SENATE BILL No. 368

 

 

April 2, 2003, Introduced by Senators JOHNSON, KUIPERS, BISHOP, ALLEN, HARDIMAN, GILBERT, GARCIA, PATTERSON, CROPSEY, HAMMERSTROM and SIKKEMA and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The revised school code,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending sections 1204a, 1277, 1277a, 1278, 1280a, and 1280b             

                                                                                

    (MCL 380.1204a, 380.1277, 380.1277a, 380.1278, 380.1280a, and               

                                                                                

    380.1280b), section 1204a as amended by 1996 PA 159, section 1277           

                                                                                

    as amended by 1997 PA 179, sections 1277a and 1280a as added by             

                                                                                

    1993 PA 335, section 1278 as amended by 1995 PA 289, and section            

                                                                                

    1280b as added by 2000 PA 230; and to repeal acts and parts of              

                                                                                

    acts.                                                                       

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1204a.  (1)  In addition to the requirements specified                 

                                                                                

2   in section 1280 for accreditation under that section, if the                

                                                                                

3   board of a school district wants all of its schools to be                   

                                                                                

4   accredited under section 1280, the board  To avoid a reduction in           

                                                                                

5   its funding under section 19 of the state school aid act of 1979,           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   MCL 388.1619, the board of a school district shall prepare and              

                                                                                

2   submit to the state board not later than September 1 each year,             

                                                                                

3   and shall provide that each school in the school district                   

                                                                                

4   distributes to the public at an open meeting not later than                 

                                                                                

5   October 15 each year, an annual educational report.  The annual             

                                                                                

6   educational report shall include, but is not limited to, all of             

                                                                                

7   the following information for each public school in the school              

                                                                                

8   district:                                                                   

                                                                                

9       (a) The accreditation status of each school within the school               

                                                                                

10  district, the process by which pupils are assigned to particular            

                                                                                

11  schools, and a description of each specialized school.                      

                                                                                

12      (b) The status of the 3- to 5-year school improvement plan as               

                                                                                

13  described in section 1277 for each school within the school                 

                                                                                

14  district.                                                                   

                                                                                

15      (c) A copy of the core academic curriculum and a description                

                                                                                

16  of its implementation, including how pupils are ensured                     

                                                                                

17  enrollment in those courses or subjects necessary for them to               

                                                                                

18  receive adequate instruction in all of the core academic                    

                                                                                

19  curriculum, and the variances and explanation for the variances             

                                                                                

20  from the model core academic curriculum developed by the state              

                                                                                

21  board pursuant to section 1278(2).                                          

                                                                                

22      (d) A report for each school of aggregate student achievement               

                                                                                

23  based upon the results of any locally-administered student                  

                                                                                

24  competency tests, statewide assessment tests, or nationally                 

                                                                                

25  normed achievement tests that were given to pupils attending                

                                                                                

26  school in the school district.                                              

                                                                                

27      (e) For the year in which the report is filed and the                       


                                                                                

1   previous school year, the district pupil retention report as                

                                                                                

2   defined in section 6 of the state school aid act of 1979,  being            

                                                                                

3   section 388.1606 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  MCL 388.1606.               

                                                                                

4       (f) The number and percentage of parents, legal guardians, or               

                                                                                

5   persons in loco parentis with pupils enrolled in the school                 

                                                                                

6   district who participate in parent-teacher conferences for pupils           

                                                                                

7   at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level, as                   

                                                                                

8   appropriate.                                                                

                                                                                

9       (g)  Beginning in the 1996-97 school year, if  If the school                

                                                                                

10  is a high school, all of the following:                                     

                                                                                

11                                                                               (i) The number and percentage of pupils enrolled in the                             

                                                                                

12  school who enrolled during the immediately preceding school year            

                                                                                

13  in 1 or more postsecondary courses under the postsecondary                  

                                                                                

14  enrollment options act, 1996 PA 160, MCL 388.511 to 388.524, or             

                                                                                

15  under section 21b of the state school aid act of 1979,  being               

                                                                                

16  section 388.1621b of the Michigan Compiled Laws  MCL 388.1621b.             

