SENATE BILL No. 1154

 

 

April 21, 2004, Introduced by Senators SWITALSKI, JELINEK, KUIPERS, VAN WOERKOM, GARCIA and THOMAS and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1996 PA 160, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Postsecondary enrollment options act,"                                     

                                                                                

    by amending sections 3 and 9 (MCL 388.513 and 388.519), section 3           

                                                                                

    as amended by 1997 PA 178, and by adding section 3a.                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 3.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

2       (a) "Community college" means a community college established               

                                                                                

3   under the community college act of 1966, 1966 PA 331, MCL 389.1             

                                                                                

4   to 389.195, or under part 25 of the revised school code, 1976 PA            

                                                                                

5   451, MCL 380.1601 to 380.1607, or a federal tribally controlled             

                                                                                

6   community college located in this state that is recognized under            

                                                                                

7   the tribally controlled community college assistance act of 1978,           

                                                                                

8   Public Law 95-471  25 USC 1801 to 1852, and is determined by the           

                                                                                

9   department to meet the requirements for accreditation by a                  

                                                                                

10  recognized regional accrediting body.                                       

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (b) "Department" means the department of education.                         

                                                                                

2       (c) "Eligible charges" means tuition and mandatory course                   

                                                                                

3   fees, material fees, and registration fees required by an                   

                                                                                

4   eligible institution for enrollment in an eligible course.                  

                                                                                

5   Eligible charges also include any late fees charged by an                   

                                                                                

6   eligible postsecondary institution due to the school district's             

                                                                                

7   failure to make a required payment according to the timetable               

                                                                                

8   prescribed under this act.  Eligible charges do not include                 

                                                                                

9   transportation or parking costs or activity fees.                           

                                                                                

10      (d) "Eligible course" means a course offered by an eligible                 

                                                                                

11  postsecondary institution that is not offered by the school                 

                                                                                

12  district in which the eligible student is enrolled, or that is              

                                                                                

13  offered by the school district but is determined by the board of            

                                                                                

14  the school district to not be available to the eligible student             

                                                                                

15  because of a scheduling conflict beyond the eligible student's              

                                                                                

16  control; that is an academic course not ordinarily taken as an              

                                                                                

17  activity course; that is a course that the postsecondary                    

                                                                                

18  institution normally applies toward satisfaction of degree                  

                                                                                

19  requirements; that is not a hobby craft or recreational course;             

                                                                                

20  and that is in a subject area other than physical education,                

                                                                                

21  theology, divinity, or religious education.  However, until the             

                                                                                

22  2006-2007 school year, for an eligible student who has not                  

                                                                                

23  achieved state endorsement in all subject areas under section               

                                                                                

24  1279 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279, an              

                                                                                

25  eligible course is limited to a course in a subject area for                

                                                                                

26  which he or she has achieved state endorsement, a course in                 

                                                                                

27  computer science or foreign language not offered by the school              


                                                                                

1   district, or a course in fine arts as permitted by the school               

                                                                                

2   district.  Beginning with eligibility to participate under this             

                                                                                

3   act during the 2006-2007 school year, for an eligible student who           

                                                                                

4   has not achieved a qualifying score in each subject area on a               

                                                                                

5   readiness assessment, an eligible course is limited to a course             

                                                                                

6   in a subject area for which he or she has achieved a qualifying             

                                                                                

7   score, a course in computer science or foreign language not                 

                                                                                

8   offered by the school district, or a course in fine arts as                 

                                                                                

9   permitted by the school district.                                           

                                                                                

10      (e) "Eligible postsecondary institution" means a state                      

                                                                                

11  university, community college, or independent nonprofit                     

                                                                                

12  degree-granting college or university that is located in this               

                                                                                

13  state and that chooses to comply with this act.                             

