SENATE BILL No. 697

 

 

August 31, 2005, Introduced by Senator THOMAS and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1279h.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1279h. (1) Beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, the

 

board of a school district or intermediate school district or board

 

of directors of a public school academy shall ensure that each

 

pupil in grades 4 to 12 develops a pupil portfolio with the

 

assistance of his or her parents or persons in parental relation;

 

school personnel; and other interested persons. A pupil portfolio

 

shall contain information about the pupil's academic and

 

nonacademic goals, accomplishments, and experiences, as described

 

in subsection (2). School officials shall ensure that the pupil

 

portfolio is given to the pupil or parent when the pupil leaves the


 

school district or public school academy.

 

     (2) A pupil portfolio shall contain at least the following 4

 

chapters:

 

     (a) A record of plans. This chapter shall include, but is not

 

limited to, records of annual academic and nonacademic plans that

 

the pupil intends to follow during the next few years.

 

     (b) A record of academic achievement. This chapter shall

 

include academic transcripts, Michigan education assessment program

 

test results, career and technical education transcripts, and

 

examples of the pupil's schoolwork that demonstrate the pupil's

 

academic proficiencies and creative nature. This chapter also may

 

include, but is not limited to, the results of any other statewide

 

subject matter assessment test and nationally normed achievement

 

test that the pupil has taken.

 

     (c) A record of job preparation and community involvement.

 

This chapter may include, but is not limited to, records of

 

vocational or career and technical training, work experience,

 

participation in clubs and organizations, volunteerism, and civic

 

involvement.

 

     (d) A record of recognitions. This chapter may include, but is

 

not limited to, records of nonacademic awards and certificates,

 

letters of recommendation, and personal statements about the pupil.

 

     (3) The board of a school district or intermediate school

 

district or board of directors of a public school academy, taking

 

into consideration the requirements of a pupil portfolio that are

 

set forth in subsection (2), shall determine the chapters and the

 

chapter contents that each pupil portfolio shall contain. The board


 

or board of directors may appoint a pupil portfolio advisory

 

committee comprised of classroom teachers, school guidance

 

counselors, pupils, parents, and community members to make

 

recommendations on this matter to the board or board of directors.

 

After determining the chapters and chapter contents of a pupil

 

portfolio, the board or board of directors shall forward an outline

 

of the school district's pupil portfolio requirements to the

 

department.

 

     (4) A board or board of directors shall ensure all of the

 

following:

 

     (a) That a copy of a pupil's pupil portfolio is maintained in

 

a portable format, such as a computer disk or CD-ROM.

 

     (b) That, if a pupil transfers to another school district or

 

public school in this state, a copy of the pupil's pupil portfolio

 

is transferred to that school district or public school.

 

     (c) That a tamper-proof copy of the pupil's pupil portfolio is

 

made available to the pupil upon graduation from high school.

 

     (5) Upon request, the department shall provide to school

 

districts and public school academies models of, and assistance in

 

developing, pupil portfolios.

 

     (6) If the department determines that there are additional

 

costs to public schools to implement this section, the legislature

 

shall appropriate additional funding for public schools as

 

necessary to compensate for those costs.