DELAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TESTING REQUIREMENTS
House Bills 4433 and 4434
Sponsor: Rep. William Callahan
Committee: Education
Complete to 4-11-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 4433 AND 4434 AS INTRODUCED 3-8-01
Currently, the board of a school district or the board of directors of a public school academy (more customarily called a charter school) must administer annually, and to all students in grades 1 to 5, a nationally-recognized norm-referenced test, or another assessment (which can include a locally-adopted assessment if it is approved by the superintendent of public instruction). The law also specifies that a school district or charter school can use the Michigan literacy progress profile in order to assess literacy in grades 1 to 3. In addition, the law requires that when a school is designated to participate in the national assessment of education progress (NAEP), it must do so. An elementary school that refuses to test annually, or a school that refuses to participate in NAEP when it is designated to do so, is not accredited by the state.
The annual tests are expected to ascertain acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy. So, under the law, if a student in grade 3 fails by the end of the school year to meet standards for basic literacy or mathematics skills (as established by the superintendent of public instruction), the board of the student's school district must provide the student with the opportunity to attend summer school in language arts or mathematics before grade 4. These requirements, added to the law in the year 2000, are scheduled to go into effect during the 2000-2001 school year.
House Bill 4433 would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1280b and 380.1282a) to delay the requirement for annual testing of elementary school students in grades 1 to 5 until the 2002-2003 school year. House Bill 4434 would amend the State School Aid Act (MCL 388.1622b) for the same purpose.
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.