SB-1153, As Passed Senate, December 9, 2004
HOUSE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1153
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending sections 1278, 1279, 1279a, 1279c, 1279d, and 1525
(MCL 380.1278, 380.1279, 380.1279a, 380.1279c, 380.1279d, and
380.1525), sections 1278 and 1279c as amended by 1995 PA 289,
sections 1279 and 1279d as amended by 2004 PA 399, section 1279a
as added by 2002 PA 592, and section 1525 as amended by 2003 PA
202, and by adding section 1279g.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 1278. (1) In addition to the requirements for
2 accreditation under section 1280 specified in that section, if
3 the board of a school district wants all of the schools of the
4 school district to be accredited under section 1280, the board
5 shall provide to all pupils attending public school in the
6 district a core academic curriculum in compliance with subsection
1 (3) in each of the curricular areas specified in the state board
2 recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
3 developed under subsection (2). The state board model core
4 academic curriculum content standards shall encompass academic
5 and cognitive instruction only. For purposes of this section,
6 the state board model core academic curriculum content standards
7 shall not include attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are
8 not essential in the legal, economic, and social structure of our
9 society and to the personal and social responsibility of citizens
10 of our society.
11 (2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content
12 standards shall be developed and periodically updated by the
13 state board, shall be in the form of knowledge and skill content
14 standards that are recommended as state standards for adoption by
15 public schools in local curriculum formulation and adoption, and
16 shall be distributed to each school district in the state. The
17 recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
18 shall set forth desired learning objectives in math, science,
19 reading, history, geography, economics, American government, and
20 writing for all children at each stage of schooling and be based
21 upon the "Michigan K-12 program standards of quality" to ensure
22 that high academic standards, academic skills, and academic
23 subject matters are built into the instructional goals of all
24 school districts for all children. The state board also shall
25 ensure that the Michigan educational assessment program and the
26 high school
proficiency exam Michigan merit
examination are
27 based on the state recommended model core curriculum content
1 standards, are testing only for proficiency in basic and advanced
2 academic skills and academic subject matter, and are not used to
3 measure pupils' values or attitudes.
4 (3) The board of each school district, considering academic
5 curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to
6 subsection (2), shall do both of the following:
7 (a) Establish a core academic curriculum for its pupils at
8 the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The core
9 academic curriculum shall define academic objectives to be
10 achieved by all pupils and shall be based upon the school
11 district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil
12 performance objectives. The core academic curriculum may vary
13 from the model core academic curriculum content standards
14 recommended by the state board pursuant to subsection (2).
15 (b) After consulting with teachers and school building
16 administrators, determine the aligned instructional program for
17 delivering the core academic curriculum and identify the courses
18 and programs in which the core academic curriculum will be
19 taught.
20 (4) The board may supplement the core academic curriculum by
21 providing instruction through additional classes and programs.
22 (5) For all pupils, the subjects or courses, and the delivery
23 of those including special assistance, that constitute the
24 curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure the pupils have a
25 realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required
26 by the district's core
academic curriculum. in order to give all
27 pupils a reasonable
opportunity to attain a state-endorsed
1 diploma. A subject or course required by the core academic
2 curriculum pursuant to subsection (3) shall be provided to all
3 pupils in the school district by a school district, a consortium
4 of school districts, or a consortium of 1 or more school
5 districts and 1 or more intermediate school districts.
6 (6) To the extent practicable, the state board may adopt or
7 develop academic objective-oriented high standards for knowledge
8 and life skills, and a recommended core academic curriculum, for
9 special education pupils for whom it may not be realistic or
10 desirable to expect
achievement of novice level or initial
11 mastery of the state board recommended model core academic
12 content standards objectives or of a high school diploma.
13 (7) The state board shall make available to all nonpublic
14 schools in this state, as a resource for their consideration, the
15 model core academic curriculum content standards developed for
16 public schools pursuant to subsection (2) for the purpose of
17 assisting the governing body of a nonpublic school in developing
18 its core academic curriculum.
