House Bills 5881 and 5882
Sponsor: Rep. Dave Woodward
Committee: Education
Complete to 6-16-00
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 5881 AND 5882 AS INTRODUCED 6-8-00
House Bills 5881 and 5882 would revise the way a high school student's scores are reported under the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP).
Currently, in order to receive state aid, the board of school district or a public school academy must administer state assessments to high school students in the subject areas of communications skills (reading and writing), mathematics, science, and social studies (geography, history, economics, and American government). The scaled scores the students earn on the exams are included on their high school transcripts. [Under the law the superintendent of public instruction must establish three categories for each subject area in order to indicate 'basic competency', 'above average', and 'outstanding', and then also establish the scaled score range required for each category.] The subject matter assessments are administered to students for no longer than a total of eight hours during the last 30 days of grade 11, and the scored assessments are returned to students, their parents, and school districts or public school academies not later than the beginning of the students' first semester of grade 12. The law specifies that in reporting the scores to students, parents, and schools, the department must provide specific, meaningful, and timely feedback on the students' performance.
House Bill 5881 would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1279) to require that students' assessment scores by returned to them, their parents, and school districts or public school academies the immediately following July. In addition, the bill would require that the reports to each student's school include at least a copy of each assessment test, a report of the student's answer on each multiple choice question, a copy of the student's answer on each essay question, and a report of the student's score on each essay question.
Further, current law specifies that the state board together with the superintendent of public instruction develop scaled competency categories, develop or select and approve assessment instruments to measure pupil performance, set model core academic content standards, and in an annual comprehensive report to the legislature on the status of the assessment program describe any significant alterations made in the program, and include any recommendations for legislative changes. Under the bill, the state board's responsibility for these matters would be eliminated, and instead the responsibility would rest with the superintendent of public instruction or the department.
In addition, House Bill 5881 would eliminate two outdated provisions of the act, one which pertained to the students who took the high school MEAP assessments in 1998, and another that set the time within which the state board appointed its assessment administration advisory committee.
Finally, House Bill 5881 would change an inaccurate reference in the law from communication "arts", and substitute instead communication "skills". Under the law communication skills are defined as reading and writing.
House Bill 5882 would amend the State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1704a) to require that the assessments administered to students during the last 30 days of grade 11 be scored and returned not later than the immediately following July. Currently the law specifies the scores be returned not later than the beginning of the pupil's first semester of grade 12. Further, House Bill 5882 would require that the report to a pupil's school include at least a copy of each assessment test, a report of the pupil's answer on each multiple choice question, a copy of the pupil's answer on each essay question, and a report on the pupil's score on each essay question.
House Bill 5882 also would change an inaccurate reference in the law from communication "arts", and substitute instead communication "skills". Under the school aid act, communication skills are defined as reading and writing.
Analyst: J. Hunault