SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR'S CERTIFICATE S.B. 673 (S-1) & 674 (S-1):
FIRST ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 673 (Substitute S-1 as passed by the Senate)
Senate Bill 674 (Substitute S-1 as passed by the Senate)
Sponsor: Senator Ron Jelinek (S.B. 673) Senator Michael Switalski (S.B.674)
Committee: Education


Date Completed: 9-20-05

RATIONALE


The School Code of 1974 included a provision requiring that all school administrators be certified according to standards and procedures developed by the Department of Education. As part of an extensive revision of the School Code, this certification requirement was deleted in 1995 to allow qualified individuals from varied backgrounds to become school administrators. Although the Revised School Code contains continuing education requirements for school administrators, it provides no standards or qualifications to become a school administrator. Michigan evidently is the only state that does not require certification for school administrators. Some people believe that establishing voluntary certification for school administrators would help to create more consistent leadership in schools, and to enhance public confidence in the State's school leaders.

CONTENT The bills would amend the Revised School Code to require the State Board of Education to develop a voluntary school administrator's certificate, and standards and procedures for implementation. The bills also would permit the Board to develop certificate endorsements, and would establish fees for the certificates, as well as other fees.
The bills are tie-barred to each other.

Senate Bill 673 (S-1)
The bill would require the State Board of Education to develop a school administrator's certificate for school district and intermediate school district superintendents, school principals, assistant principals, and other administrators whose primary responsibility was administering instructional programs. The bill would permit the Board to develop appropriate certificate endorsements for school administrators, by elementary, secondary, and central office level. No person would be required to have a school administrator's certificate or endorsement to be employed as an administrator by a school district, public school academy, intermediate school district, or nonpublic school.
The State Board of Education would have to develop standards and procedures to address at least all of the following: application for and issuance of certificates; the suspension and revocation of the certificates and endorsements; educational and professional experience requirements; and continuing education requirements for periodic recertification. The standards and procedures for suspension and revocation would have to be based on the standards and procedures for taking action against a person's teaching certificate in the Code.


In developing these standards, the Department of Education would be required to consult and work with appropriate professional organizations, primarily those representing superintendents and building-level administrators. The Department also could recognize performance-based professional learning programs offered by State professional associations for the purposes of adding specialty area endorsements for a school administrator's certificate. The programs would have to be approved by the Department based on alignment with school administrator program preparation standards approved by the Board of Education.

Senate Bill 674 (S-1)
The Code includes a school administrator's certificate application fee of $125 for in-State applicants and $175 for out-of-State applicants. The bill would retain that provision, and would delete a school administrator's permit fee of $125. The bill also would add a school counselor license application fee of $125 for in-State applicants and $175 for out-of-State applicants. The renewal or reinstatement application fee for a school counselor license would be $125. The bill specifies that an individual holding a valid teaching certificate with a school counseling endorsement would not be required to hold a school counselor license in order to serve in a counseling role.


The Code currently requires application fees of $125 for a vocational temporary authorization and $125 for an occupational education certificate. The bill would retain those fees for in-State applicants and for both certificates would raise the fees for out-of-State applicants to $175.


Proposed MCL 380.1536 (S.B. 673)
MCL 380.1538 (S.B. 674)
ARGUMENTS (Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)

Supporting Argument According to various studies, effective administrators are the key to successful schools. This research shows that good leaders serve several crucial functions in schools. One Michigan task force found that effective principals need specific knowledge and skills in three basic areas: instructional leadership, organizational leadership, and community leadership (Elevating Educational Leadership Task Force Report, Marianne Yared McGuire, 8-8-02). According to the report, proficiencies in these areas should be "based on a core of technical knowledge about teaching, learning, curriculum, assessment, team building and other essential skills." Currently, however, in Michigan there are no State mandates for school administrators to ensure that they have the necessary skills and competency. A certification process that established a set of standards for school administrators would help to ensure that they have the proficiencies required to be effective administrators. These standards also would help universities in developing a curriculum for administrators, and would build public confidence in the schools' leaders.


In addition, a certification process for administrators would give them an opportunity to demonstrate their professionalism, and would allow administrators from other states to maintain their certification when they moved to Michigan. As a result, the proposed certification process could help address the shortage of principals that Michigan reportedly is experiencing (A Study of Michigan's School Principal Shortage, Philip A. Cusick, January 2003). By keeping certification voluntary, however, the bills would not create a hurdle to those interested in entering the profession.


Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker

FISCAL IMPACT Senate Bill 673 (S-1)


The Department of Education would see increased administrative costs associated with the development of a school administrator's certificate, and the development of accompanying requirements for original and renewal licensure.

Senate Bill 674 (S-1)


The State would see increased restricted revenue due to new fees collected for the licensure of school counselors, and out-of-State applicant fees for vocational temporary authorization and occupational education certificate. Approximately 200-300 school counselors are expected to seek licenses annually, generating at least $25,000 in State restricted dollars. Also, if Senate Bill 673 were enacted, it is likely that the State would see increased restricted revenue from administrators' seeking licensure. However, an estimate is impracticable since administrator licensure would be optional under Senate Bill 673.


Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers-Coty

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. sb673&674/0506