College and Career Readiness Planning Program; create.

HB 313 creates Mississippi's College and Career Readiness Planning Program, requiring all public middle and high schools to administer standardized assessments to specific grade levels. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, eighth graders must take the EXPLORE assessment and tenth graders must take either the PLAN or PSAT. Schools must use these results to guide students' course selection, academic planning, and college readiness skills development, with full integration into student planning by 2027-2028. The program aims to reduce college remediation needs, lower educational costs, and shorten degree completion time by improving high school preparation, with annual reports to education committees on its effectiveness.