19 (8) Excluding special education pupils, pupils having a
20 learning disability, and pupils with extenuating circumstances as
21 determined by school officials, a pupil who does not score
22 satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade Michigan educational
23 assessment program reading test shall be provided special
24 assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his
25 or her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.
26 (9) Any course that would have been considered a nonessential
27 elective course under Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 517 (1984), on April 13, 1990 shall continue to be offered to
2 resident pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.
3 Sec. 1279. (1) The
Subject to subsection (13) and section
4 1279g, until the end of the 2005-2006 school year, the board of a
5 school district or board of directors of a public school academy
6 shall administer state assessments to high school pupils in the
7 subject areas of communications
skills English language arts,
8 mathematics, [ science, and
9
10
11 ] social studies. The board shall include on
12 the pupil's high school transcript all of the following:
13 (a) For each high school graduate who has completed a subject
14 area assessment under this section, the pupil's scaled score on
15 the assessment.
16 (b) If the pupil's scaled score on a subject area assessment
17 falls within the range
required under subsection (2) for a
18 category established
under subsection (2) "exceeds
19 expectations", "meets expectations", or "basic", an indication
20 that the pupil has achieved state endorsement for that subject
21 area.
22 (c) The number of school days the pupil was in attendance at
23 school each school year during high school and the total number
24 of school days in session for each of those school years.
25 (2) The department
superintendent of public instruction
26 shall develop scaled scores for reporting subject area assessment
27 results for each of the subject areas under this section.
1 Subject to approval
by the state board, the department The
2 superintendent of public instruction shall establish 3 4
3 categories for each
subject area indicating basic competency,
4 above average, and
outstanding exceeds expectations,
meets
5 expectations, basic, and below basic, and shall establish the
6 scaled score range
required for each category. The department
7 superintendent of public instruction shall design and distribute
8 to school districts, intermediate school districts, public school
9 academies, and nonpublic schools a simple and concise document
10 that describes these categories in each subject area and
11 indicates the scaled score ranges for each category in each
12 subject area. A school district or public school academy may
13 award a high school diploma to a pupil who successfully completes
14 local school district or public school academy requirements
15 established in accordance with state law for high school
16 graduation, regardless of whether the pupil is eligible for any
17 state endorsement.
18 (3) The assessments administered for the purposes of this
19 section shall be administered to pupils during the last 90 school
20 days of grade 11. The department
superintendent of public
21 instruction shall ensure that the assessments are scored and the
22 scores are returned to pupils, their parents or legal guardians,
23 and school districts or public school academies not later than
24 the beginning of the
pupil's first semester of grade 12. The
25 department shall
arrange for those portions of a pupil's
26 assessment that cannot
be scored mechanically to be scored in
27 Michigan by persons
who are Michigan teachers, retired Michigan
1 teachers, or Michigan
school administrators and who have been
2 trained in scoring the
assessments. The returned scores
shall
3 indicate the pupil's scaled score for each subject area
4 assessment, the range of scaled scores for each subject area, and
5 the range of scaled scores required for each category established
6 under subsection (2). In reporting the scores to pupils,
7 parents, and schools, the
department superintendent of public
8 instruction shall provide specific, meaningful, and timely
9 feedback on the pupil's performance on the assessment.
10 (4) Beginning with assessments conducted in the 2005-2006
11 school year, all of the following apply to the assessments under
12 this section:
13 (a) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
14 that any contractor used for scoring the assessment supplies an
15 individual report for each pupil that will identify for the
16 pupil's parents and teachers whether the pupil met expectations
17 or failed to meet expectations for each standard, to allow the
18 pupil's parents and teachers to assess and remedy problems before
19 the pupil moves to the next grade.
20 (b) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
21 that any contractor used for scoring, developing, or processing
22 an assessment instrument meets quality management standards
23 commonly used in the assessment industry, including at least
24 meeting level 2 of the capability maturity model developed by the
25 software engineering institute of Carnegie Mellon university for
26 the 2005-2006 school year assessments and at least meeting level
27 3 of the capability maturity model for subsequent assessments.
