MICHIGAN MERIT EXAMINATION H.B. 4810 (S-2) & 4811 (H-1):
SUMMARY OF BILL
REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
House Bill 4810 (Substitute S-2 as reported)
House Bill 4811 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative David W. Martin (H.B. 4810)
Representative Brad Paquette (H.B. 4811)
Senate Committee: Education and Career Readiness
CONTENT
House Bill 4810 (S-2) would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
-- Delete a provision requiring the assessment instruments portion of the Michigan Merit Examination (MME) to require a writing component in which the pupil produces an extended writing sample.
-- Require the MME to be aligned with Michigan's content standards.
-- Modify a provision requiring a school district or public school academy (PSA) to include on a high school graduate's transcript the pupil's scaled score on each subject area component of the MME.
-- Modify the dates on which the MME must be administered.
-- Require the MME to be administered to certain pupils enrolled in a middle college program.
-- Require the Department of Education (MDE) to include, on each report made by the Department that included the statewide assessment results for a school building, the scores for the statewide assessment and the graduation rate for consortium pupils with the scores for the school building in the participating district in which the consortium pupil was enrolled or otherwise would attend.
House Bill 4811 (H-1) would repeal Section 104b of the State School Act, which requires a district to administer the MME in order to receive State aid under the Act and generally prescribes the requirements of the MME.
MCL 380.1279g (H.B. 4810) Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
388.1704b (H.B. 4811)
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government. It is unclear if the State would jeopardize Federal funding by not requiring the writing component of the MME. If the State lost Federal funding, then the State could have reduced appropriations to the Department and to local school districts and PSAs. If the State were allowed to remove the writing component, then there would be a reduction to assessment costs to administer and grade the assessment at the State and local level, which could be significant. If the State continued to administer the MME's writing component, then there would be no fiscal impact.
Districts and PSAs could experience reduced costs by removing the requirement to include a student's scaled score for each subject of the MME on high school transcripts. This would reduce the costs to process and print high school transcripts. Overall savings would depend on the changes to the operations for each high school.
Date Completed: 5-19-22 Fiscal Analyst: Cory Savino, PhD
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.