September 7, 2011, Introduced by Senator EMMONS and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1996 PA 160, entitled
"Postsecondary enrollment options act,"
by amending section 3 (MCL 388.513), as amended by 2005 PA 180; and
to repeal acts and parts of acts.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 3. (1) As used in this act:
(a) "Community college" means a community college established
under the community college act of 1966, 1966 PA 331, MCL 389.1 to
389.195, or under part 25 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451,
MCL 380.1601 to 380.1607, or a federal tribally controlled
community college located in this state that is recognized under
the tribally controlled community college assistance act of 1978,
25 USC 1801 to 1852, and is determined by the department to meet
the requirements for accreditation by a recognized regional
accrediting body.
(b) "Department" means the department of education.
(c) "Eligible charges" means tuition and mandatory course
fees, material fees, and registration fees required by an eligible
institution for enrollment in an eligible course. Eligible charges
also include any late fees charged by an eligible postsecondary
institution due to the school district's failure to make a required
payment according to the timetable prescribed under this act.
Eligible charges do not include transportation or parking costs or
activity fees.
(d) "Eligible course" means a course offered by an eligible
postsecondary institution that is not offered by the school
district in which the eligible student is enrolled, or that is
offered by the school district but is determined by the board of
the school district to not be available to the eligible student
because of a scheduling conflict beyond the eligible student's
control; that is an academic course not ordinarily taken as an
activity course; that is a course that the postsecondary
institution normally applies toward satisfaction of degree
requirements; that is not a hobby craft or recreational course; and
that is in a subject area other than physical education, theology,
divinity,
or religious education. However, until the 2006-2007
school
year, for an eligible student who has not achieved state
endorsement
in all subject areas under section 1279 of the revised
school
code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279, an eligible course is
limited
to a course in a subject area for which he or she has
achieved
state endorsement, a course in computer science or foreign
language
not offered by the school district, or a course in fine
arts
as permitted by the school district. Beginning with
eligibility
to participate under this act during the 2006-2007
school
year, for an eligible student who has not achieved a
qualifying
score in each subject area on a readiness assessment or
the
Michigan merit examination, as applicable for the student, an
eligible
course is limited to a course in a subject area for which
he
or she has achieved a qualifying score, a course in computer
science
or foreign language not offered by the school district, or
a
course in fine arts as permitted by the school district.
(e) "Eligible postsecondary institution" means a state
university, community college, or independent nonprofit degree-
granting college or university that is located in this state and
that chooses to comply with this act.
(f) "Eligible student" means, except as otherwise provided in
this subdivision, a student enrolled in at least 1 high school
class
in at least grade 11 in a school district or state approved
nonpublic school in this state, except a foreign exchange pupil
enrolled
in a school district under a cultural exchange program.
Until
the 2006-2007 school year, to be an eligible student a
student
must have achieved state endorsement in all subject areas
under
section 1279 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL
380.1279,
and, However, subject to subsection (2), the student
shall not have been enrolled in high school for more than 4 school
years including the school year in which the student seeks to
enroll
in an eligible course under this act. However, if the
student
has not achieved state endorsement in all subject areas
under
that section, the student is an eligible student only for the
limited
purpose of enrolling in 1 or more eligible courses under
this
act in a subject area for which he or she has achieved state
endorsement,
in computer science or foreign language not offered by
the
school district, or in fine arts as permitted by the school
district.
Beginning with eligibility to participate under this act
during
the 2006-2007 school year, to be an eligible student a
student
who has not taken the Michigan merit examination must have
achieved
a qualifying score in all subject areas on a readiness
assessment
and a student who has taken the Michigan merit
examination
must have achieved a qualifying score in all subject
areas
on the Michigan merit examination, and, subject to subsection
(2),
the student shall not have been enrolled in high school for
more
than 4 school years including the school year in which the
student
seeks to enroll in an eligible course under this act.
However,
if the student has not achieved a qualifying score in all
subject
areas on a readiness assessment or the Michigan merit
examination,
as applicable for the student, the student is an
eligible
student only for the limited purpose of enrolling in 1 or
more
eligible courses under this act in a subject area for which he
or
she has achieved a qualifying score, in computer science or
foreign
language not offered by the school district, or in fine
arts
as permitted by the school district. For
the purposes of
determining the number of years a pupil has been enrolled in high
school, a pupil who is enrolled in high school for less than 90
days of a school year due to illness or other circumstances beyond
the control of the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian is not
considered to be enrolled in high school for that school year.
(g) "Intermediate school district" means that term as defined
in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.
(h)
"Michigan merit examination" means that examination
developed
under section 1279g of the revised school code, 1976 PA
451,
MCL 380.1279g.
(i)
"Qualifying score" means a score on a readiness assessment
or
the Michigan merit examination that has been determined by the
superintendent
of public instruction to indicate readiness to
enroll
in a postsecondary course in that subject area under this
act.
(j)
"Readiness assessment" means assessment instruments that
are
aligned with state learning standards; that are used nationally
to
provide high school students with an early indication of college
readiness
proficiency in English, mathematics, reading, social
studies,
and science and may contain a comprehensive career
planning
program; and that are approved by the superintendent of
public
instruction for the purposes of this act.
(h) (k)
"School district" means
that term as defined in
section
6 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, a
local
act school district as defined in section 5 of the revised
school
code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5, or a
public school academy as
defined in section 5 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL
380.5.
(i) "State approved nonpublic school" means that term as
defined in section 6 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL
380.6.
(j)
(l) "State
university" means a state institution of higher
education described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the
state constitution of 1963.
(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall promulgate
rules establishing criteria and procedures under which a student
who has been enrolled in high school for more than 4 years but not
more than 5 years may be considered to be an eligible student. The
rules shall address special circumstances under which a student may
qualify to be considered an eligible student under this subsection
and may limit the number of courses in which a student who
qualifies under this subsection may enroll. For the purposes of
determining the number of years a pupil has been enrolled in high
school, a pupil who is enrolled in high school for less than 90
days of a school year due to illness or other circumstances beyond
the control of the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian is not
considered to be enrolled for that school year.
Enacting section 1. Section 3a of the postsecondary enrollment
options act, 1996 PA 160, MCL 388.513a, is repealed.