Education Employee Health Care and Retirement Reform
The Michigan House and Senate will soon be addressing what they have termed the health care and retirement crisis facing school districts across the State by introducing legislation designed to help school districts provide affordable benefits. The proposed legislation will impact current employee health plans as well as future employee retirement benefits.

The Senate will be addressing Health Care while the House will be focusing on Retirement reform.

The Senate has introduced Senate Bills 895-898, which would make it easier for school districts to enter into health insurance pools or to self-insure as an individual district. Included in the bills are the following:

Note: This bill may also include a defined contribution provision which does not have MASA support at this time. We will work through the legislative process to address this.

See the Michigan ASCD website (www.michiganascd.org) for “Frequently Asked Questions” about the proposed Health Benefits and Retirement Reform.

Suspension and Expulsion of Students
Senate Bill 288 is intended to revise the School Code to allow a district school board or an authorized school official to suspend or expel a pupil who is convicted of possessing or selling a controlled substance or a controlled substance analogue whether the activity occurred on or off the school property if, in the judgment of the board or its designees, the interest of the school would be served by the order or authorization.

School Lockdown Drills
House Bill 4460 would amend the Fire Prevention Code to require that school officials conduct two lockdown drills each school year. A lockdown drill would require the confinement of the students, the securing of the premises, and other security measures as appropriate to an emergency such as the release of hazardous materials or the presence of an armed individual near the premises. Currently, the code requires that eight fire drills must be held each year. This bill would reduce the number of fire drills to six (with at least 4 in the fall and two in the remainder of the year) and add two lockdown drills.

Prorating Per Pupil Allocation
House Bill 4276 is aimed at students who transfer from one school district to another after the membership count day. It is intended to transfer money from the district in which the pupil was originally enrolled in membership to the district that receives the transferring student on a prorated basis.

High School Reform
The Michigan Department of Education has been engaged in a detailed study over the past year on the issue of improving Michigan high schools. The result was presented to the State Board of Education at its November 15, 2005 meeting. It includes many recommendations for high school reform. Currently, the only course requirement in Michigan for all students is civics.
Included in the recommendations is the completion of a Michigan Merit Curriculum that includes a Michigan Merit Core and a 21st Century Applied Learning Core.

The Michigan Merit Core for all students would include:

• four years of English language arts;
• one year each of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and an additional math class in the senior year;
• one year each of Biology; Physics or Chemistry; and one additional year of science;
• three years of social science, which must include a semester of civics and a semester of economics;
• one year of health or physical education; and
• one year of fine arts, which may include music, art, or theater courses.
  Other recommendations include
• Participation in the Michigan Merit Examination or MI-Access in the spring of the junior year.
• Completion of an online credit or noncredit course or learning experience.

The above recommendations are to be implemented for each and every student beginning with the freshman class of 2006-2007 (the graduating class of 2010). If legislation to support this requirement has not been signed into law by March 1, 2006, the requirement will begin with the freshman class of 2007-08.

Because some districts may not be able to immediately implant all of the recommended graduation requirements due to serious constraining local needs and circumstances, a provision to have those districts file a phase-in plan with the Michigan Department of Education is provided. Approval will be on a case-by-case basis.

In recognition that some students may not be able to complete the entire Michigan Merit Curriculum in spite of accommodations and support mechanisms, an opt-out provision is available after the third of high school with parental permission. Such a student would then be able to pursue other options in their senior year.

Note! This month, the State Board of Education dealt with the “what” of high school reform. At its December meeting, it is anticipated that it will deal with aspects of the “how “of high school reform.
A complete analysis of the new requirements with sample delivery formats and a glossary are available at the Michigan ASCD website: www.michiganascd.org.

For public comment on High School Reform recommendations, click here.

High School Content Expectations
The State Board of Education received a draft of the High School Content Expectations for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics at its November meeting. Both a field and a national review of the draft plans is expected to begin in November. Plans are to have both general content and course specific content expectations for ELA, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science by the end of the 2006-07 course year. To review the draft High School Content Expectations for ELA and Mathematics, go to the Michigan ASCD website: www.michiganascd.org

Adequate Yearly Progress
A discussion about minimum subgroup size for Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP) and a recommendation by the State Department of Education on this subject took place at the November meeting. No resolution was agreed to and the State Board of Education will revisit this issue at its December Board meeting. To review the discussion of the issues regarding AYP and proposed recommendations for minimum subgroup size, go to the Michigan ASCD website: www.michiganascd.org.