                                                                                

17      (ii) The number of college level equivalent courses offered                  

                                                                                

18  to pupils enrolled in the school, in the school district, and in            

                                                                                

19  consortia or cooperative programs available to pupils of the                

                                                                                

20  school district.                                                            

                                                                                

21      (iii) The number and percentage of pupils enrolled in the                    

                                                                                

22  school who were enrolled in at least 1 college level equivalent             

                                                                                

23  course during the immediately preceding school year,                        

                                                                                

24  disaggregated by grade level.                                               

                                                                                

25      (iv) The number and percentage of pupils described in                        

                                                                                

26  subparagraph (iii) who took a college level equivalent credit                

                                                                                

27  examination.                                                                


                                                                                

1       (v) The number and percentage of pupils described in                        

                                                                                

2   subparagraph (iv) who achieved a score on a college level                    

                                                                                

3   equivalent credit examination that is at or above the level                 

                                                                                

4   recommended by the testing service for college credit.                      

                                                                                

5       (h) A comparison with the immediately preceding school year                 

                                                                                

6   of the information required by subdivisions (a) through (g).                

                                                                                

7       (2) At least annually, the department shall prepare and                     

                                                                                

8   submit to the legislature a report of the information described             

                                                                                

9   in subsection (1)(g), aggregated for statewide and intermediate             

                                                                                

10  school district totals, using the information submitted by school           

                                                                                

11  districts.                                                                  

                                                                                

12      (3) The state board shall prepare and make available to                     

                                                                                

13  school districts suggestions for accumulating the information               

                                                                                

14  listed in subsection (1) and a model annual educational report              

                                                                                

15  for school districts to consider in the implementation of this              

                                                                                

16  section.                                                                    

                                                                                

17      (4) As used in this section, "college level equivalent                      

                                                                                

18  course" and "college level equivalent credit examination" mean              

                                                                                

19  those terms as defined in  part 14a  section 1471.                          

                                                                                

20      Sec. 1277.  (1) Considering criteria established by the                     

                                                                                

21  state board,  in addition to the requirements specified in                  

                                                                                

22  section 1280 for accreditation under that section, if the board             

                                                                                

23  of a school district wants all of the schools of the school                 

                                                                                

24  district to be accredited under section 1280, the board  to avoid           

                                                                                

25  a reduction in its funding under section 19 of the state school             

                                                                                

26  aid act of 1979, MCL 388.1619, the board of a school district               

                                                                                

27  shall adopt and implement and, not later than September 1 each              


                                                                                

1   year, shall make available to the department a copy of a 3- to              

                                                                                

2   5-year school improvement plan and continuing school improvement            

                                                                                

3   process for each school within the school district.  The school             

                                                                                

4   improvement plans shall include, but are not limited to, a                  

                                                                                

5   mission statement, goals based on student academic objectives for           

                                                                                

6   all students, curriculum alignment corresponding with those                 

                                                                                

7   goals, evaluation processes, staff development, development and             

                                                                                

8   utilization of community resources and volunteers, the role of              

                                                                                

9   adult and community education, libraries and community colleges             

                                                                                

10  in the learning community, and building level decision making.              

                                                                                

11  School board members, school building administrators, teachers              

                                                                                

12  and other school employees, pupils, parents of pupils attending             

                                                                                

13  that school, and other residents of the school district shall be            

                                                                                

14  invited and allowed to voluntarily participate in the                       

                                                                                

15  development, review, and evaluation of the district's school                

                                                                                

16  improvement plans.  Upon request of the board of a school                   

                                                                                

17  district, the department and the intermediate school district               

                                                                                

18  shall assist the school district in the development and                     

                                                                                

19  implementation of district school improvement plans.  Educational           

                                                                                

20  organizations may also provide assistance for these purposes.               

                                                                                

21  School improvement plans described in this section shall be                 

                                                                                

22  updated annually by each school and by the board of the school              

                                                                                

23  district.                                                                   

                                                                                

24      (2) School improvement plans shall include at least all of                  

                                                                                

25  the following additional matters:                                           

                                                                                

26      (a) Goals centered on student academic learning.                            

                                                                                

27      (b) Strategies to accomplish the goals.                                     


                                                                                

1       (c) Evaluation of the plan.                                                 

                                                                                

2       (d) Development of alternative measures of assessment that                  

                                                                                

3   will provide authentic assessment of pupils' achievements,                  

                                                                                

4   skills, and competencies.                                                   

                                                                                

5       (e) Methods for effective use of technology as a way of                     

                                                                                

6   improving learning and delivery of services and for integration             

                                                                                

7   of evolving technology in the curriculum.                                   

