College and Career Readiness Planning Program; create.

HB 161 would require Mississippi public schools to administer the EXPLORE assessment to all 8th graders and the PLAN or PSAT to all 10th graders starting in the 2027-2028 school year. The bill aims to improve college readiness by using these assessments to guide students' course selection, career planning, and academic support before they enter college. Schools must integrate assessment results into college and career planning by 2028-2029, with the goal of reducing remedial coursework and lowering college costs. The State Department of Education would track data on implementation and report annually to legislative committees.