                                                                                

14      (f) "Eligible student" means, except as otherwise provided in               

                                                                                

15  this subdivision, a student enrolled in at least 1 high school              

                                                                                

16  class in at least grade 11 in a school district in this state,              

                                                                                

17  except a foreign exchange pupil enrolled in a school district               

                                                                                

18  under a cultural exchange program.  , who has  Until the                    

                                                                                

19  2006-2007 school year, to be an eligible student a student must             

                                                                                

20  have achieved state endorsement in all subject areas under                  

                                                                                

21  section 1279 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL                   

                                                                                

22  380.1279.  However, if the student has not achieved state                   

                                                                                

23  endorsement in all subject areas under that section, the student            

                                                                                

24  is an eligible student only for the limited purpose of enrolling            

                                                                                

25  in 1 or more eligible courses under this act in a subject area              

                                                                                

26  for which he or she has achieved state endorsement, in computer             

                                                                                

27  science or foreign language not offered by the school district,             


                                                                                

1   or in fine arts as permitted by the school district.  Beginning             

                                                                                

2   with eligibility to participate under this act during the                   

                                                                                

3   2006-2007 school year, to be an eligible student a student must             

                                                                                

4   have achieved a qualifying score in all subject areas on a                  

                                                                                

5   readiness assessment.  However, if the student has not achieved a           

                                                                                

6   qualifying score in all subject areas on a readiness assessment,            

                                                                                

7   the student is an eligible student only for the limited purpose             

                                                                                

8   of enrolling in 1 or more eligible courses under this act in a              

                                                                                

9   subject area for which he or she has achieved a qualifying score,           

                                                                                

10  in computer science or foreign language not offered by the school           

                                                                                

11  district, or in fine arts as permitted by the school district.              

                                                                                

12      (g) "Intermediate school district" means that term as defined               

                                                                                

13  in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.            

                                                                                

14      (h) "Qualifying score" means a score in a subject area                      

                                                                                

15  component of the readiness assessment that has been determined by           

                                                                                

16  the superintendent of public instruction to indicate readiness to           

                                                                                

17  enroll in a postsecondary course in that subject area under this            

                                                                                

18  act.                                                                        

                                                                                

19      (i) "Readiness assessment" means an assessment instrument                   

                                                                                

20  that is a curriculum-based achievement test aligned with state              

                                                                                

21  learning standards; that is used nationally to provide high                 

                                                                                

22  school students with an early indication of proficiency in the              

                                                                                

23  subject areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science and             

                                                                                

24  contains a comprehensive career planning program; and that is               

                                                                                

25  approved by the superintendent of public instruction for the                

                                                                                

26  purposes of this act.                                                       

                                                                                

27      (j)  (h)  "School district" means that term as defined in                   


                                                                                

1   section 6 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, a             

                                                                                

2   local act school district as defined in section 5 of the revised            

                                                                                

3   school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5, or a public school academy             

                                                                                

4   organized under part 6a or 6b  as defined in section 5 of the              

                                                                                

5   revised school code, 1976 PA 451,  MCL 380.501 to 380.507 and               

                                                                                

6   380.511 to 380.518  MCL 380.5.                                              

                                                                                

7       (k)  (i)  "State university" means a state institution of                   

                                                                                

8   higher education described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII            

                                                                                

9   of the state constitution of 1963.                                          

                                                                                

10      Sec. 3a.  Not later than July 1, 2005, the superintendent of                

                                                                                

11  public instruction shall do both of the following:                          

                                                                                

12      (a) Approve 1 or more readiness assessments that may be used                

                                                                                

13  for the purposes of determining eligible students beginning with            

                                                                                

14  participation in the 2006-2007 school year.  A readiness                    

                                                                                

15  assessment shall be a curriculum-based achievement test aligned             

                                                                                

16  with state learning standards that is used nationally to provide            

                                                                                

17  high school students with an early indication of proficiency in             

                                                                                

18  the subject areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science             

                                                                                

19  and contains a comprehensive career planning program.                       

