opportunities to replace low test scores that could prevent them from graduating. The state’s Department of Education has laid out several plans to help seniors receive their diplomas. WLOX 13

Achievement gaps among American Indian students and non-Indian students in reading and mathematics at fourth and eighth grades in South Dakota continue to persist. There was a 42 percent difference in graduation rates between the groups in 2012. Capital Journal

Foster child Kaleef Starks is a 4.0 student at the University of California-Los Angeles, but his road to get there was filled with heartache and struggles. Two-thirds of foster children never go to college and very few graduate. The New York Times

Long gone are the days of setting parent-teacher meetings week in advance and working around busy schedules. School districts around Washington, DC are creating mobile apps to make it easier for parents to check in on things like school lunch menus, connect with teachers, and check their child’s test scores. The Washington Post