INTERNSHIP ACADEMIC CREDITS H.B. 4106 (H-4) & 5676:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4106 (Substitute H-4 as passed by the House)
House Bill 5676 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Beau Matthew LeFave (H.B. 4106)
Representative Brandt Iden (H.B. 5676)
House Committee: Workforce and Talent Development
Senate Committee: Economic Development and International Investment
CONTENT
House Bill 4106 (H-4) would amend the revised school code to do the following:
-- Require a school district or board of directors of a public school academy to grant high school credit to a pupil in grades 9-12 for the completion of an internship or work experience if the internship or work experience met certain requirements.
-- Allow a board or board of directors to deny credit to a pupil for specific reasons.
-- Provide for a method that would allow the pupil to appeal the denial of credit for an internship or work experience.
House Bill 5676 would amend the State School Aid Act to specify that a pupil could not be considered less than a full-time equated pupil solely because of the effect of his or her engagement in an internship or work experience on the number of class hours provided by the district to the pupil.
The bills are tie-barred. Each bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.
House Bill 4106 (H-4)
The bill would require the board of a school district or the board of directors of a public school academy to grant high school credit to a pupil in grades 9-12 for the completion of an internship or work experience if the pupil attended the internship or work experience at least four hours per week for the same number of weeks as necessary to earn credit in a traditional course in that school district or public school academy. The board or board of directors, or its designee, could not require a pupil to attend the internship or work experience more than 10 hours per week.
If a pupil a pupil engaged in an internship or work experience qualifying for credit that was determined to be academically appropriate by the board or board of directors, or its designee, and if the pupil's parent or legal guardian granted permission, the board or board of directors would have to ensure that the pupil was excused from at least one period of instructional time during each day that the pupil attended the internship or work experience, as determined appropriate by the board or board of directors.
The board or board of directors would have to exercise oversight of the pupil's internship or work experience as necessary to ensure that the pupil met the requirements under the bill.
A board or board of directors could deny high school credit to a pupil if any of the following applied, as determined by the board or board of directors:
-- The pupil had a history of course failure or was not on track to graduate in four years.
-- The pupil previously earned credit for an internship or work experience with the same employer, unless the new internship or work experience was materially different than the internship or work experience for which he or she previously had earned credit, as determined by the board or board of directors.
-- The pupil failed to request credit for engaging in an internship or work experience before his or her school schedule for the current term was determined.
-- The pupil previously engaged in an internship or work experience but failed to satisfy its requirements.
-- The pupil failed to complete a reflection project, if required by the board or board of directors.
-- The internship or work experience was not consistent with the pupil's educational development plan, as determined by the board or board of directors.
-- The employer for which the internship or work experience was performed was unable to demonstrate that it complied with all applicable general liability coverage requirements of the Worker's Disability Compensation Act.
-- The cost of oversight exceeded 16.67% of the minimum foundation allowance for the current fiscal year for the school district or public school academy in which the pupil was enrolled, as calculated under the State School Aid Act.
The board or board of directors could require a pupil engaging in an internship or work experience to complete a reflection project. If a board or board of directors required a reflection project, the reflection could include all of the following:
-- A copy of the pupil's time card from the internship or work experience.
-- A resume that included the internship or work experience.
-- A written summary of the internship or work experience.
If a board or board of directors denied a pupil credit for an internship or work experience, the pupil could appeal the denial by submitting an appeal letter to the superintendent of the intermediate school district in which the pupil's school was located. An appeal letter would have to include the board's reasons for the denial and the pupil's argument for reversing it. The superintendent would be required to uphold or reverse the denial within five business days of receiving the appeal letter. If the superintendent reversed the denial, the board or board of directors would have to award the pupil credit for the internship or work experience.
The bill could not be construed to affect the applicability of any existing State or Federal law concerning the employment of minors.
House Bill 5676
Under the State School Aid Act, the amount of State aid a district receives is based largely on the number of pupils, or "full-time equated memberships", in the district. The number of class hours used to calculate full-time equated memberships must be based on pupil membership counts submitted to the Center for Educational Performance and Information by the district superintendent, as required by the Act.
In determining full-time equated memberships for pupils who are enrolled in a postsecondary institution, a pupil must not be considered to be less than a full-time equated pupil solely because of the effect of his or her postsecondary enrollment, including necessary travel time, on the number of class hours provided by the district to the pupil.
Under the bill, in determining full-time equated memberships for pupils enrolled in a postsecondary institution or for pupils engaged in an internship or work experience, a pupil could not be considered to be less than a full-time equated pupil solely because of the effect of his or her postsecondary enrollment or engagement in the internship or work experience, including necessary travel time, on the number of class hours provided by the district to the pupil.
Proposed MCL 380.1279h (H.B. 4106) Legislative Analyst: Nathan Leaman
MCL 388.1606 (H.B. 5676)
FISCAL IMPACT
House Bill 4106 (H-4)
The bill would have no impact on the State or the Department of Education and an indeterminate impact on school districts and public school academies. There could be varying costs from requiring school districts to grant high school credit for students who completed internship or work experience and the corresponding oversight responsibilities. However, many school districts and public school academies already have various forms of internship and work experience options, which likely would limit costs. Only districts and academies that do not currently have internship and work experience options or those that would have to make significant changes to oversight would experience additional costs. Many districts and academies would likely see no fiscal impact from the bill.
House Bill 5676
Under current pupil accounting rules, a pupil is counted in membership while in an internship experience. Therefore, the bill would have no fiscal impact on the State or local units of government.
Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers
Cory Savino
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.