The State Board of Education recognized East Central Upper Elementary School on Aug. 21 for earning the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) RAMP designation, making it the only school in Mississippi at the time to receive that recognition, board members were told.

Miss Cook opened the recognition and invited principal Donna Knight, Superintendent David Baggett and Doctor Kimberly Williams, Jackson County27s director of student services and federal programs, to speak. Superintendent Baggett described a two-year district effort to align school counseling with the ASCA national model and the district27s plan to pursue RAMP designation for all 13 Jackson County schools within two to three years.

"Once our people started seeing and understand not only socially and emotionally how it impacted our kids, but also academically the outcomes that we were getting because it's about looking at the data and making sure you're getting resources where you need them," Baggett said.

Doctor Kimberly Williams credited training and ASCA coaches for shifting counseling practice to a data-driven model. Principal Donna Knight highlighted the effect on students' academic and social-emotional needs and said the counseling data helped inform instructional and leadership decisions at the school.

Why it matters: ASCA RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) designation signals that a school27s counseling program aligns with a national model for delivering data-informed services to students. Superintendent Baggett urged other districts to consider the model, saying it improved both social-emotional and academic outcomes.

Outcome: ceremonial recognition; no formal board action required.