February 2, 2005, Introduced by Rep. Moolenaar and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1996 PA 160, entitled
"Postsecondary enrollment options act,"
by amending section 3 (MCL 388.513), as amended by 2004 PA 594.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 3. As used in this act:
(a) "Community college" means a community college established
under the community college act of 1966, 1966 PA 331, MCL 389.1 to
389.195, or under part 25 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451,
MCL 380.1601 to 380.1607, or a federal tribally controlled
community college located in this state that is recognized under
the tribally controlled community college assistance act of 1978,
25 USC 1801 to 1852, and is determined by the department to meet
the requirements for accreditation by a recognized regional
accrediting body.
(b) "Department" means the department of education.
(c) "Eligible charges" means tuition and mandatory course
fees, material fees, and registration fees required by an eligible
institution for enrollment in an eligible course. Eligible charges
also include any late fees charged by an eligible postsecondary
institution due to the school district's failure to make a required
payment according to the timetable prescribed under this act.
Eligible charges do not include transportation or parking costs or
activity fees.
(d) "Eligible course" means a course offered by an eligible
postsecondary institution that is not offered by the school
district in which the eligible student is enrolled, or that is
offered by the school district but is determined by the board of
the school district to not be available to the eligible student
because of a scheduling conflict beyond the eligible student's
control; that is an academic course not ordinarily taken as an
activity course; that is a course that the postsecondary
institution normally applies toward satisfaction of degree
requirements; that is not a hobby craft or recreational course; and
that is in a subject area other than physical education, theology,
divinity, or religious education. However, until the 2006-2007
school year, for an eligible student who has not achieved state
endorsement in all subject areas under section 1279 of the revised
school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279, an eligible course is
limited to a course in a subject area for which he or she has
achieved state endorsement, a course in computer science or foreign
language not offered by the school district, or a course in fine
arts as permitted by the school district. Beginning with
eligibility to participate under this act during the 2006-2007
school year, for an eligible student who has not achieved a
qualifying score in each subject area on a readiness assessment or
the Michigan merit examination, as applicable for the student, an
eligible course is limited to a course in a subject area for which
he or she has achieved a qualifying score, a course in computer
science or foreign language not offered by the school district, or
a course in fine arts as permitted by the school district.
(e) "Eligible postsecondary institution" means a state
university, community college, or independent nonprofit degree-
granting college or university that is located in this state and
that chooses to comply with this act.
(f) "Eligible student" means, except as otherwise provided in
this subdivision, a student enrolled in at least 1 high school
class in at least grade 11 in a school district in this state,
except a foreign exchange pupil enrolled in a school district under
a cultural exchange program. Until the 2006-2007 school year, to
be an eligible student a student must have achieved state
endorsement in all subject areas under section 1279 of the revised
school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1279, and the student shall not
have been enrolled in high school for more than 4 school years
including the school year in which the student seeks to enroll in
an eligible course under this act. However, if the student has not
achieved state endorsement in all subject areas under that section,
the student is an eligible student only for the limited purpose of
enrolling in 1 or more eligible courses under this act in a subject
area for which he or she has achieved state endorsement, in
computer science or foreign language not offered by the school
district, or in fine arts as permitted by the school district.
Beginning with eligibility to participate under this act during the
2006-2007 school year, to be an eligible student a student who has
not taken the Michigan merit examination must have achieved a
qualifying score in all subject areas on a readiness assessment and
a student who has taken the Michigan merit examination must have
achieved a qualifying score in all subject areas on the Michigan
merit examination, and the student shall not have been enrolled in
high school for more than 4 school years including the school year
in which the student seeks to enroll in an eligible course under
this act. However, if the student has not achieved a qualifying
score in all subject areas on a readiness assessment or the
Michigan merit examination, as applicable for the student, the
student is an eligible student only for the limited purpose of
enrolling in 1 or more eligible courses under this act in a subject
area for which he or she has achieved a qualifying score, in
computer science or foreign language not offered by the school
district, or in fine arts as permitted by the school district. For
the purposes of determining whether a pupil has been enrolled in
high school for more than 4 school years, a pupil who is enrolled
in high school for less than 90 days of a school year due to
illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the pupil or
the pupil's parent or guardian is not considered to be enrolled in
high school for that school year.
(g) "Intermediate school district" means that term as defined
in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.
(h) "Michigan merit examination" means that examination
developed under section 1279g of the revised school code, 1976 PA
451, MCL 380.1279g.
(i) "Qualifying score" means a score on a readiness assessment
or the Michigan merit examination that has been determined by the
superintendent of public instruction to indicate readiness to
enroll in a postsecondary course in that subject area under this
act.
(j) "Readiness assessment" means assessment instruments that
are aligned with state learning standards; that are used nationally
to provide high school students with an early indication of college
readiness proficiency in English, mathematics, reading, social
studies, and science and may contain a comprehensive career
planning program; and that are approved by the superintendent of
public instruction for the purposes of this act.
(k) "School district" means that term as defined in section 6
of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, a local act
school district as defined in section 5 of the revised school code,
1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5, or a public school academy as defined in
section 5 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.
(l) "State university" means a state institution of higher
education described in section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the
state constitution of 1963.