                                                                                

8       (f) Ways to make available in as many fields as practicable                 

                                                                                

9   opportunities for structured on-the-job learning, such as                   

                                                                                

10  apprenticeships and internships, combined with classroom                    

                                                                                

11  instruction.                                                                

                                                                                

12      (3) Each intermediate school board shall adopt and implement                

                                                                                

13  and, not later than September 1 each year, shall make available             

                                                                                

14  to the department a copy of a 3- to 5-year intermediate school              

                                                                                

15  district school improvement plan and continuing school                      

                                                                                

16  improvement process for the intermediate school district.                   

                                                                                

17  Constituent and intermediate school board members, school                   

                                                                                

18  building administrators, teachers and other school employees,               

                                                                                

19  pupils, parents of pupils, and residents of the intermediate                

                                                                                

20  school district shall be invited and allowed to voluntarily                 

                                                                                

21  participate in the development, review, and evaluation of the               

                                                                                

22  intermediate school district's school improvement plan.  Upon               

                                                                                

23  request of the intermediate school board, the department shall              

                                                                                

24  assist the intermediate school district in the development and              

                                                                                

25  implementation of an intermediate school district school                    

                                                                                

26  improvement plan.  An intermediate school district school                   

                                                                                

27  improvement plan described in this section shall be updated                 


                                                                                

1   annually by the intermediate school board.  An intermediate                 

                                                                                

2   school district school improvement plan shall include at least              

                                                                                

3   all of the following:                                                       

                                                                                

4       (a) Methods to assist districts in improving pupils' academic               

                                                                                

5   learning.                                                                   

                                                                                

6       (b) Assurance that all pupils have reasonable access to all                 

                                                                                

7   programs offered by the intermediate school district, including,            

                                                                                

8   but not limited to, transportation if necessary.                            

                                                                                

9       (c) A plan for professional development that supports                       

                                                                                

10  academic learning.                                                          

                                                                                

11      (d) Methods to assist school districts in integrating applied               

                                                                                

12  academics and career and employability skills into all curricular           

                                                                                

13  areas.                                                                      

                                                                                

14      (e) Ways to make available in as many fields as practicable                 

                                                                                

15  opportunities for structured on-the-job learning, such as                   

                                                                                

16  apprenticeships and internships, combined with classroom                    

                                                                                

17  instruction.                                                                

                                                                                

18      (f) Collaborative efforts with supporting agencies that                     

                                                                                

19  enhance academic learning.                                                  

                                                                                

20      (g) Long-range cost containment measures, including                         

                                                                                

21  additional services that might be provided at reduced costs by              

                                                                                

22  the intermediate school district or through cooperative programs,           

                                                                                

23  and cost reduction programs such as interdistrict cooperation in            

                                                                                

24  special education and other programs and services.                          

                                                                                

25      (h) To the extent that it would improve school effectiveness,               

                                                                                

26  specific recommendations on consolidation or enhanced                       

                                                                                

27  interdistrict cooperation, or both, along with possible sources             


                                                                                

1   of revenue.                                                                 

                                                                                

2       (i) Evaluation of the plan.                                                 

                                                                                

3       (4) The state board shall annually review a random sampling                 

                                                                                

4   of school improvement plans.  Based on its review, the state                

                                                                                

5   board shall annually submit a report on school improvement                  

                                                                                

6   activities planned and accomplished by each of the school                   

                                                                                

7   districts and intermediate school districts that were part of the           

                                                                                

8   sampling to the senate and house committees that have the                   

                                                                                

9   responsibility for education legislation.                                   

                                                                                

10      Sec. 1277a.  (1)  Beginning in the 1994-95 school year, in                  

                                                                                

11  addition to the requirements specified in section 1280 for                  

                                                                                

12  accreditation under that section, if the board of a school                  

                                                                                

13  district wants all of the schools in the school district to be              

                                                                                

14  accredited under section 1280, the  The board of a school                   

                                                                                

15  district shall ensure all of the following:                                 

                                                                                

16      (a) That all information assembled regarding each school                    

                                                                                

17  building within the school district to prepare the school's                 

                                                                                

18  annual educational report, as described in section 1204a, is                

                                                                                

19  disaggregated by gender and is provided to the individuals                  

                                                                                

20  participating in the development of the district's school                   

                                                                                

21  improvement plan under section 1277.                                        

                                                                                

22      (b) That all gender equity issues raised by the disaggregated               

                                                                                

23  information described in subdivision (a) are addressed as part of           

                                                                                

24  the planning, development, implementation, evaluation, and                  

                                                                                

25  updating of the school improvement plan of each school within the           

                                                                                

26  school district under section 1277 or, if such an issue is not              

                                                                                

27  addressed, that an explanation is made to the community of the              


                                                                                

1   reason or reasons why the issue is not addressed.  An explanation           

                                                                                

2   for not addressing a gender equity issue may be included in the             

                                                                                

3   school's annual educational report under section 1204a.                     

