This revised summary replaces the summary dated 2-16-01.
REVISE GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
House Bill 4190
Sponsor: Rep. Doug Hart
Committee: Education
Complete to 2-27-01
A REVISED SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4190 AS INTRODUCED 2-13-01
House Bill 4190 would amend the State School Aid Act to cap the Golden Apple Awards funded under the state school aid fund at $50,000 for each recipient elementary school, and to change the definition of elementary school for the purposes of determining eligibility for the award.
Currently the state sets aside $8 million each year to award Golden Apple Awards to elementary schools. The awards are based on student achievement, and under the award program achievement is determined by the students' scores when they take the grades four and five subject matter tests that are part of the Michigan education assessment program (more customarily referred to as MEAP). [In grade four, students are tested in mathematics and reading; in grade five, they are tested in science, writing, and social studies.] A Golden Apple Award consists of $1,000 for each full-time employee who works in the elementary school, and in addition $10,000 is allocated to the school principal for school improvement. However, the award cannot be less than $50,000. All the money allocated must be used for school improvements, as determined collectively by a majority vote of the full-time employees.
Under the current law, to be eligible for a Golden Apple Award, an elementary school must have at least 50 students and meet several requirements. For the 1999-2000 school year, at least 80 percent of the fourth and fifth graders enrolled must have taken the MEAP tests, and either their composite score must have increased at least 60 points over the two consecutive school years immediately preceding the year the award is given, or, the test scores on the applicable MEAP tests must be among the highest elementary school scores statewide, as determined by the Department of Treasury. Beginning in 2000-2001, at least 90 percent of the fourth and fifth graders enrolled must have taken the MEAP tests, and either their composite score must have increased at least 60 points over the two consecutive school years immediately preceding the year the award is given, or the test scores on the applicable MEAP tests must be among the highest elementary school scores statewide, as determined by the Department of Treasury.
House Bill 4190 would remove the outdated and time-sensitive provisions of the act, and also extend the program to grade 4 and grade 5 elementary schools that operate from different sites. Under the bill and for the purposes of this section in the School Aid Act, "elementary school" would be defined to mean a school operating grade 5 and one or more schools that operate grade 4 and promote pupils to the school operating grade 5.
House Bill 4190 would retain the school size and MEAP performance eligibility criteria currently in effect. In addition, it specifies that if an elementary school consisted of multiple
schools, with grade 4 operated by a different school or schools than grade 5, then for the elementary school to be eligible for a Golden Apple Award, the school would be required to meet the criteria, and also to provide the Department of Treasury any information the department considered necessary to make its determination. Under the bill, that determination would be final. If an elementary school qualified for the award, the award would be paid to the district that operated the school. The district then would be required to apportion the award between the school operating grade 5 and the school or schools operating grade 4, based on each component school's contributions to pupil success.
Finally, House Bill 4190 would cap the size of the award. Specifically, under the bill, a Golden Apple Award would consist of $50,000 per recipient elementary school. To that end, the bill would eliminate the provision that specifies an award must consist of $1,000 per each full-time employee who works in the eligible elementary school, plus $10,000 that is allocated to the principal of the school for school improvements, but shall not be less than $50,000.
MCL 388.1696
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.