January 31, 2017, Introduced by Reps. Kelly, Iden, Hughes, Alexander, Lilly, Hornberger, Garcia and Crawford and referred to the Committee on Education Reform.
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, aligned with guidelines developed by the
department and approved by the state board under section 1278b. For
the purposes of this subparagraph, the credits in 21st century
skills may be satisfied by successfully completing any combination
of 3 credits in the following:
(A) A language other than English as described in subsection
(2).
(B) Visual arts, performing arts, or applied arts, as defined
by the department. A school district or public school academy is
strongly encouraged to offer visual arts and performing arts
courses.
(C) Computer science or computer coding, or a combination of
these.
(D) A department-approved formal career and technical
education program.
(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 A pupil
may complete 1 or more credits in a language other than English
toward fulfilling the requirements under subsection (1)(a)(iv) by
completing at any time during grades K to 12 one or more 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 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 satisfy
all or part of this requirement
the requirements for a credit in a language other than English 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.
(c) A school district or public school academy shall also
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 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 for the pupils of the school district in
which the greatest number of the pupils of the high school reside.
(c) For the most recent year for which the data are available,
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.