For courses to be approved for use as online classes, local school districts must apply to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) for approval to ensure the vendor/provider’s content, curriculum, and assessments are aligned to Mississippi’s course standards and the vendor/provider’s teachers are certified Mississippi teachers.
The deadline to submit applications for distance or online courses to be approved for the 2024-2025 school year is September 1, 2023.
Application Process
Vendors/Providers of online classes may NOT submit applications directly to the MDE. The local school district will submit applications after review.
School districts must complete an initial review of courses being proposed for use as distance and online courses. A district may work with other districts to submit a Mississippi Online Course Approval (MOCA) when multiple districts plan to offer courses provided by the same vendor. A district online course review team must be comprised of a minimum of three (3) reviewers, to include at least two (2) district content specialists (classroom teachers, curriculum specialists) and one district (1) technology specialist to complete the review.
The MOCA shall include three (3) components:
(1) the Application Cover and Signed Assurances,
(2) the Online Course Review Rubric, and
(3) the Online Course Alignment Crosswalk.
Completed MOCAs will be submitted electronically for final review and approval by the Mississippi Department of Education in accordance with timelines established in the MOCA District Guidance. The completed application, including the three required files, must be submitted via a single email to onlinecourses@mdek12.org. For comprehensive guidance and application materials, please see the MOCA District Guidance and related application resources.