HB-4316, As Passed House, March 30, 2017

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4316

A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

"The revised school code,"

by amending section 1278a (MCL 380.1278a), as amended by 2015 PA

186.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

Sec. 1278a. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section

or section 1278b, beginning with pupils entering grade 8 in 2006,

the board of a school district or board of directors of a public

school academy shall not award a high school diploma to a pupil

unless the pupil meets all of the following:

(a) Has successfully completed all of the following credit

requirements of the Michigan merit standard before graduating from

high school:

(i) At least 4 credits in mathematics that are aligned with

subject area content expectations developed by the department and

approved by the state board under section 1278b, including

completion of at least algebra I, geometry, and algebra II, or an

integrated sequence of this course content that consists of 3

credits, and an additional mathematics credit, such as

trigonometry, statistics, precalculus, calculus, applied math,

accounting, business math, a retake of algebra II, or a course in

financial literacy as described in section 1165. A pupil may

complete algebra II over 2 years with 2 credits awarded or over 1.5

years with 1.5 credits awarded for the purposes of this section and

section 1278b. A pupil also may partially or fully fulfill the

algebra II requirement by completing a department-approved formal

career and technical education program or curriculum, such as a

program or curriculum in electronics, machining, construction,

welding, engineering, computer science, or renewable energy, and in

that program or curriculum successfully completing the same content

as the algebra II benchmarks assessed on the department-prescribed

state high school assessment, as determined by the department. The

department shall post on its website guidelines for implementation

of the immediately preceding sentence. Each pupil must successfully

complete at least 1 mathematics course during his or her final year

of high school enrollment. This subparagraph does not require

completion of mathematics courses in any particular sequence.

(ii) At least 3 credits in social science that are aligned

with subject area content expectations developed by the department

and approved by the state board under section 1278b, including

completion of at least 1 credit in United States history and

geography, 1 credit in world history and geography, 1/2 credit in

economics, and the civics course described in section 1166(2). The

1/2-credit economics requirement may be satisfied by completion of

at least a 1/2-credit course in personal economics that includes a

financial literacy component as described in section 1165, if that

course covers the subject area content expectations for economics

developed by the department and approved by the state board under

section 1278b.

(iii) At least 1 credit in subject matter that includes both

health and physical education aligned with guidelines developed by

the department and approved by the state board under section 1278b,

or at least 1/2 credit in health aligned with guidelines developed

by the department and approved by the state board under section

1278b and at least 1/2 credit awarded by the school district or

public school academy for approved participation in extracurricular

athletics or other extracurricular activities involving physical

activity.

(iv) At least ~~1 credit in visual arts, performing arts, or~~

~~applied arts, as defined by the department, that is~~ 3 credits in

21st century skills described in section 1278d, aligned with

guidelines developed by the department and approved by the state

board under section 1278b. ~~A school district or public school~~

~~academy is strongly encouraged to offer visual arts and performing~~

~~arts courses.~~

(v) The credit requirements specified in section 1278b(1).

(b) Meets the online course or learning experience requirement

of this subsection. A school district or public school academy

shall provide the basic level of technology and internet access

required by the state board to complete the online course or

learning experience. For a pupil to meet this requirement, the

pupil shall meet either of the following, as determined by the

school district or public school academy:

(i) Has successfully completed at least 1 course or learning

experience that is presented online, as defined by the department.

(ii) The pupil's school district or public school academy has

integrated an online experience throughout the high school

curriculum by ensuring that each teacher of each course that

provides the required credits of the Michigan merit curriculum has

integrated an online experience into the course.

(2) ~~In addition to the requirements under subsection (1),~~

~~beginning with pupils entering grade 3 in 2006, the board of a~~

~~school district or board of directors of a public school academy~~

~~shall not award a high school diploma to a pupil unless the pupil~~

~~has successfully completed during grades K to 12 at least 2 credits~~

~~that are grade-appropriate in a language other than English or~~

~~course work or other learning experiences that are substantially~~

~~equivalent to 2 credits in a language other than English, based on~~

~~guidelines developed by the department. For pupils who graduate~~

~~from high school in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021 only, a~~

~~pupil may partially or fully fulfill 1 credit of this requirement~~

~~by completing a department-approved formal career and technical~~

~~education program or curriculum or by completing visual or~~

~~performing arts instruction that is in addition to the requirements~~

~~under subsection (1)(a)(~~iv). The board of a school district or

board of directors of a public school academy is strongly

encouraged to ensure that all pupils complete at least 1 credit in

a language other than English, as described in section 1278d, in

grades K to 6. ~~For the purposes of this subsection, all of the~~

~~following apply:~~

~~(a) American sign language is considered to be a language~~

~~other than English.~~

~~(b) The pupil may meet all or part of this requirement with~~

~~online course work.~~

(3) The requirements under this section and section 1278b for

a high school diploma are in addition to any local requirements

imposed by the board of a school district or board of directors of

a public school academy. The board of a school district or board of

directors of a public school academy, as a local requirement for a

high school diploma, may require a pupil to complete the Michigan

merit examination under section 1279g or may require a pupil to

participate in the MIAccess assessments if appropriate for the

pupil.

