Below is a press release from the Mississippi Joint Legislative PEER Committee:
The PEER Committee recently released its issue brief titled A Review of the Mississippi Board of Barber Examiners.
Some of the Committee’s major findings include:
- Mississippi has more restrictive prerequisites to qualify for barber licensure testing than 40 states.
The new universal licensing law has resulted in a competitive disadvantage for Mississippi residents. Further, age and education requirements defined in the Board’s Rules and Regulations conflict with those required by statute.
- The Board’s examination practices are not effective in evaluating a candidate’s preparedness for licensure.
The Board’s state laws exam lacks content validity, as six of the ten total questions do not ask valid, job-related questions. The Board’s examination practices may also hinder accessibility for some licensure candidates. Additionally, the Board lacks detailed scoring criteria for the practical exam, and Board members do not receive training on administration of the exam.
- In FY 2022, 39% of candidates’ attempts to pass the required licensure exams resulted in grades sufficient for licensure.
The Board does not compile or share the data required to evaluate student success trends and lacks regulations to address underperforming schools. This limits transparency and inhibits a school’s ability to assess its own performance.
- In FY 2022, the Board’s inspectors only conducted 191 inspections of the 2,134 barber shops and schools licensed by the Board.
Additionally, the Board lacks a uniform process for conducting inspections and imposing fines for violations.
- Until August 2022, Barber Board members were unaware that the owner of the barber school Trendsetters had been convicted of fraud despite the fact that the Board’s chief inspector testified in court about the case in 2021.
Upon learning about the case, the Board did not immediately take action to revoke the licenses of the school and its owner. The Board’s delayed action suggests a significant deficiency in the Board’s enforcement capabilities and actions.
Should you have questions about the report, please contact James F. (Ted) Booth, PEER Executive Director, at 601-359-1226.
You can read the full report here.
