DUAL ENROLLMENT ELIGIBILITY H.B. 4546 (H-2) & 4547 (H-2):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4546 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)
House Bill 4547 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Bronna Kahle (H.B. 4546)
Representative Ben Frederick (H.B. 4547)
Ways and Means
Senate Committee: Education and Career Readiness
CONTENT
House Bill 4546 (H-2) would amend the Career and Technical Preparation Act to do the following:
-- Modify the definition of "eligible course" to include that a course would have to be offered in whole or in part when a district or State approved nonpublic school is either in session or, if approved, when not in session.
-- To require a district or the Department of Education (MDE), as applicable, when determining the proportion of the school year that an eligible student attended a career and technical preparation program, to take into account an eligible student's attendance at the program for an eligible course.
-- Require the MDE to publish guidelines for determining the prorated percentage of the Statewide pupil-weighted average foundation allowance by February 1, 2020.
-- Require the Department to update and republish guidelines by September 1, 2020 and every September 1 each year thereafter.
House Bill 4547 (H-2) would amend the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act to make substantially similar changes to the Act that House Bill 4546 (H-2) would make to the Career and Technical Preparation Act.
Each bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
House Bill 4546 (H-2)
Career & Technical Preparation Program; Definitions
A career and technical preparation program is a program that teaches a trade, occupation, or vocation and that is operated by an eligible postsecondary educational institution (State university, community college, or independent nonprofit degree-granting college or university that chooses to comply with the Act) located in Michigan. Upon request by an eligible student, the school district or State-approved nonpublic school in which he or she is enrolled must provide to the eligible student a letter signed by his or her principal indicating the student's eligibility. "Eligible student" means a student enrolled in at least one high school class in a school district or State approved nonpublic school in Michigan, except a foreign exchange student enrolled under a cultural exchange program or a student who does not have at least one parent or legal guardian who is a resident of the State. The bill would refer instead to a student enrolled in a student enrolled in a high school in a school district or State approved nonpublic school in Michigan.
The student may apply to a career and technical preparation program to enroll in one or more eligible courses offered by that program and, if accepted, may enroll in one or more of those courses. Under the Act, "eligible course" means a course offered by a career and technical preparation program that is offered for postsecondary credit or is part of a noncredit occupational training program leading an industry-recognized credential that is:
-- Not offered through a district, intermediate school district (ISD), area vocational-technical education program, or State approved nonpublic schools.
-- Is offered by these institutions but are unavailable to a student due to schedule conflicts beyond the eligible student's control.
-- Is a career and technical preparations course not ordinarily taken as an activity course.
-- Is a course that the program normally applies towards satisfaction of certificate, degree, or program completion requirements.
-- Is not a hobby, craft, or recreational course.
Under the bill, an eligible course also would have to be offered in whole or in part when the district or nonpublic school was in session or, if approved by the district or the nonpublic schools, could be offered when the district or nonpublic school was not in session.
Career & Technical Preparation Program; Payment
Under the Act, after an eligible student has enrolled in a program, and after the program's add/drop period has expired, the program must send a bill to the school or, in the case of a student enrolled in a State approved nonpublic school, the MDE, detailing the eligible charges for each eligible course in which that the student is enrolled. A district or, in the case of a student enrolled in a State approved nonpublic school, the Department of Treasury, must pay the program on behalf of the student an amount equal to the lesser of the amount of the charges or the prorated percentage of the statewide pupil-weighted average foundation allowance. The proration is based on the proportion of the school year that the eligible student attends the career and technical preparation program.
Under the bill, when determining the proportion of the school year that an eligible student attended a program, a district or the Department, as applicable, would have to take into account, according to guidelines published by the Department (as specified below), an eligible student's attendance at the program for an eligible course that occurred in whole or in part when the district was not in session during the summer immediately following that regularly scheduled school year.
By February 1, 2020, the Department would have to publish guidelines regarding how to determine the prorated percentage of the statewide pupil-weighted average foundation allowance in regard to dual enrollment courses. By September 1, 2020, and by September 1 of each year thereafter, the Department would have to update and republish the guidelines.
House Bill 4547 (H-2)
The bill would make substantially similar changes to the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act as House Bill 4546 (H-2) would make to the Career and Technical Preparation Act. (The Act enables qualified students to enroll in courses or programs in eligible postsecondary institutions to obtain postsecondary course credit.)
MCL 388.1903 et al. (H.B. 4546) Legislative Analyst: Dana Adams
388.513 et al. (H.B. 4547)
FISCAL IMPACT
To the extent the bills resulted in more participation in dual enrollment and career and technical education preparation courses offered when school was not in session, districts and public school academies (PSAs) would see an increase in costs to be paid out of a pupil’s foundation allowance, and the State would see an increase in costs for applicable participation by nonpublic students. Community colleges offering these dual enrollment courses when school was not in session would see an increase in revenue from districts and PSAs for public school students, and from the State for nonpublic students.
Kathryn Summers
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.