(4) For the purposes of this section and section 1278b, all of

the following apply:

(a) A pupil is considered to have completed a credit if the

pupil successfully completes the subject area content expectations

or guidelines developed by the department that apply to the credit.

For a career and technical education credit, a school district or

public school academy may supplement those content expectations and

guidelines with additional guidelines developed by the school

district or public school academy.

(b) A school district or public school academy shall base its

determination of whether a pupil has successfully completed the

subject area content expectations or guidelines developed by the

department that apply to a credit at least in part on the pupil's

performance on the assessments developed or selected by the

department under section 1278b or on 1 or more assessments

developed or selected by the school district or public school

academy that measure a pupil's understanding of the subject area

content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit.

grant a pupil a credit if the pupil earns a qualifying score, as

determined by the department, on the assessments developed or

selected for the subject area by the department under section 1278b

or the pupil earns a qualifying score, as determined by the school

district or public school academy, on 1 or more assessments

developed or selected by the school district or public school

academy that measure a pupil's understanding of the subject area

content expectations or guidelines that apply to the credit.

(5) If a high school is designated by the superintendent of

public instruction as a specialty school and the high school meets

the requirements of subsection (6), then the pupils of the high

school are not required to successfully complete the 4 credits in

English language arts required under section 1278b(1)(a) or the 3

credits in social science required under subsection (1)(a)(ii) and

the school district or public school academy is not required to

ensure that each pupil is offered the curriculum necessary for

meeting those English language arts or social science credit

requirements. The superintendent of public instruction may

designate up to 15 high schools that meet the requirements of this

subsection as specialty schools. Subject to this maximum number,

the superintendent of public instruction shall designate a high

school as a specialty school if the superintendent of public

instruction finds that the high school meets all of the following

criteria:

(a) The high school incorporates a significant reading and

writing component throughout its curriculum.

(b) The high school uses a specialized, innovative, and

rigorous curriculum in such areas as performing arts, foreign

language, extensive use of internships, or other learning

innovations that conform to pioneering innovations among other

leading national or international high schools.

(6) A high school that is designated by the superintendent of

public instruction as a specialty school under subsection (5) is

only exempt from requirements as described under subsection (5) as

long as the superintendent of public instruction finds that the

high school continues to meet all of the following requirements:

(a) The high school clearly states to prospective pupils and

their parents that it does not meet the requirements of the

Michigan merit standard under this section and section 1278b but is

a designated specialty school that is exempt from some of those

requirements and that a pupil who enrolls in the high school and

subsequently transfers to a high school that is not a specialty

school meeting the requirements of this subsection will be required

to comply with the requirements of the Michigan merit standard

under this section and section 1278b.

(b) For the most recent year for which the data are available,

the mean scores on both the mathematics ~~and science portions of the~~

~~ACT examination~~ portion of the SAT examination and the science

portion of the applicable state assessment for the pupils of the

high school exceed by at least 10% the mean scores on the

mathematics ~~and science portions of the ACT examination~~ portion of

the SAT examination and the science portion of the applicable state

assessment for the pupils of the school district in which the

greatest number of the pupils of the high school reside.

the high school had a graduation rate of at least 85%, as

determined by the department.

(d) For the most recent year for which the data are available,

at least 75% of the pupils who graduated from the high school the

preceding year are enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

(e) All pupils of the high school are required to meet the

mathematics credit requirements of subsection (1)(a)(i), with no

modification of these requirements under section 1278b(5), and each

pupil is offered the curriculum necessary to meet this requirement.

(f) All pupils of the high school are required to meet the

science credit requirements of section 1278b(1)(b) and are also

required to successfully complete at least 1 additional science

credit, for a total of at least 4 science credits, with no

modification of these requirements under section 1278b(5), and each

pupil is offered the curriculum necessary to meet this requirement.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

after the date it is enacted into law.