                                                                                

4       (2) Upon request by a school district, intermediate school                  

                                                                                

5   district, or school, the department shall provide advice and                

                                                                                

6   technical assistance to the district or school on meeting the               

                                                                                

7   requirements of this section.                                               

                                                                                

8       Sec. 1278.  (1)  In addition to the requirements for                        

                                                                                

9   accreditation under section 1280 specified in that section, if              

                                                                                

10  the board of a school district wants all of the schools of the              

                                                                                

11  school district to be accredited under section 1280, the board              

                                                                                

12  To avoid a reduction in its funding under section 19 of the state           

                                                                                

13  school aid act of 1979, MCL 388.1619, the board of a school                 

                                                                                

14  district shall provide to all pupils attending public school in             

                                                                                

15  the district a core academic curriculum in compliance with                  

                                                                                

16  subsection (3) in each of the curricular areas specified in the             

                                                                                

17  state board recommended model core academic curriculum content              

                                                                                

18  standards developed under subsection (2).  The state board                  

                                                                                

19  recommended model core academic curriculum content standards                

                                                                                

20  shall encompass academic and cognitive instruction only.  For               

                                                                                

21  purposes of this section, the state board recommended model core            

                                                                                

22  academic curriculum content standards shall not include                     

                                                                                

23  attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are not essential in              

                                                                                

24  the legal, economic, and social structure of our society and to             

                                                                                

25  the personal and social responsibility of citizens of our                   

                                                                                

26  society.                                                                    

                                                                                

27      (2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content                      


                                                                                

1   standards shall be developed and periodically updated by the                

                                                                                

2   state board, shall be in the form of knowledge and skill content            

                                                                                

3   standards that are recommended as state standards for adoption by           

                                                                                

4   public schools in local curriculum formulation and adoption, and            

                                                                                

5   shall be distributed to each school district in the state.  The             

                                                                                

6   recommended model core academic curriculum content standards                

                                                                                

7   shall set forth desired learning objectives in math, science,               

                                                                                

8   reading, history, geography, economics, American government, and            

                                                                                

9   writing for all children at each stage of schooling and be based            

                                                                                

10  upon the "Michigan K-12 program standards of quality" to ensure             

                                                                                

11  that high academic standards, academic skills, and academic                 

                                                                                

12  subject matters are built into the instructional goals of all               

                                                                                

13  school districts for all children.  The state board also shall              

                                                                                

14  ensure that the Michigan educational assessment program and the             

                                                                                

15  high school proficiency exam are based on the state recommended             

                                                                                

16  model core curriculum content standards, are testing only for               

                                                                                

17  proficiency in basic academic skills and academic subject matter,           

                                                                                

18  and are not used to measure pupils' values or attitudes.                    

                                                                                

19      (3) The board of each school district, considering academic                 

                                                                                

20  curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to                   

                                                                                

21  subsection (2), shall do both of the following:                             

                                                                                

22      (a) Establish a core academic curriculum for its pupils at                  

                                                                                

23  the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels.  The core              

                                                                                

24  academic curriculum shall define academic objectives to be                  

                                                                                

25  achieved by all pupils and shall be based upon the school                   

                                                                                

26  district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil           

                                                                                

27  performance objectives.  The core academic curriculum may vary              


                                                                                

1   from the state board recommended model core academic curriculum             

                                                                                

2   content standards  recommended by the state board pursuant to               

                                                                                

3   under subsection (2).                                                       

                                                                                

4       (b) After consulting with teachers and school building                      

                                                                                

5   administrators, determine the aligned instructional program for             

                                                                                

6   delivering the core academic curriculum and identify the courses            

                                                                                

7   and programs in which the core academic curriculum will be                  

                                                                                

8   taught.                                                                     

                                                                                

9       (4) The board may supplement the core academic curriculum by                

                                                                                

10  providing instruction through additional classes and programs.              

