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STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Changes to the Personal Curriculum
Section 380.1278b(5) of the Michigan Merit Curriculum law on the Personal Curriculum has been revised to include language that applies to students transferring in district from out of state or from a non-public school. The parent or legal guardian of a transfer student from out of state or from a nonpublic school may request a personal curriculum to modify the requirements of the Michigan Merit Curriculum not otherwise allowed if the following are met:

Michigan Merit Curriculum Updates
Updates for Science; Social Studies; Online Experience; Visual, Performing and Applied Arts; and World Languages and the Personal Curriculum will be held across the state, at various Regional Rollout locations, beginning in January. Dates, locations, an agenda, and registration information can be found here.

Homeless Education Webinars
The Homeless Education Office has scheduled three webinars for Homeless Education Liaisons on January 9, 10, and 11, 2008. The topic for each session will be “McKinney-Vento 101”. During these interactive sessions, homeless liaisons will learn how to work with parents and students who are experiencing homelessness. Information on working with school staff will also be made available. Questions can be directed to the Homeless Education office at 517-241-1162 or email schuttet@michigan.gov.

Collaboration offers New Courses
The Michigan LearnPort is a web-based professional development delivery system created by a partnership between the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Virtual University. The following new courses are available from LearnPort to all Michigan educators:

• Building Fluency: Doing it Well and Doing it Right
• Differentiating Instruction in a High School Inclusion Setting
• Monitoring Comprehension
• Phonics: the Building Blocks of Early Reading
• Writing at High Levels in the Intermediate Grades
• Writing in the Content Areas: Understanding Content
• Feedback: A Powerful Tool for Raising Student Achievement in Mathematics
• Got the H.O.T.S. for Inquiry
• Linear Equations: A Hands-on Method for Teaching the Connections Among Equations, Tables, and Graphs
• Science and CSI: Weaving Science and Math Into Lessons That Teach Kids to Think
• Building Teacher Leader
• Exciting Teachers and Improving Student Achievement With Standards-Based Assessment Data
• Got History? Effective Practices
• Maximizing Instructional Time Through Positive Behavior Strategies
• Use the RELATE Think Sheet: A Cognitive Strategy for Inclusion Classrooms

More information on these courses can be found in the Michigan LearnPort Course Catalog.

Grade Level K-7 Science Content Expectations
The K-7 Grade Level Content Expectations for Science were approved by the State Board of Education at their December 1, 2007 meeting. They can be found on the GLCE website. The content expectations will be rolled out on January 28, 2008 at the MS UK-12 Outreach Conference.  Information and registration for this day-long Conference is available at www.educ.msu.edu/k12out.
 
Grade Level K-8 Social Studies Content Expectations
When the new K–8 Grade Level Content Expectations for Social Studies were adopted by the State Board of Education on October 1, 2007, their approval included a request for additional content expectations at grade four that addresses Michigan’s history beyond statehood. As a result, nine additional expectations were approved at the December 11, 2007 meeting and have been included in the updated v. 12-07 document. These also can be found on the GLCE website.

Charter Schools
Every year the State Board of Education reports to the Legislature on the current state of Charter Schools.  The Board has postponed this report for a month to present its annual report so that recommendations to expand the Board’s authority and a request for funding can be included.  The Board is seeking rulemaking authority for the Department of Education to have some additional control over charter school authorizers, as well as funds for some additional personnel to review those operations.

More Standards and Tests for Teachers
State Superintendent Michael Flanagan presented proposed plans to certify elementary school teachers.  Currently, the state has entry level standards for all Michigan Teachers and reading standards for all elementary teachers.  Under the proposed changes, in order to teach elementary school, a teacher-in-training must successfully complete one of the following two options:

• The “Core Option” which requires a major or two minors in Integrated Science, Elementary Math, Social Sciences, English Language Arts, or Reading; completion of a planned program that incorporates the other core content areas beyond the major or two minors and Health, Physical Education, and Arts.  In addition, the applicant must take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Elementary Education.
• The “Comprehensive Major” which requires a minimum of 45 credits in all of the core options and successful passage of the MTTC test, plus a minor in a world language, or student-centered specialty areas that include English as a Second Language, bilingual, K-12 Special Education, Birth to 8 Early Childhood, or Middle Level Grades 6-8.

The State Board of Education is expected to act on the adoption of these changes at their January 8th Board of Education meeting.  If adopted, the standards will provide the framework for a different Michigan test for teacher certification and a focused review of all elementary certificate programs.

Retiree Health Care
The legislature passed and the Governor signed Public Acts 110 and 111 that will make the following reforms in the school retiree health care plan:

• The plan affects education employees hired on or after June 29, 2008.
• New education employees will be vested in healthcare benefits at 10 years of service, at a coverage rate of 30%.  (Currently, 10 year employees are vested at 100%).
• New education employees will have 4 percent of the healthcare premium paid by the retirement system for each year they work to a maximum of 90 percent, at 25 years of service.
• New education employees will be prohibited from purchasing service credit without having earned at least two years of service credit on hours of service performed.
• New members who retire early as a result of purchasing service credits must pay for health care until the age they would have otherwise retired. 

Currently, all workers earning more than $15,000 have to contribute $510 and 4.3 percent of their salary to the retirement system.  Under Public Acts 110 and 111, new workers will still contribute $510 plus 6.4 percent of their salary to the retirement system.

ASCD to Lawmakers: We Stand for Sound Education Policy

Policy Papers Now Available

In its new 2007 legislative agenda, ASCD calls for sound policies in innovative high school redesign, closing the achievement gap, and school readiness and early development of the whole child.

High School Graduation Workgroup Formed
Governor Jennifer Granholm announced the formation of a bipartisan workgroup of lawmakers and lobbyists designed to figure out how to get more high school students to graduate.  The Governor’s goal is to double the number of the state’s college graduates.

Professional Development Opportunities