                                                                                

20      (b) Determine qualifying scores for each subject area                       

                                                                                

21  component of a readiness assessment that indicate readiness to              

                                                                                

22  enroll in a postsecondary course in that subject area under this            

                                                                                

23  act.                                                                        

                                                                                

24      Sec. 9.  (1) Each school district shall provide information                 

                                                                                

25  to all high school students on the postsecondary enrollment                 

                                                                                

26  options under this act, including enrollment eligibility; the               

                                                                                

27  institutions and types of courses that are eligible for                     


                                                                                

1   participation; the decision making process for granting academic            

                                                                                

2   credits; an explanation of eligible charges that will be paid by            

                                                                                

3   the school district and of financial arrangements for eligible              

                                                                                

4   charges and for paying costs not paid for by the school district;           

                                                                                

5   eligibility for payment of all or part of eligible charges by the           

                                                                                

6   school district under this act; an explanation that, if the                 

                                                                                

7   student qualifies for payment of all or part of eligible charges            

                                                                                

8   by the school district under this act, the school district will             

                                                                                

9   pay that support directly to the postsecondary institution upon             

                                                                                

10  being billed by the postsecondary institution and that the                  

                                                                                

11  student is not responsible for that payment but is responsible              

                                                                                

12  for payment of costs not paid for under this act; available                 

                                                                                

13  support services; the need to arrange an appropriate schedule;              

                                                                                

14  consequences of failing or not completing a postsecondary course            

                                                                                

15  in which the eligible student enrolls; the effect of enrolling in           

                                                                                

16  a postsecondary course on the eligible student's ability to                 

                                                                                

17  complete the required high school graduation requirements;  an              

                                                                                

18  explanation of how the parent or legal guardian of a student in             

                                                                                

19  at least grade 10 may request that the student be allowed to take           

                                                                                

20  a test or assessment used for a state endorsement early in order            

                                                                                

21  to qualify to be an eligible student;  and the academic and                 

                                                                                

22  social responsibilities that must be assumed by the eligible                

                                                                                

23  student and his or her parent or guardian.                                  

                                                                                

24      (2) To the extent possible, a school district shall provide                 

                                                                                

25  counseling services to an eligible student and his or her parent            

                                                                                

26  or guardian before the eligible student enrolls in postsecondary            

                                                                                

27  courses under this act to ensure that the eligible student and              


                                                                                

1   his or her parent or guardian are fully aware of the benefits,              

                                                                                

2   risks, and possible consequences of enrolling in a postsecondary            

                                                                                

3   course.  The person providing the counseling shall encourage the            

                                                                                

4   eligible student and his or her parent or guardian to also use              

                                                                                

5   available counseling services at the eligible postsecondary                 

                                                                                

6   institutions before the quarter or semester of enrollment to                

                                                                                

7   ensure that anticipated plans are appropriate.  A school district           

                                                                                

8   may provide the counseling required under this section in a group           

                                                                                

9   meeting if additional personalized counseling is also made                  

                                                                                

10  available.                                                                  

                                                                                

11      (3) Before enrolling in an eligible course at an eligible                   

                                                                                

12  postsecondary institution under this act, an eligible student and           

                                                                                

13  his or her parent or guardian shall file with the eligible                  

                                                                                

14  postsecondary institution a signed form provided by the eligible            

                                                                                

15  student's school district stating that the student is an eligible           

                                                                                

16  student and has received the information and counseling specified           

                                                                                

17  in subsections (1) and (2) and that the student understands the             

                                                                                

18  responsibilities that must be assumed in enrolling in the                   

                                                                                

19  course.  Upon request, the department shall provide technical               

                                                                                

20  assistance to a school district and to an eligible postsecondary            

                                                                                

21  institution in developing appropriate forms and counseling                  

                                                                                

22  guidelines for purposes of this section.                                    

                                                                                

23      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

24  effect unless all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature            

                                                                                

25  are enacted into law:                                                       

                                                                                

26      (a) Senate Bill No. 1155.                                                   

                                                                                

27                                                                              


                                                                                

1       (b) Senate Bill No. 1153.                                                   

                                                                                

2                                                                               

                                                                                

3       (c) Senate Bill No. 1156.                                                   

                                                                                

4                                                                               

                                                                                

5       (d) Senate Bill No. 1157.                                                   

                                                                                

6