                                                                                

11      (5) For all pupils, the subjects or courses, and the delivery               

                                                                                

12  of those including special assistance, that constitute the                  

                                                                                

13  curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure the pupils have a              

                                                                                

14  realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required            

                                                                                

15  by the district's core academic curriculum in order to give all             

                                                                                

16  pupils a reasonable opportunity to attain a  state-endorsed                 

                                                                                

17  diploma  state endorsement under section 1279.  A subject or                

                                                                                

18  course required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to                 

                                                                                

19  subsection (3) shall be provided to all pupils in the school                

                                                                                

20  district by a school district, a consortium of school districts,            

                                                                                

21  or a consortium of 1 or more school districts and 1 or more                 

                                                                                

22  intermediate school districts.                                              

                                                                                

23      (6) To the extent practicable, the state board may adopt or                 

                                                                                

24  develop academic objective-oriented high standards for knowledge            

                                                                                

25  and life skills, and a recommended core academic curriculum, for            

                                                                                

26  special education pupils for whom it may not be realistic or                

                                                                                

27  desirable to expect achievement of novice level or initial                  


                                                                                

1   mastery of the state board recommended model core academic                  

                                                                                

2   content standards objectives or of a high school diploma.                   

                                                                                

3       (7) The state board shall make available to all nonpublic                   

                                                                                

4   schools in this state, as a resource for their consideration, the           

                                                                                

5   state board recommended model core academic curriculum content              

                                                                                

6   standards developed for public schools pursuant to subsection (2)           

                                                                                

7   for the purpose of assisting the governing body of a nonpublic              

                                                                                

8   school in developing its core academic curriculum.                          

                                                                                

9       (8) Excluding special education pupils, pupils having a                     

                                                                                

10  learning disability, and pupils with extenuating circumstances as           

                                                                                

11  determined by school officials, a pupil who does not score                  

                                                                                

12  satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade Michigan educational                 

                                                                                

13  assessment program reading test shall be provided special                   

                                                                                

14  assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his             

                                                                                

15  or her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.                      

                                                                                

16      (9) Any course that would have been considered a nonessential               

                                                                                

17  elective course under Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich              

                                                                                

18  517 (1984), on April 13, 1990 shall continue to be offered to               

                                                                                

19  resident pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.                

                                                                                

20      Sec. 1280a.  The board of a school district or intermediate                 

                                                                                

21  school district that operates or participates in a consortium               

                                                                                

22  that operates an alternative educational program pursuant to                

                                                                                

23  section 1301, a vocational-technical skills center or other                 

                                                                                

24  separate vocational education program, or any other type of                 

                                                                                

25  specialized or alternative school or program shall ensure that              

                                                                                

26  the requirements of sections 1204a, 1277a, and 1278  , and 1280             

                                                                                

27  are met for each of those schools or programs.                              


                                                                                

1       Sec. 1280b.  (1) Subject to subsection (2), to receive                      

                                                                                

2   funding under section 22b of the state school aid act of 1979,              

                                                                                

3   MCL 388.1622b, the board of a school district, or board of                  

                                                                                

4   directors of a public school academy that operates any of grades            

                                                                                

5   1 to 5, shall administer each school year to all pupils in grades           

                                                                                

6   1 to 5 a nationally-recognized norm-referenced test or another              

                                                                                

7   assessment, which may include a locally-adopted assessment,                 

                                                                                

8   approved by the superintendent of public instruction at the                 

                                                                                

9   request of the school district or public school academy.                    

                                                                                

10      (2) A school district or public school academy may use the                  

                                                                                

11  Michigan literacy progress profile to assess literacy in grades 1           

                                                                                

12  to 3 as part of its compliance with subsection (1).                         

                                                                                

13      (3) If a school is designated for participation in the                      

                                                                                

14  national assessment of education progress program, the school               

                                                                                

15  shall participate as designated.                                            

                                                                                

16      (4) An elementary school that is not in compliance with                     

                                                                                

17  subsection (1) or a school that does not comply with                        

                                                                                

18  subsection (3) shall not be accredited under section 1280.                  

                                                                                

19      Enacting section 1.  Section 1280 of the revised school                     

                                                                                

20  code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1280, is repealed.