STRICT DISCIPLINE ACADEMIES H.B. 4945:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4945 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Pamela Hornberger
Senate Committee: Education and Career Readiness
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
-- Amend the definition of "authorizing body" to allow a board of a school district to be an authorizing body, instead of a board of a school district that operates grades K to 12.
-- Require a strict discipline academy to assess pupil progress using at least the Michigan Student Test of Education Progress (M-STEP) or the Michigan Merit Exam, as applicable.
Authorizing Bodies
Strict discipline academies are a type of public school authorized under the Michigan Constitution. The powers granted to a strict discipline academy are provided for under the Code. Under the Code, specified entities may act as an authorizing body to issue a contract to organize a strict discipline academy. "Authorizing body" means any of the following entities that issues a contract as provided in the Code:
-- The board of a school district that operates grades K to 12
-- An intermediate school board.
-- The board of a community college.
-- The governing board of a State public university.
Under the bill, where the definition refers to "the board of a school district that operates grades K to 12", the bill instead would refer to "the board of a school district".
Strict Discipline Academies; Pupil Progress
Under the Code, in order to obtain a contract to organize and operate one or more strict discipline academies, one or more people or an entity may apply to an authorizing body. An application must include the documentation meeting the application requirements of the authorizing body, including a copy of the educational goals of the strict discipline academy and the curricula to be offered and methods of pupil assessment to be used by the academy. To the extend applicable, the progress of the pupils in the academy must be assessed using at least a Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test or an assessment instrument developed under the Code for a State-endorsed high school diploma.
Under the bill, pupil progress instead would have to be assessed using at least the M-STEP or the Michigan merit exam, as applicable.
MCL 380.1311 et al. Legislative Analyst: Dana Adams
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State or local intermediate school districts, school districts, or public school academies.
Kathryn Summers
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.