S.B. 159: COMMITTEE SUMMARY - ENDORSED HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

Senate Bill 159 (as introduced 2-12-97)

Sponsor: Senator Mike Rogers

Date Completed: 3-4-97

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to delete the current requirements concerning the awarding of a State-endorsed high school diploma and to require, instead, that a State endorsement appear on a graduate's high school diploma and transcript upon completion of specified assessment instruments. The actual test score achieved by the graduate on each of the assessment instruments would have to be printed on the State endorsement.

Under the bill, the board of a school district or public school academy would have to include a State endorsement on a graduate's high school diploma and high school transcript for each high school graduate of a school district or public school academy who had completed each of the assessment instruments specified in the Revised School Code in the subject areas of communication skills, mathematics, science, and, beginning with pupils scheduled to graduate in 2000, social studies. If a graduate had repeated an assessment instrument for a subject area, the highest test score achieved by the graduate on an assessment instrument for that subject area would be the score printed on the State endorsement for that subject area.

The Revised School Code permits any person, upon payment of a reasonable fee, to take the State-endorsed diploma test and, upon achieving the initial mastery level in a subject area, have his or her high school diploma State-endorsed for that subject area. Under the bill, any person could take one or more State-endorsed diploma assessments, upon payment of a reasonable fee. Upon completion of all available assessments, the person could have his or her high school diploma State-endorsed with his or her test scores for each subject area.

The Code requires the State Board of Education to develop or select and approve assessment instruments to determine pupil proficiency in communication skills, mathematics, social studies, and science. The assessment instruments must be based on the State Board model core academic content and standards objectives. All assessment instruments developed or selected and approved by the State under any statute or rule for a purpose related to K-12 education must be objective-oriented and consistent with the State Board model core academic "curriculum". The bill would refer, instead, to State Board model core academic "content standards objectives".

The bill also would delete current provisions that do the following:

-- Establish endorsement requirements for students who were scheduled to graduate from high school in 1994, 1995, 1996, including achieving a passing score on at least one of the following: a locally adopted and State-approved basic proficiency test, the general education test, or the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test as specified in the Revised School Code.

-- Require a State endorsement for pupils scheduled to graduate from high school in 1997 and 1998 who achieve the academic objectives required by the State Board, as measured by an assessment instrument developed by or selected and approved by the State Board.

-- Require the State Board to establish a novice level score for each State-endorsed diploma assessment.

-- Provide for the reevaluation of a pupil who does not achieve the scores specified in the Act.

-- Require that a special education student scheduled to graduate in 1994, 1995, or 1996, who passed an alternative form of assessment permitted under the State School Aid Act, receive the applicable endorsement.

MCL 380.1279 - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

- Fiscal Analyst: E. Pratt

S9798\S159SA

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.