TEACHER CERT. BASIC SKILLS EXAM                                                                S.B. 889:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 889 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Marty Knollenberg

Committee:  Education

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to delete requirements that an individual pass the basic skills examination in order to receive a teaching certificate, and that a noncertificated, nonendorsed individual pass the basic skills exam in order to teach for more than one year.

Under the Code, the Superintendent of Public Instruction may issue a teaching certificate only to an individual who has passed appropriate examinations specified in the Code. The bill would remove the requirement that an individual pass the basic skills examination.

If a noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher desires to teach for more than one year, the teacher is qualified if he or she meets certain requirements, including having passed both a basic skills examination and a subject area examination, if a subject examination exists, in the field of specialization in which he or she will teach.

The bill would remove the requirement that a noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher pass the basic skills examination if he or she wishes to teach more than one year.

MCL 380.1233b & 380.1531                                        Legislative Analyst:  Nathan Leaman

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the Department of Education and an indeterminate impact on schools that hire noncertificated, nonendorsed teachers. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is used as the basic skills examination, which is paid for directly by individuals to The College Board, whether they are noncertificated, nonendorsed teachers or applicants for a teaching certificate. Removing the basic skills exam requirement for either category would not affect revenue generated by the Department. Also, the bill would not require significant changes to the current process of qualifying noncertificated, nonendorsed teachers or issuing teaching certificates.

Removing the basic skills examination requirement could increase the number of noncertificated, nonendorsed applicants. This could have varying impacts on the labor cost for hiring these teachers. However, these costs are indeterminate given the differences in the need of schools to hire noncertificated, nonendorsed teachers and labor market costs.

Date Completed:  3-21-18                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Cory Savino

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.