TEACHER PROBATION; EVALUATIONS S.B. 744:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 744 (as introduced 3-6-24)
Sponsor: Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet
CONTENT
The bill would amend certain provisions concerning teacher probationary periods under the teachers' tenure Act.
Generally, the Act prescribes a probationary period for the first five full years of a teacher's employment. To complete a probationary period, a teacher must receive a performance evaluation rating of effective or highly effective on the teacher's three most recent annual performance evaluations within this five-year period.
Beginning July 1, 2024, the Act allows a teacher to complete the teacher's probationary period within four years if the teacher receives the following ratings on three consecutive year-end performance evaluations:
-- Before July 1, 2024, highly effective.
-- After July 1, 2024, effective.[1]
The bill would amend these provisions to allow a teacher who received an effective rating before July 1, 2024, to count that rating towards the teacher's required three positive year-end performance evaluations. Additionally, the bill specifies that these ratings would not have to be consecutive and could include the year-end performance evaluation in the final year of the probationary period.
MCL 38.83b Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Cory Savino, PhD
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.
[1] Before July 1, 2024, school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies must use the following categories to rate teacher performance: highly effective, effective, minimally effective, and ineffective. Public Act 224 of 2023 amended the teacher performance evaluation system to provide that, beginning July 1, 2024, teachers must be rated using the following categories: effective, developing, and needing support.
SAS\S2324\s744sa
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.