January 29, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Hardman, Zelenko, Murphy, Minore, Reeves and McConico and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending sections 1278 and 1525 (MCL 380.1278 and 380.1525),
as amended by 1995 PA 289.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 1278. (1) In addition to the requirements for
2 accreditation under section 1280 specified in that section, if
3 the board of a school district wants all of the schools of the
4 school district to be accredited under section 1280, the board
5 shall provide to all pupils attending public school in the
6 district a core academic curriculum in compliance with subsection
7 (3) in each of the curricular areas specified in the state board
8 recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
9 developed under subsection (2). The state board model core
10 academic curriculum content standards shall encompass academic
1 and cognitive instruction only. For purposes of this section,
2 the state board model core academic curriculum content standards
3 shall not include attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are
4 not essential in the legal, economic, and social structure of our
5 society and to the personal and social responsibility of citizens
6 of our society.
7 (2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content
8 standards shall be developed and periodically updated by the
9 state board, shall be in the form of knowledge and skill content
10 standards that are recommended as state standards for adoption by
11 public schools in local curriculum formulation and adoption, and
12 shall be distributed to each school district in the state. The
13 recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
14 shall set forth desired learning objectives in math, science,
15 reading, history, geography, economics, American government, and
16 writing for all children
at each stage of schooling; and in
17 life management, including parenting education, for all children
18 in grades 7-12; and in parenting for all children in grades K-6.
19 The recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
20 shall be based upon the "Michigan K-12 program standards of
21 quality" to ensure that high academic standards, academic skills,
22 and academic subject matters are built into the instructional
23 goals of all school
districts for all children. The state board
24 also shall ensure that
the Michigan educational assessment
25 program and the high
school proficiency exam are assessments
26 under section 1279 shall be based on the state recommended model
27 core academic
curriculum content standards, are testing shall
1 test only for proficiency in basic academic skills and academic
2 subject matter, and are
not shall not be used to measure
3 pupils' values or attitudes.
4 (3) The board of each school district, considering academic
5 curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to
6 subsection (2), shall do both of the following:
7 (a) Establish a core academic curriculum for its pupils at
8 the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The core
9 academic curriculum shall define academic objectives to be
10 achieved by all pupils and shall be based upon the school
11 district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil
12 performance objectives. The core academic curriculum may vary
13 from the recommended model core academic curriculum content
14 standards recommended by the state board pursuant to
15 subsection (2).
16 (b) After consulting with teachers and school building
17 administrators, determine the aligned instructional program for
18 delivering the core academic curriculum and identify the courses
19 and programs in which the core academic curriculum will be
20 taught.
21 (4) The board may supplement the core academic curriculum by
22 providing instruction through additional classes and programs.
23 (5) For all pupils, the subjects or courses, and the delivery
24 of those including special assistance, that constitute the
25 curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure the pupils have a
26 realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required
27 by the district's core academic curriculum in order to give all
1 pupils a reasonable
opportunity to attain a state-endorsed
2 diploma state endorsement under section 1279. A
subject or
3 course required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to
4 subsection (3) shall be provided to all pupils in the school
5 district by a school district, a consortium of school districts,
6 or a consortium of 1 or more school districts and 1 or more
7 intermediate school districts.
8 (6) To the extent practicable, the state board may adopt or
9 develop academic objective-oriented high standards for knowledge
10 and life skills, and a recommended core academic curriculum, for
11 special education pupils for whom it may not be realistic or
12 desirable to expect achievement of novice level or initial
13 mastery of the state board recommended model core academic
14 content standards objectives or of a high school diploma.
15 (7) The state board shall make available to all nonpublic
16 schools in this state, as a resource for their consideration, the
17 recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
18 developed for public schools pursuant to subsection (2) for the
19 purpose of assisting the governing body of a nonpublic school in
20 developing its core academic curriculum.