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 (c) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
2 that any contract it enters into for scoring, administering, or
3 developing an assessment instrument includes specific deadlines
4 for all steps of the assessment process, including, but not
5 limited to, deadlines for the correct testing materials to be
6 supplied to schools and for the correct results to be returned to
7 schools, and includes penalties for noncompliance with these
8 deadlines.
9 (d) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
10 that the assessment instruments meet all of the following:
11 (i) Are designed to test pupils on grade level content
12 expectations or course content expectations, as appropriate, in
13 all subjects tested.
14 (ii) Comply with requirements of the no child left behind act
15 of 2001, Public Law 107-110.
16 (iii) Are consistent with the code of fair testing practices
17 in education prepared by the joint committee on testing practices
18 of the American psychological association.
[(iv) Are factually accurate. If the superintendent of public instruction determines that a question is not factually accurate and should be removed from an assessment instrument, the state board and the superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the question is removed from the assessment instrument.]
19 (5) (4) For
each pupil who does not achieve state
20 endorsement proficiency in 1 or more subject areas, the
board of
21 the school district or public school academy in which the pupil
22 is enrolled shall provide that there be at least 1 meeting
23 attended by at least the pupil and a member of the school
24 district's or public school academy's staff or a local or
25 intermediate school district consultant who is proficient in the
26 measurement and evaluation of pupils. The school district or
27 public school academy may provide the meeting as a group meeting
1 for pupils in similar circumstances. If the pupil is a minor,
2 the school district or public school academy shall invite and
3 encourage the pupil's parent, legal guardian, or person in loco
4 parentis to attend the meeting and shall mail a notice of the
5 meeting to the pupil's parent, legal guardian, or person in loco
6 parentis. The purpose of this meeting and any subsequent meeting
7 under this subsection shall be to determine an educational
8 program for the pupil designed to have the pupil achieve state
9 endorsement in each subject area in which he or she did not
10 achieve state endorsement. In addition, a school district or
11 public school academy may provide for subsequent meetings with
12 the pupil conducted by a high school counselor or teacher
13 designated by the pupil's high school principal, and shall invite
14 and encourage the pupil's parent, legal guardian, or person in
15 loco parentis to attend the subsequent meetings. The school
16 district or public school academy shall provide special programs
17 for the pupil or develop a program using the educational programs
18 regularly provided by the district unless the board of the school
19 district or public school academy decides otherwise and publishes
20 and explains its decision in a public justification report.
21 (6) (5) A
pupil who wants to repeat an assessment
22 administered under this section may repeat the assessment,
23 without charge to the pupil, in the next school year or after
24 graduation. An individual may repeat an assessment at any time
25 the school district or public school academy administers an
26 applicable assessment instrument or during a retesting period
27 under subsection (7) (8).
1 (7) (6) The
department superintendent of public
2 instruction shall ensure that the length of the assessments used
3 for the purposes of this section and the combined total time
4 necessary to administer
all of the assessments , including
5 social studies, are the shortest possible that will still
6 maintain the degree of reliability and validity of the assessment
7 results determined
necessary by the department superintendent
8 of public instruction.
The department superintendent of public
9 instruction shall ensure that the maximum total combined length
10 of time that schools are required to set aside for administration
11 of all of the assessments used for the purposes of this section
12 , including social
studies, does not exceed 8 hours.
However,
13 this subsection does not limit the amount of time that
14 individuals may have to complete the assessments.
15 (8) (7) The
department superintendent of public
16 instruction shall establish, schedule, and arrange periodic
17 retesting periods throughout the year until the end of the
18 2006-2007 school year for individuals who desire to repeat an
19 assessment under this
section. The department superintendent
20 of public instruction shall coordinate the arrangements for
21 administering the repeat assessments and shall ensure that the
22 retesting is made available at least within each intermediate
23 school district and, to the extent possible, within each school
24 district.
