February 19, 2003, Introduced by Senators GARCIA, JOHNSON, BISHOP, GOSCHKA, LELAND, ALLEN, SWITALSKI, JELINEK and BARCIA and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending section 1481 (MCL 380.1481), as added by 2000
PA 230.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 1481. (1) Not
later than the beginning of the
2 2000-2001 school year,
the The Michigan
virtual university shall
3 develop, implement, and operate the Michigan virtual high school,
4 as described in this section.
5 (2) The Michigan virtual high school shall have the following
6 goals:
7 (a) Significantly expand curricular offerings for high
8 schools across this state through agreements with school
9 districts or licenses from other recognized providers.
10 (b) Create a statewide instructional model using interactive
1 multimedia tools delivered by electronic means, including, but
2 not limited to, the internet, digital broadcast, or satellite
3 network, for distributed learning at the high school level.
4 (c) Provide pupils with opportunities to develop skills and
5 competencies through on-line learning.
6 (d) Offer high school teachers opportunities to learn new
7 skills and strategies for developing and delivering instructional
8 services.
9 (e) Accelerate this state's ability to respond to current and
10 emerging educational demands.
11 (f) Grant high school diplomas through a dual enrollment
12 method with school districts.
13 (g) Act as a broker for college level equivalent courses, as
14 defined in section 1471, and dual enrollment courses from
15 postsecondary education institutions.
16 (3) The Michigan virtual high school course offerings shall
17 include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
18 (a) Information technology courses.
19 (b) College level equivalent courses, as defined in section
20 1471.
21 (c) Courses and dual enrollment opportunities.
22 (d) At-risk programs and services.
23 (e) General education development test preparation courses
24 for adjudicated youth.
25 (f) Special interest courses.
26 (g) Professional development programs and services for
27 teachers.
1 (4) In addition to its other duties under this section, the
2 Michigan virtual university shall work with the department and
3 other appropriate state agencies to explore the development and
4 delivery of a full curriculum for migrant pupils that would be
5 available through
distance learning. The Michigan virtual
6 university and the
department shall submit a joint report on
7 their findings under
this subsection to the legislature not later
8 than 1 year after the
effective date of this section.
9 (5) In addition to its other duties, not later than the
10 beginning of the 2004-2005 school year, the Michigan virtual
11 university shall develop and offer a course for high school
12 pupils on basic finance. The board of a school district or board
13 of directors of a public school academy that operates a high
14 school shall offer the course as an elective for high school
15 pupils and shall grant appropriate high school credit for
16 successful completion of the course. The course shall include
17 coverage of at least all of the following topics:
18 (a) Use of consumer credit.
19 (b) Understanding mortgages.
20 (c) How to close a mortgage or other consumer financial
21 transaction.
22 (d) Credit scores and their effect on individuals.
23 (e) Costs of borrowing money.
24 (6) (5) Nonpublic
school students and home-schooled
25 children may participate in course offerings of the Michigan
26 virtual high school to the same extent they are allowed to
27 participate in school district course offerings under this act
1 and the state school aid
act of 1979. , 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1601
2 to 388.1772.
3 (7) (6) The
Michigan virtual university shall fund the
4 Michigan virtual high school from appropriations made for this
5 purpose and may also use funds received from other sources. The
6 department shall provide technical assistance as requested by the
7 Michigan virtual university for the purposes of this section.