21 (8) Excluding special education pupils, pupils having a
22 learning disability, and pupils with extenuating circumstances as
23 determined by school officials, a pupil who does not score
24 satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade Michigan educational
25 assessment program reading test shall be provided special
26 assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his
27 or her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.
1 (9) Any course that would have been considered a nonessential
2 elective course under Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich
3 517 (1984), on April 13, 1990 shall continue to be offered to
4 resident pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.
5 (10) The parenting learning objectives required to be
6 included in the recommended model core academic curriculum
7 content standards shall be designed to teach children about early
8 childhood development, caregiving, and parenting in order to
9 enhance pupils' understanding of the responsibilities of being a
10 parent and a caring person, to teach positive ways to respond to
11 stressful situations, and, by exposing pupils to caregiving
12 alternatives that they might never have experienced, to decrease
13 the likelihood of child abuse and neglect; shall be integrated as
14 much as practicable into the academic curriculum; and shall be
15 included beginning in kindergarten. A school district that
16 includes parenting in its curriculum may contract for the
17 development of the curricular materials. To the extent that
18 instruction in parenting includes any instruction of the type
19 described in section 1507, that type of instruction shall not be
20 offered unless it is submitted to the advisory board process
21 described in section 1507.
22 Sec. 1525. (1) Funds appropriated by the legislature to
23 support professional development and education shall be allocated
24 substantially as follows:
25 (a) Twenty percent to the department.
26 (b) Fifteen percent to intermediate school districts on an
27 equal amount per pupil basis based on the memberships of
1 constituent districts.
2 (c) Sixty-five percent to school districts on an equal amount
3 per pupil basis.
4 (2) The funds described in subsection (1) may be used for the
5 following:
6 (a) Professional development programs for administrators and
7 teachers. These programs shall emphasize the improvement of
8 teaching and pupils' learning of academic core curriculum
9 objectives, as measured by Michigan educational assessment
10 program and other criterion - reference assessments;
11 collaborative decision making; site-based management; the process
12 of school improvement; instructional leadership; and the use of
13 data and assessment instruments to improve teaching and learning
14 for all pupils.
15 (b) A biennial education policy leadership institute. The
16 state board shall organize and convene a biennial education
17 policy leadership institute for the governor, the lieutenant
18 governor, the state board, the state superintendent, the
19 legislature, and the presidents of the state board approved
20 teacher education institutions, and the staff of each as may be
21 considered appropriate, to examine the most current public
22 education policy issues and initiatives and the appropriate role
23 of policy leaders.
24 (c) A statewide academy for school leadership established by
25 the state board.
26 (d) Community leadership development. The state board, in
27 conjunction with intermediate school districts, shall conduct a
1 leadership development training program in each school district
2 for members of the community.
3 (e) Promotion of high educational standards. The state
4 board, in collaboration with the business community and
5 educators, shall coordinate and assist in the promotion of a
6 statewide public education and information program concerning the
7 need to achieve world class educational standards in the public
8 schools of this state.
9 (f) Sabbatical leaves. School districts shall provide
10 sabbatical leaves for up to 1 academic year for selected master
11 teachers who aid in professional development.
12 (g) Professional development programs for teachers on
13 teaching parenting information and skills and integrating the
14 teaching of parenting education into the curriculum beginning in
15 kindergarten.
16 (h) (g) Any
other purpose authorized in the appropriation
17 for professional development in the state school aid act of
18 1979.
19 (3) In order to receive professional development funding
20 described in subsection (1), each school district and
21 intermediate school district shall prepare and submit to the
22 state board for approval an annual professional development
23 plan.
24 (4) The state board may disapprove for state funding proposed
25 professional development that the state board finds to be 1 or
26 more of the following:
27 (a) Not in furtherance of core academic curriculum needs.
1 (b) Not constituting serious, informed innovation.
2 (c) Of generally inferior overall quality or depth regardless
3 of who sponsors or conducts the education or training.
4 (d) Not complying with the requirements of section 1526.