Bill Text: MI SB0647 | 2011-2012 | 96th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Education; curricula; 1/2 credit of financial literacy; require as part of the math credit required for Michigan merit curriculum. Amends sec. 1278a of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1278a).

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-09-15 - Referred To Committee On Education [SB0647 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2011-SB0647-Introduced.html

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SENATE BILL No. 647

 

 

September 15, 2011, Introduced by Senators HUNTER, YOUNG, JOHNSON, GLEASON and EMMONS and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1278a (MCL 380.1278a), as amended by 2009 PA

 

205.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1278a. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section

 

or section 1278b, beginning with pupils entering grade 8 in 2006,

 

the board of a school district or board of directors of a public

 

school academy shall not award a high school diploma to a pupil

 

unless the pupil meets all of the following:

 

     (a) Has successfully completed all of the following credit

 

requirements of the Michigan merit standard before graduating from

 

high school:

 

     (i) At least 4 credits in mathematics that are aligned with

 

subject area content expectations developed by the department and

 

approved by the state board under section 1278b, including

 

completion of at least algebra I, geometry, and algebra II, or an

 

integrated sequence of this course content that consists of 3

 

credits, completion of a 1/2-credit course in financial literacy as

 

described in section 1165, and completion of an additional

 

mathematics 1/2 credit in mathematics, such as trigonometry,

 

statistics, precalculus, calculus, applied math, accounting,

 

business math, or a retake of algebra II. , a course in financial

 

literacy as described in section 1165. A pupil may complete algebra

 

II over 2 years with 2 credits awarded or over 1.5 years with 1.5

 

credits awarded for the purposes of this section and section 1278b.

 

A pupil also may partially or fully fulfill the algebra II

 

requirement by completing a department-approved formal career and

 

technical education program or curriculum that has appropriate

 

embedded mathematics content, such as a program or curriculum in

 

electronics, machining, construction, welding, engineering, or

 

renewable energy. Not later than 30 days after the effective date

 

of the amendatory act that added the immediately preceding

 

sentence, the department shall post on its website and submit to

 

the senate and house standing committees on education guidelines

 

for implementation of the immediately preceding sentence. Each

 

pupil must successfully complete at least 1 mathematics course

 

during his or her final year of high school enrollment. This

 

subparagraph does not require completion of mathematics courses in

 

any particular sequence.

 

     (ii) At least 3 credits in social science that are aligned with

 

subject area content expectations developed by the department and

 

approved by the state board under section 1278b, including

 

completion of at least 1 credit in United States history and

 

geography, 1 credit in world history and geography, 1/2 credit in

 

economics, and the civics course described in section 1166(2).

 

     (iii) At least 1 credit in subject matter that includes both

 

health and physical education aligned with guidelines developed by

 

the department and approved by the state board under section 1278b.

 

     (iv) At least 1 credit in visual arts, performing arts, or

 

applied arts, as defined by the department, that is aligned with

 

guidelines developed by the department and approved by the state

 

board under section 1278b.

 

     (v) The credit requirements specified in section 1278b(1).

 

     (b) Meets the online course or learning experience requirement

 

of this subsection. A school district or public school academy

 

shall provide the basic level of technology and internet access

 

required by the state board to complete the online course or

 

learning experience. For a pupil to meet this requirement, the

 

pupil shall meet either of the following, as determined by the

 

school district or public school academy:

 

     (i) Has successfully completed at least 1 course or learning

 

experience that is presented online, as defined by the department.

 

     (ii) The pupil's school district or public school academy has

 

integrated an online experience throughout the high school

 

curriculum by ensuring that each teacher of each course that

 

provides the required credits of the Michigan merit curriculum has

 

integrated an online experience into the course.

 

     (2) In addition to the requirements under subsection (1),

 

beginning with pupils entering grade 3 in 2006, the board of a

 

school district or board of directors of a public school academy

 

shall not award a high school diploma to a pupil unless the pupil

 

has successfully completed during grades 9 to 12 at least 2

 

credits, as determined by the department, in a language other than

 

English, or the pupil has successfully completed at any time during

 

grades K to 12 course work or other learning experiences that are

 

substantially equivalent to 2 credits in a language other than

 

English, based on guidelines developed by the department. For the

 

purposes of this subsection, all of the following apply:

 

     (a) American sign language is considered to be a language

 

other than English.

 

     (b) The pupil may meet all or part of this requirement with

 

online course work.

