MEAP TESTS FOR HOME-SCHOOLERS
House Bill 4521
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Switalski
Committee: Education
Complete to 4-11-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4521 AS INTRODUCED 3-27-01
House Bill 4521 would amend the Revised School Code to require the Department of Treasury to make Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests available to home-schooled students, to score the tests, and to calculate and report to the legislature the average score on each test for public school students, as well as an average score for home-schooled students. The bill also would require home-schooled students to take the MEAP tests and submit the results to the department, or lose their exemption from public school attendance requirements.
More specifically, the department would be required to submit a report at least annually to the legislature, that included all of the following information for each MEAP test in each applicable grade level: a) the number of public school students who took the test in the previous school year, and the average score on the test; and b) the number of home-schooled children who took the test in the previous school year, and the average score on the test. The bill also would require the department to develop and implement guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance with this provision, and also ensure accurate reporting of information. They would include guidelines and procedures: for administration of MEAP tests to home-schooled children; for submission of completed tests to the Department of Treasury; and, to ensure that if a MEAP test were administered to a home-schooled child by a public school, the child's test scores would be included in calculating the information reported for home-schooled students (that is, their average score) rather than for public school students.
Currently, home-schooled students are exempt from public school attendance requirements when they are being educated by a parent or guardian in an organized educational program that enables them to study reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar. Under the bill, the attendance exemption would apply only if the home-schooled child took the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) tests for each subject area in which those tests were administered to public school students in the child's grade level, and the completed tests were submitted to the Department of Treasury.
MCL 380.1295 and 380.1561
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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.