25 (9) (8) A
school district or public school academy shall
26 provide accommodations to a pupil with disabilities for the
27 assessments required under this section, as provided under
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 section 504 of title V of the rehabilitation act of 1973, 29 USC
2 794; subtitle A of title II of the Americans with disabilities
3 act of 1990, 42 USC 12131 to 12134; the individuals with
4 disabilities education act amendments of 1997, Public Law 105-17;
5 and the implementing regulations for those statutes.
6 (10) (9) For
the purposes of this section, the department
7 superintendent of public instruction shall develop or select and
8 approve assessment instruments to measure pupil performance in
9 communications skills
English language arts,
mathematics,
10 [social studies,] and science. [
11
12 ] The
13 assessment instruments
shall be based on the model core academic
14 content standards
objectives under section 1278 grade
level
15 content expectations or course content expectations, as
16 appropriate.
17 (11) (10) All
assessment instruments developed or selected
18 and approved by the state under any statute or rule for a purpose
19 related to K to 12 education shall be objective-oriented and
20 consistent with the
state board model core academic content
21 standards objectives grade level content expectations or course
22 content expectations, as appropriate.
23 (12) (11)
A Until the end of the 2006-2007 school year, a
24 person who has graduated from high school after 1996 and who has
25 not previously taken an assessment under this section may take an
26 assessment used for the purposes of this section, without charge
27 to the person, at the school district from which he or she
1 graduated from high school at any time that school district
2 administers the assessment or during a retesting period scheduled
3 under subsection (7) (8)
and have his or her scaled score on
4 the assessment included on his or her high school transcript. If
5 the person's scaled score on a subject area assessment falls
6 within the range required under subsection (2) for a category
7 established under subsection (2), the school district shall also
8 indicate on the person's high school transcript that the person
9 has achieved state endorsement for that subject area.
10 (13) Until the end of the 2006-2007 school year, a person who
11 has previously taken an assessment under this section may take a
12 retest on the assessment for the purposes of qualifying for a
13 Michigan merit award under the Michigan merit award scholarship
14 act, 1999 PA 94, MCL 390.1451 to 390.1459. The person may take
15 the retest, without charge to the person, at the school district
16 in which he or she is enrolled or resides or, if it is not
17 available in that school district, at another location within the
18 intermediate school district in which he or she resides, at a
19 regular testing time scheduled for the assessment or during a
20 retesting period scheduled under subsection (8).
21 (14) (12) A
child who is a student in a nonpublic school or
22 home school may take an assessment under this section. To take
23 an assessment, a child who is a student in a home school shall
24 contact the school district in which the child resides, and that
25 school district shall administer the assessment, or the child may
26 take the assessment at a nonpublic school if allowed by the
27 nonpublic school. Upon request from a nonpublic school, the
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 department superintendent of public instruction shall
supply
2 assessments and the nonpublic school may administer the
3 assessment. If a school district administers an assessment under
4 this subsection to a child who is not enrolled in the school
5 district, the scores for that child are not considered for any
6 purpose to be scores of a pupil of the school district.
7 (15) (13) The
purpose of the assessment under this section
8 is to assess pupil
performance in mathematics, science, [social
9 studies,] and communication arts for the purpose of improving
10 academic achievement and establishing a statewide standard of
11 competency. The assessment under this section provides a common
12 measure of data that will contribute to the improvement of
13 Michigan schools' curriculum and instruction by encouraging
14 alignment with Michigan's curriculum framework standards. These
15 standards are based upon the expectations of what pupils should
16 know and be able to do by the end of grade 11.
17 (14) The
department shall appoint an 11-member assessment
18 administration
advisory committee to advise the state board on
19 Michigan education
assessment program (MEAP) tests and on the
20 assessments used for
state endorsements under this section. This
21 advisory committee
shall be composed of representatives of school
22 districts,
intermediate school districts, school administrators,
23 teachers, and parents,
with the appointments reflecting the
24 geographic and
population diversity of school districts in this
25 state. The
representatives of school districts and intermediate
26 school districts shall
be persons who are expert in testing or
27 test administration.
