Mandatory High School Curriculum Requirements
State Superintendent Mike Flanagan informed the State Board of Education that adding 18 mandatory credits to the high school curriculum has generally received good editorial and media support throughout the state. The high school curriculum requirements need to be passed by the legislature by March 1, 2006 to implement them for the next school year. To view the 18 credit recommendations, go to www.michiganascd.org/resources/HSrequirements121305.pdf.

School Improvement Framework Approved
The State Board of Education approved the School improvement Framework which is slated to be implemented a year from now. Workshops in the spring are scheduled to explain the purpose and use of the Framework. See www.michiganascd.org.

Proposed State Technology Plan
A report on the new Michigan’s Educational Technology Plan was presented and discussed. Representatives of many educational associations and groups (Michigan ASCD included) developed the plan which is expected to be adopted at a future board date. All members of the State Board of Education agreed that funding for implementation of the plan is going to be a major problem.
www.michiganascd.org/resources/TechPlan122105.pdf

Performance Standards Approved for MEAP/MI-Access
The State Board unanimously approved performance standards for the new Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) and MI-Access test. The standards determine the level of student performance in English for grades 3 through 8 and for science in grades 5 and 8 and social studies in grades 6-9. Under federal law, both MEAP and MI-Access had to have grade level assessments in grades 3-8 by the fall. MEAP will have 4 levels of performance: exceeds state standards; met state standards; basic; and apprentice. For MI-Access, there are three levels of performance: surpassed the performance standard; attained the performance standard; and emerging toward the performance standard.

Ed Roeber , Director of the Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability, cautioned that changes in test scores from last year cannot be validly interpreted as measures of a student’s growth due to the many changes that have occurred form the last time the standards were recommended until now: changes in content and design of the tests; the change from spring to fall testing; the number of grades that are assessed; and the additional uses of assessment data.
www.michiganascd.org/resources/MEAP-MIaccess122105.pdf

Approval of the Michigan Educational Technology Standards for grades 9-12
For the 2006 school year, the State Board of Education focus will include teacher preparation standards and technology.

Mathematics Grade Level Content Expectation Clarification Document
The Department, in conjunction with the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, will develop a Mathematics Grade Level Content Expectations Clarification document . Work is expected to be finished by June. Grade level groups will work to emphasize the connections across the strands within a grade level. Strand experts will work to make sure there is cohesiveness within the strand across the grades.

Employee Background Checks
The Michigan State Police has completed their criminal history check of all school employees who were reported in the June, 2005 REP. As a result, the Michigan Department of Education will provide to the presidents of school boards and school superintendents a list of school employees with a recorded criminal conviction. The Department is requesting an opinion from the Attorney General’s office whether or not this list is protected by FOIA or other laws.

Administrative Certification
SB 673 and 674 would amend the Revised School Code to require the State Board of Education to develop a voluntary school administrator’s certificate of certification that would include standards and procedures for implementation. The bill would also permit the Board to develop certificate endorsements and would establish fees for the certificates, as well as other fees. No person will be required to have an administrator certificate or endorsement to be an employee as an administrator. The proposed fee for an administrator certificate would be $125 for in-State applicants and $175 for out-of-state applicants. In addition, the bills would create a school counselor license application fee of $125 for in-State applicants and $175 for out-of-state applicant.

Health Care
SBs895-898 creates catastrophic claims insurance pools, and makes it easier for school districts to enter into insurance health pools. The bills also releases school district claims data.

Retirement
HB 4947 creates a graded health insurance policy, prohibits retirees from receiving free health insurance (up to 5 years) until they hit their 30th year of employment, and prevents individuals from purchasing time until they have accumulated two full years of service credit.

Instruction Funding
HB 4975 proposes to ensure that at least 65% of the general operating school budget for the fiscal year is expanded for instruction.