MERIT CURRICULUM REVISIONS: CTE S.B. 66:
SUMMARY AS ENACTED
Senate Bill 66 (as enacted) PUBLIC ACT 288 of 2014
House Committee: Education
CONTENT
The bill amends the Revised School Code to require the Department of Education and schools to provide certain information regarding the fulfillment of Michigan Merit curriculum requirements for a high school diploma through a career and technical education (CTE) program.
The bill will take effect on March 31, 2015.
Specifically, if a school district, intermediate school district (ISD), or public school academy (PSA) requests information from the Department of Education on CTE programs that might be available or that might help fulfill the requirements of Sections 1278a and 1278b of the Code, the Department must provide that information within a reasonable time. (Those sections prescribe the Michigan Merit standard for a high school diploma. The Michigan Merit standard consists of at least four credits in mathematics, three credits in social science, one credit in health and physical education, one credit in visual, performing, or applied arts, four credits in English language arts, and three credits in science. A personal curriculum that modifies certain merit standard requirements also may be developed for a pupil upon request.)
The bill also requires the Department to post on its website all of the following information concerning best practices in CTE:
-- A detailed description of the ways that CTE may be used to help fulfill the Michigan Merit standard, including the role of CTE in a personal curriculum.
-- Information highlighting and describing successful CTE programs being operated by school districts and ISDs.
-- A listing and description of the various types of CTE programs that are provided around the State and the subject areas and disciplines they cover.
-- Illustrations of how school districts, ISDs, and PSAs can and do work with local business entities, public-private partnerships, trade organizations, nonprofit organizations, State-licensed proprietary schools, universities, or community colleges to provide quality CTE.
-- The various ways in which school districts and PSAs have embedded the course content from credits required under the Michigan Merit standard into CTE and other alternative instructional delivery methods in order to the deliver the curricular requirements.
(The bill defines "state-licensed proprietary school" as a proprietary school licensed under the Proprietary Schools Act. Under that Act, "proprietary school" means a school that uses a certain plan or method to teach a trade, occupation, or vocation for a consideration, reward, or promise of any kind. The term includes a private business, trade, or home study school, but does not include a school or college authorized to grant degrees, a school licensed by law through another board or department of the State of Michigan, or a school maintained or a program conducted, without profit, by a person for that person's employees.)
The Code requires a school board or PSA board of directors to provide the opportunity for each pupil to develop an educational development plan during grade 7, and specifies additional procedures regarding the plan's development. The bill requires a school board or PSA board of directors, as part of the development process, to ensure that pupils are given information about how they can fulfill the requirements of Sections 1278a and 1278b with CTE or another program approved by the Department.
The bill states that school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies are "strongly encouraged" to establish programs whose completion, after high school graduation, is credited toward achievement of a professional certificate, training, apprenticeship, or college credit in a specific career and technical field.
MCL 380.1278c Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill likely will increase costs to the State Department of Education by requiring the Department to compile and make available CTE best practices information as specified in the bill, including information on successful career and technical education programs, CTE programs provided around the State and disciplines covered by the programs, illustrations of partnerships between educational entities and businesses, and how course content required under the Michigan Merit standard has been embedded into CTE.
The bill requires school districts to ensure that pupils are provided with information about how they can fulfill the requirements of Sections 1278a and 1278b with CTE or another program approved by the Department. It is likely that districts already do this, but in the event a school does not, there might be some slight costs (web, printing, etc.) to the district related to the provision of this information.
Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.