This advisory committee shall evaluate
1 these tests and
assessments and make recommendations to the
2 department on issues
related to administration, scoring, and
3 reporting and use of
results of these tests and assessments,
4 including, but not
limited to, length of the tests and
5 assessments; the time
of the testing period during the school
6 year; feedback
provided to pupils, parents, and schools; accurate
7 and relevant reporting
of results to the general public; the
8 selection of a
retesting period and procedures and arrangements
9 for repeating tests or
assessments; local scoring and other
10 general issues
regarding scoring of tests and assessments;
11 categories of scoring
on the MEAP tests and categories of state
12 endorsement under this
section; and professional development for
13 teachers to assist in
preparing pupils to have the necessary
14 skills and knowledge
to succeed on the tests and assessments.
15 (16) (15) As
used in this section:
16 (a) "Communications
skills" "English language arts" means
17 reading and writing.
18 (b) "Social
studies" means geography, United States
19 history, world history, world geography, economics, and American
20 government.
21 Sec. 1279a. If the department
of treasury superintendent
22 of public instruction has reason to suspect that there are
23 irregularities in a school district's or public school academy's
24 administration of, or preparation of pupils for, a Michigan
25 educational assessment program (MEAP) test or the Michigan merit
26 examination, the department
of treasury superintendent of
27 public instruction shall not report the suspected irregularities
1 to any person or entity not involved in the scoring or
2 administration of the test before notifying the school district
3 or public school academy of the suspected irregularities and
4 allowing at least 5 business days for school officials to
5 respond.
6 Sec. 1279c. The state board, the superintendent of public
7 instruction, the board of each school district, and each public
8 school academy shall ensure that the Michigan educational
9 assessment program (MEAP) tests and the Michigan merit
10 examination are not used to measure pupils' values or attitudes.
11 Sec. 1279d. If the department
of treasury, superintendent
12 of public instruction ,
or any other state agency has reason to
13 suspect that there are irregularities in a school district's or
14 public school academy's administration of, or preparation of
15 pupils for, a Michigan educational assessment program (MEAP) test
16 or the Michigan merit examination, the department of treasury,
17 superintendent of public
instruction , or other state agency
18 shall not report the suspected irregularities to any person or
19 entity not involved in the scoring or administration of the test
20 before notifying the school district or public school academy of
21 the suspected irregularities and allowing at least 5 business
22 days for school officials to respond.
23 Sec. 1279g. (1) Beginning in the 2006 calendar year, the
24 board of a school district or board of directors of a public
25 school academy shall comply with this section and shall
26 administer the state assessments under section 1279 or the
27 Michigan merit examination to pupils in grade 11 as provided in
1 this section, as follows:
2 (a) For pupils in grade 11 in the 2005-2006 school year, the
3 provisions concerning state assessments under section 1279 apply
4 to all pupils in grade 11 and the Michigan merit examination
5 shall be administered to a sample of pupils in grade 11
6 statewide, as identified by the department. The pupils to be
7 included in this sample shall be determined by the department as
8 the department determines necessary to seek the approval of the
9 United States department of education to use the Michigan merit
10 examination for the purposes of the federal no child left behind
11 act of 2001, Public Law 107-110.
12 (b) Subject to subdivision (c), for pupils in grade 11 in the
13 2006-2007 school year and subsequent school years, the Michigan
14 merit examination shall be offered to all pupils in grade 11.
15 (c) If the United States department of education has not
16 approved the use of the Michigan merit examination for the
17 purposes of the federal no child left behind act of 2001, Public
18 Law 107-110, by December 31, 2006, all of the following apply:
19 (i) The provisions concerning state assessments under section
20 1279 shall continue to apply to all pupils in grade 11 until the
21 next calendar year that begins after that approval occurs.
22 (ii) The Michigan merit examination shall be offered to all
23 pupils in grade 11 beginning in the next calendar year that
24 begins after that approval occurs.
