February 8, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Cheeks, Meisner, Gleason, Condino, Kathleen Law, Hunter, Lemmons, Jr., Byrnes, McConico, Williams, Anderson, Brown, Clack, Hopgood, Virgil Smith and Lemmons, III 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 2004 PA 596.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1278. (1) In addition to the requirements for
accreditation under section 1280 specified in that section, if the
board of a school district wants all of the schools of the school
district to be accredited under section 1280, the board shall
provide to all pupils attending public school in the district a
core academic curriculum in compliance with subsection (3) in each
of the curricular areas specified in the state board recommended
model core academic curriculum content standards developed under
subsection (2). The state board model core academic curriculum
content standards shall encompass academic and cognitive
instruction only. For purposes of this section, the state board
model core academic curriculum content standards shall not include
attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are not essential in the
legal, economic, and social structure of our society and to the
personal and social responsibility of citizens of our society.
(2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content
standards shall be developed and periodically updated by the state
board, shall be in the form of knowledge and skill content
standards that are recommended as state standards for adoption by
public schools in local curriculum formulation and adoption, and
shall be distributed to each school district in the state. The
recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall
set forth desired learning objectives in math, science, reading,
history, geography, economics, American government, and writing for
all
children at each stage of schooling; and in
life management,
including parenting education, for all children in grades 7-12; and
in parenting for all children in grades K-6. The recommended model
core academic curriculum content standards shall be based upon the
"Michigan K-12 program standards of quality" to ensure that high
academic standards, academic skills, and academic subject matters
are built into the instructional goals of all school districts for
all children. The state board also shall ensure that the Michigan
educational assessment program and the Michigan merit examination
are based on the state recommended model core academic curriculum
content standards, are testing only for proficiency in basic and
advanced academic skills and academic subject matter, and are not
used to measure pupils' values or attitudes.
(3) The board of each school district, considering academic
curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to
subsection (2), shall do both of the following:
(a) Establish a core academic curriculum for its pupils at the
elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The core academic
curriculum shall define academic objectives to be achieved by all
pupils and shall be based upon the school district's educational
mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil performance objectives.
The core academic curriculum may vary from the recommended model
core academic curriculum content standards recommended by the state
board pursuant to subsection (2).
(b) After consulting with teachers and school building
administrators, determine the aligned instructional program for
delivering the core academic curriculum and identify the courses
and programs in which the core academic curriculum will be taught.
(4) The board may supplement the core academic curriculum by
providing instruction through additional classes and programs.
(5) For all pupils, the subjects or courses, and the delivery
of those including special assistance, that constitute the
curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure the pupils have a
realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required by
the district's core academic curriculum. A subject or course
required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to subsection (3)
shall be provided to all pupils in the school district by a school
district, a consortium of school districts, or a consortium of 1 or
more school districts and 1 or more intermediate school districts.
(6) To the extent practicable, the state board may adopt or
develop academic objective-oriented high standards for knowledge
and life skills, and a recommended core academic curriculum, for
special education pupils for whom it may not be realistic or
desirable to expect achievement of initial mastery of the state
board recommended model core academic content standards objectives
or of a high school diploma.
(7) The state board shall make available to all nonpublic
schools in this state, as a resource for their consideration, the
recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
developed for public schools pursuant to subsection (2) for the
purpose of assisting the governing body of a nonpublic school in
developing its core academic curriculum.
(8) Excluding special education pupils, pupils having a
learning disability, and pupils with extenuating circumstances as
determined by school officials, a pupil who does not score
satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade Michigan educational
assessment program reading test shall be provided special
assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his or
her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.
(9) Any course that would have been considered a nonessential
elective course under Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich 517
(1984), on April 13, 1990 shall continue to be offered to resident
pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.
(10) The parenting learning objectives required to be included
in the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards
shall be designed to teach children about early childhood
development, caregiving, and parenting in order to enhance pupils'
understanding of the responsibilities of being a parent and a
caring person, to teach positive ways to respond to stressful
situations, and, by exposing pupils to caregiving alternatives that
they might never have experienced, to decrease the likelihood of
child abuse and neglect; shall be integrated as much as practicable
into the academic curriculum; and shall be included beginning in
kindergarten. A school district that includes parenting in its
curriculum may contract for the development of the curricular
materials. To the extent that instruction in parenting includes any
instruction of the type described in section 1507, that type of
instruction shall be not offered unless it is submitted to the
advisory board process described in section 1507.
Sec. 1525. (1) State and federal funds appropriated by the
legislature to support professional development and education may
be used for the following:
(a) Professional development programs for administrators and
teachers. These programs shall emphasize the improvement of
teaching and pupils' learning of academic core curriculum
objectives, as measured by Michigan educational assessment program,
the Michigan merit examination, and other criterion - reference
assessments; collaborative decision-making; site-based management;
the process of school improvement; instructional leadership; and
the use of data and assessment instruments to improve teaching and
learning for all pupils.
(b) A biennial education policy leadership institute. The
state board shall organize and convene a biennial education policy
leadership institute for the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
state board, the state superintendent, the legislature, and the
presidents of the state board approved teacher education
institutions, and the staff of each as may be considered
appropriate, to examine the most current public education policy
issues and initiatives and the appropriate role of policy leaders.
(c) A statewide academy for school leadership established by
the state board.
(d) A principal leadership academy. The department, in
collaboration with statewide associations of school principals,
shall establish the principal leadership academy. The principal
leadership academy shall consist of training for school principals
that is conducted by other school principals who have a record of
demonstrated success in improving pupil performance. The department
shall solicit input from school district superintendents and
intermediate superintendents to compile a list of successful school
principals who would likely be effective in conducting the training
at the principal leadership academy and shall select school
principals to conduct the training from this list. The training
shall include all aspects of successful school leadership,
including at least all of the following:
(i) Strategies for increasing parental involvement.
(ii) Strategies for engaging community support and involvement.
(iii) Creative problem-solving.
(iv) Financial decision-making.
(v) Management rights and techniques.
(vi) Other strategies for improving school leadership to
achieve better pupil performance.
(e) Community leadership development. The state board, in
conjunction with intermediate school districts, shall conduct a
leadership development training program in each school district for
members of the community.
(f) Promotion of high educational standards. The state board,
in collaboration with the business community and educators, shall
coordinate and assist in the promotion of a statewide public
education and information program concerning the need to achieve
world class educational standards in the public schools of this
state.
(g) Sabbatical leaves. School districts shall provide
sabbatical leaves for up to 1 academic year for selected master
teachers who aid in professional development.
(h) Professional development programs for teachers on teaching
parenting information and skills and integrating the teaching of
parenting education into the curriculum beginning in kindergarten.
(i) (h)
Any other purpose authorized in the appropriation
for professional development in the state school aid act of 1979.
(2) In order to receive professional development funding
described in subsection (1), each school district and intermediate
school district shall prepare and submit to the state board for
approval an annual professional development plan.
(3) The state board may disapprove for state funding proposed
professional development that the state board finds to be 1 or more
of the following:
(a) Not in furtherance of core academic curriculum needs.
(b) Not constituting serious, informed innovation.
(c) Of generally inferior overall quality or depth regardless
of who sponsors or conducts the education or training.
(d) Not in compliance with the requirements of section 1526.