MICHIGAN MERIT EXAM S.B. 1155 (S-2): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 1155 (Substitute S-2 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Senator Ron Jelinek
Committee: Education
CONTENT
The bill would amend the State School Aid Act to replace the 11th grade MEAP test with a new Michigan Merit Examination if it were approved for use by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). The bill would do the following:
-- Provide that in order to receive State aid under the Act, in the 2005-2006 school year, school districts statewide would have to administer the MEAP test to all 11th grade pupils, and the Michigan Merit Exam would have to be given to a sample of 11th grade pupils, as determined by the Michigan Department of Education.
-- Require the Michigan Merit Exam to be given to all 11th graders beginning in the 2006-2007 school year unless the USDOE had not approved its use for purposes of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act.
-- Require school districts to continue administering the MEAP test to 11th grade pupils until the USDOE approved the Michigan Merit Exam.
-- Require the MEAP test to be given during the last 90 school days, rather than the last 30 school days, of grade 11.
-- Require the Department of Management and Budget (DMB) to contract with one or more providers to develop, supply, and score the Michigan Merit Exam.
-- Require a school district or public school academy operating a high school to include on a pupil's high school transcript the pupil's scaled score on each subject area component of the Merit Exam, as well as the number of days the pupil attended high school.
-- Require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure that the Merit Exam was scored and scores were returned to pupils, parents, and schools by the beginning of the pupils' first semester of 12th grade.
-- Require the Superintendent to ensure that schools did not have to set aside more than eight hours for administering all components of the Merit Exam.
-- Allow a student in a nonpublic school or home school to take the Merit Exam as provided in the bill.
The bill is tie-barred to Senate Bills 1153, 1154, 1156, and 1157.
MCL 380.1278 et al. Legislative Analyst: Suzanne Lowe
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would require districts to administer the Michigan Merit Examination if it were approved to replace the MEAP high school test, in order to receive any State aid payments appropriated in the State School Aid Act. If a district chose not to administer this test, it would not be awarded State aid under this Act.
Date Completed: 11-9-04 Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers-Coty
floor\sb1155 Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb1155/0304