25 (iii) If it is necessary as part of the process of continuing
26 to seek the approval of the United States department of education
27 to use the Michigan merit examination for the purposes of the
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 federal no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110, the
2 department may again provide for the administration of both the
3 state assessments under section 1279 and the Michigan merit
4 examination to a sample of pupils in grade 11 statewide as
5 described in subdivision (a).
6 (2) The department shall take all steps necessary, including,
7 but not limited to, conducting a content alignment study and
8 statistical analyses, to obtain the approval of the United States
9 department of education to use the Michigan merit examination for
10 the purposes of the federal no child left behind act of 2001,
11 Public Law 107-110, by not later than December 31, 2006 or as
12 soon thereafter as possible.
13 (3) For the purposes of this section, the department of
14 management and budget shall contract with 1 or more providers to
15 develop, supply, and score the Michigan merit examination. The
16 Michigan merit examination shall consist of all of the
17 following:
18 (a) Assessment instruments that measure English language
19 arts, mathematics, reading, and science and are used by colleges
20 and universities in this state for entrance or placement
21 purposes.
22 (b) One or more tests from 1 or more test developers that
23 assess a pupil's ability to apply reading and mathematics skills
24 in a manner that is intended to allow employers to use the
25 results in making employment decisions.
26 [(c) A social studies component.
27 ]
1 (d) Any other component that is necessary to obtain the
2 approval of the United States department of education to use the
3 Michigan merit examination for the purposes of the federal no
4 child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110.
5 (4) In addition to all other requirements of this section,
6 all of the following apply to the Michigan merit examination:
7 (a) The department of management and budget and the
8 superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that any
9 contractor used for scoring the Michigan merit examination
10 supplies an individual report for each pupil that will identify
11 for the pupil's parents and teachers whether the pupil met
12 expectations or failed to meet expectations for each standard, to
13 allow the pupil's parents and teachers to assess and remedy
14 problems before the pupil moves to the next grade.
15 (b) The department of management and budget and the
16 superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that any
17 contractor used for scoring, developing, or processing the
18 Michigan merit examination meets quality management standards
19 commonly used in the assessment industry, including at least
20 meeting level 2 of the capability maturity model developed by the
21 software engineering institute of Carnegie Mellon university for
22 the first year the Michigan merit examination is offered to all
23 grade 11 pupils and at least meeting level 3 of the capability
24 maturity model for subsequent years.
25 (c) The department of management and budget and the
26 superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that any
27 contract for scoring, administering, or developing the Michigan
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 merit examination includes specific deadlines for all steps of
2 the assessment process, including, but not limited to, deadlines
3 for the correct testing materials to be supplied to schools and
4 for the correct results to be returned to schools, and includes
5 penalties for noncompliance with these deadlines.
6 (d) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
7 that the Michigan merit examination meets all of the following:
8 (i) Is designed to test pupils on grade level content
9 expectations or course content expectations, as appropriate, in
10 all subjects tested.
11 (ii) Complies with requirements of the no child left behind
12 act of 2001, Public Law 107-110.
13 (iii) Is consistent with the code of fair testing practices
14 in education prepared by the joint committee on testing practices
15 of the American psychological association.
[(iv) Is factually accurate. If the superintendent of public instruction determines that a question is not factually accurate and should be removed from an assessment instrument, the state board and the superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the question is removed from the assessment instrument.]
16 (5) Beginning with pupils completing grade 11 in 2006, a
17 school district or public school academy that operates a high
18 school shall include on each pupil's high school transcript all
19 of the following:
20 (a) For each high school graduate who has completed the
21 Michigan merit examination under this section, the pupil's scaled
22 score on each subject area component of the Michigan merit
23 examination.
24 (b) The number of school days the pupil was in attendance at
25 school each school year during high school and the total number
26 of school days in session for each of those school years.