 

     (3) The requirements under this section and section 1278b for

 

a high school diploma are in addition to any local requirements

 

imposed by the board of a school district or board of directors of

 

a public school academy. The board of a school district or board of

 

directors of a public school academy, as a local requirement for a

 

high school diploma, may require a pupil to complete the Michigan

 

merit examination under section 1279g or may require a pupil to

 

participate in the MIAccess assessments if appropriate for the

 

pupil.

 

     (4) For the purposes of this section and section 1278b, all of

 

the following apply:

 

     (a) A pupil is considered to have completed a credit if the

 

pupil successfully completes the subject area content expectations

 

or guidelines developed by the department that apply to the credit.

 

     (b) A school district or public school academy shall base its

 

determination of whether a pupil has successfully completed the

 

subject area content expectations or guidelines developed by the

 

department that apply to a credit at least in part on the pupil's

 

performance on the assessments developed or selected by the

 

department under section 1278b or on 1 or more assessments

 

developed or selected by the school district or public school

 

academy that measure a pupil's understanding of the subject area

 

content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit.

 

     (c) A school district or public school academy shall also

 

grant a pupil a credit if the pupil earns a qualifying score, as

 

determined by the department, on the assessments developed or

 

selected for the subject area by the department under section 1278b

 

or the pupil earns a qualifying score, as determined by the school

 

district or public school academy, on 1 or more assessments

 

developed or selected by the school district or public school

 

academy that measure a pupil's understanding of the subject area

 

content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit.

 

     (5) If a high school is designated by the superintendent of

 

public instruction as a specialty school and the high school meets

 

the requirements of subsection (6), then the pupils of the high

 

school are not required to successfully complete the 4 credits in

 

English language arts required under section 1278b(1)(a) or the 3

 

credits in social science required under subsection (1)(a)(ii) and

 

the school district or public school academy is not required to

 

ensure that each pupil is offered the curriculum necessary for

 

meeting those English language arts or social science credit

 

requirements. The superintendent of public instruction may

 

designate up to 15 high schools that meet the requirements of this

 

subsection as specialty schools. Subject to this maximum number,

 

the superintendent of public instruction shall designate a high

 

school as a specialty school if the superintendent of public

 

instruction finds that the high school meets all of the following

 

criteria:

 

     (a) The high school incorporates a significant reading and

 

writing component throughout its curriculum.

 

     (b) The high school uses a specialized, innovative, and

 

rigorous curriculum in such areas as performing arts, foreign

 

language, extensive use of internships, or other learning

 

innovations that conform to pioneering innovations among other

 

leading national or international high schools.

 

     (6) A high school that is designated by the superintendent of

 

public instruction as a specialty school under subsection (5) is

 

only exempt from requirements as described under subsection (5) as

 

long as the superintendent of public instruction finds that the

 

high school continues to meet all of the following requirements:

 

     (a) The high school clearly states to prospective pupils and

 

their parents that it does not meet the requirements of the

 

Michigan merit standard under this section and section 1278b but is

 

a designated specialty school that is exempt from some of those

 

requirements and that a pupil who enrolls in the high school and

 

subsequently transfers to a high school that is not a specialty

 

school meeting the requirements of this subsection will be required

 

to comply with the requirements of the Michigan merit standard

 

under this section and section 1278b.

 

     (b) For the most recent year for which the data are available,

 

the mean scores on both the mathematics and science portions of the

 

ACT examination for the pupils of the high school exceed by at

 

least 10% the mean scores on the mathematics and science portions

 

of the ACT examination for the pupils of the school district in

 

which the greatest number of the pupils of the high school reside.

 

     (c) For the most recent year for which the data are available,

 

the high school had a graduation rate of at least 85%, as

 

determined by the department.

 

     (d) For the most recent year for which the data are available,

 

at least 75% of the pupils who graduated from the high school the

 

preceding year are enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

 

     (e) All pupils of the high school are required to meet the

 

mathematics credit requirements of subsection (1)(a)(i), with no

 

modification of these requirements under section 1278b(5), and each

 

pupil is offered the curriculum necessary to meet this requirement.

 

     (f) All pupils of the high school are required to meet the

 

science credit requirements of section 1278b(1)(b) and are also

 

required to successfully complete at least 1 additional science

 

credit, for a total of at least 4 science credits, with no

 

modification of these requirements under section 1278b(5), and each

 

pupil is offered the curriculum necessary to meet this requirement.