ISD EARLY INTERVENING PROGRAM S.B. 1039: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 1039 (as introduced 1-22-08)
Sponsor: Senator Nancy Cassis
Committee: Education
Date Completed: 2-20-08
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to permit an intermediate school district (ISD) to develop and make available to school districts and public school academies an early intervening model program for kindergarten to third grade.
The early intervening model program would have to be designed to instruct classroom teachers and support staff on how to monitor individual pupil learning and how to provide specific support or learning strategies to pupils as early as possible in order to reduce the need for special education placement.
The model program would have to include literacy and numeracy supports, sensory motor skill development, behavior supports, instructional consultation for teachers, and the development of a parent/school learning plan. Specific support or learning strategies could include support in or out of the general classroom in areas including reading, writing, math, visual memory, motor skill development, behavior, or language development. These would be provided based on an understanding of the individual child's learning needs.
In addition, the model program would have to include a school-wide system of academic and behavioral support based on a support team available to the classroom teachers. The members of that team could include the principal, special education staff, reading teachers, school psychologists, and other appropriate personnel who would be available to study the needs of the individual child systematically and work with the classroom teacher to match instruction to the child's needs.
An ISD could use funds received under Section 81 of the State School Aid Act for the purposes of developing and making available an early intervening program.
(Funding provided to an ISD under that section must be used to comply with requirements of the State School Aid Act and the Revised School Code that apply to ISDs and for which funding is not provided elsewhere in the Act.)
Proposed MCL 380.641 Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers-CotyAnalysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb1039/0708