27 (6) The superintendent of public instruction shall work with
1 the provider or providers of the Michigan merit examination to
2 produce Michigan merit examination subject area scores for each
3 pupil participating in the Michigan merit examination, including
4 scaling and merging of test items for the different subject area
5 components. The superintendent of public instruction shall
6 design and distribute to school districts, public school
7 academies, intermediate school districts, and nonpublic schools a
8 simple and concise document that describes the scoring for each
9 subject area and indicates the scaled score ranges for each
10 subject area.
11 (7) The Michigan merit examination shall be administered each
12 year after March 1 and before June 1 to pupils in grade 11. The
13 superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the
14 Michigan merit examination is scored and the scores are returned
15 to pupils, their parents or legal guardians, and schools not
16 later than the beginning of the pupil's first semester of grade
17 12. The returned scores shall indicate at least the pupil's
18 scaled score for each subject area component and the range of
19 scaled scores for each subject area. In reporting the scores to
20 pupils, parents, and schools, the superintendent of public
21 instruction shall provide standards-specific, meaningful, and
22 timely feedback on the pupil's performance on the Michigan merit
23 examination.
24 (8) A pupil who does not qualify for a Michigan merit award
25 scholarship under the Michigan merit award scholarship act, 1999
26 PA 94, MCL 390.1451 to 390.1459, and who wants to repeat the
27 Michigan merit examination may repeat the Michigan merit
1 examination in the next school year on a designated testing
2 date. The first time a pupil repeats the Michigan merit
3 examination under this subsection shall be without charge to the
4 pupil, but the pupil is responsible for paying the cost of any
5 subsequent repeat.
6 (9) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure
7 that the length of the Michigan merit examination and the
8 combined total time necessary to administer all of the components
9 of the Michigan merit examination are the shortest possible that
10 will still maintain the degree of reliability and validity of the
11 Michigan merit examination results determined necessary by the
12 superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of
13 public instruction shall ensure that the maximum total combined
14 length of time that schools are required to set aside for
15 administration of all of the components of the Michigan merit
16 examination does not exceed 8 hours.
17 (10) A school district or public school academy shall provide
18 accommodations to a pupil with disabilities for the Michigan
19 merit examination, as provided under section 504 of title V of
20 the rehabilitation act of 1973, 29 USC 794; subtitle A of title
21 II of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990, 42 USC 12131
22 to 12134; the individuals with disabilities education act
23 amendments of 1997, Public Law 105-17; and the implementing
24 regulations for those statutes. The provider or providers of the
25 Michigan merit examination and the superintendent of public
26 instruction shall mutually agree upon the accommodations to be
27 provided under this subsection.
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 (11) To the greatest extent possible, the Michigan merit
2 examination shall be based on grade level content expectations or
3 course content expectations, as appropriate.
4 (12) A child who is a student in a nonpublic school or home
5 school may take the Michigan merit examination under this
6 section. To take the Michigan merit examination, a child who is
7 a student in a home school shall contact the school district in
8 which the child resides, and that school district shall
9 administer the Michigan merit examination, or the child may take
10 the Michigan merit examination at a nonpublic school if allowed
11 by the nonpublic school. Upon request from a nonpublic school,
12 the superintendent of public instruction shall direct the
13 provider or providers to supply the Michigan merit examination to
14 the nonpublic school and the nonpublic school may administer the
15 Michigan merit examination. If a school district administers the
16 Michigan merit examination under this subsection to a child who
17 is not enrolled in the school district, the scores for that child
18 are not considered for any purpose to be scores of a pupil of the
19 school district.
20 (13) In contracting under subsection (3), the department of
21 management and budget shall consider a contractor that provides
22 electronically-scored essays with the ability to score
23 constructed response feedback in multiple languages and provide
24 ongoing instruction and feedback.
25 (14) The purpose of the Michigan merit examination is to
26 assess pupil performance in mathematics, science, [social studies,] and English
27 language arts for the purpose of improving academic achievement
Senate Bill No. 1153 (H-3) as amended December 8, 2004
1 and establishing a statewide standard of competency. The
2 assessment under this section provides a common measure of data
3 that will contribute to the improvement of Michigan schools'
4 curriculum and instruction by encouraging alignment with
5 Michigan's curriculum framework standards and promotes pupil
6 participation in higher level mathematics, science, [social studies,] and English
7 language arts courses. These standards are based upon the
8 expectations of what pupils should learn through high school and
9 are aligned with national standards.
10 (15) As used in this section:
11 (a) "English language arts" means reading and writing.
12 (b) "Social studies" means United States history, world
13 history, world geography, economics, and American government.
14 Sec. 1525. (1) State and federal funds appropriated by the
15 legislature to support professional development and education may
16 be used for the following:
17 (a) Professional development programs for administrators and
18 teachers. These programs shall emphasize the improvement of
19 teaching and pupils' learning of academic core curriculum
20 objectives, as measured by Michigan educational assessment
21 program, the Michigan merit examination, and other criterion -
22 reference assessments; collaborative decision-making; site-based
23 management; the process of school improvement; instructional
24 leadership; and the use of data and assessment instruments to
25 improve teaching and learning for all pupils.
26 (b) A biennial education policy leadership institute. The
27 state board shall organize and convene a biennial education
1 policy leadership institute for the governor, the lieutenant
2 governor, the state board, the state superintendent, the
3 legislature, and the presidents of the state board approved
4 teacher education institutions, and the staff of each as may be
5 considered appropriate, to examine the most current public
6 education policy issues and initiatives and the appropriate role
7 of policy leaders.
8 (c) A statewide academy for school leadership established by
9 the state board.
10 (d) A principal leadership academy. The department, in
11 collaboration with statewide associations of school principals,
12 shall establish the principal leadership academy. The principal
13 leadership academy shall consist of training for school
14 principals that is conducted by other school principals who have
15 a record of demonstrated success in improving pupil performance.
16 The department shall solicit input from school district
17 superintendents and intermediate superintendents to compile a
18 list of successful school principals who would likely be
19 effective in conducting the training at the principal leadership
20 academy and shall select school principals to conduct the
21 training from this list. The training shall include all aspects
22 of successful school leadership, including at least all of the
23 following:
24 (i) Strategies for increasing parental involvement.
25 (ii) Strategies for engaging community support and
26 involvement.
27 (iii) Creative problem-solving.
1 (iv) Financial decision-making.
2 (v) Management rights and techniques.
3 (vi) Other strategies for improving school leadership to
4 achieve better pupil performance.
5 (e) Community leadership development. The state board, in
6 conjunction with intermediate school districts, shall conduct a
7 leadership development training program in each school district
8 for members of the community.
9 (f) Promotion of high educational standards. The state
10 board, in collaboration with the business community and
11 educators, shall coordinate and assist in the promotion of a
12 statewide public education and information program concerning the
13 need to achieve world class educational standards in the public
14 schools of this state.
15 (g) Sabbatical leaves. School districts shall provide
16 sabbatical leaves for up to 1 academic year for selected master
17 teachers who aid in professional development.
18 (h) Any other purpose authorized in the appropriation for
19 professional development in the state school aid act of 1979.
20 (2) In order to receive professional development funding
21 described in subsection (1), each school district and
22 intermediate school district shall prepare and submit to the
23 state board for approval an annual professional development
24 plan.
25 (3) The state board may disapprove for state funding proposed
26 professional development that the state board finds to be 1 or
27 more of the following:
1 (a) Not in furtherance of core academic curriculum needs.
2 (b) Not constituting serious, informed innovation.
3 (c) Of generally inferior overall quality or depth regardless
4 of who sponsors or conducts the education or training.
5 (d) Not in compliance with the requirements of section 1526.
6 Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take
7 effect unless all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature
8 are enacted into law:
9 (a) Senate Bill No. 1154.
10 (b) Senate Bill No. 1155.
11 (c) Senate Bill No. 1156.
12 (d) Senate Bill No. 1157.