Signed by Governor Rick Snyder

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes an A to F letter rating system for schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the Michigan Department of Education to develop a statewide system of accountability measurements to improve the national educational ranking of this state (Sec. 1280G).

• Requires that, no later than September 1, 2019, the department to assign a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F, for each of the following indicators for each public school (Sec. 1280G):

• Pupil proficiency in mathematics and english language arts, as measured by the percentage of all pupils who achieve proficiency on the proficiency on the applicable state assessment, as determined by the department;

• Pupils who achieve adequate growth in mathematics and english language arts on the applicable state assessment;

• Pupils who are english language learners and who achieve adequate growth toward proficiency in the english language, as determined by the department and as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act;

• The graduation rate of pupils enrolled in high school, as applicable and as defined by and reported to cepts; and

• The academic performance of the public school’s pupils on the applicable state assessment compared to pupil performance on the applicable state assessment for all public schools serving a similar pupil population.

• Authorizes the measure of adequate growth to incorporate reporting of pupil growth measures, as reported by the model value-added growth and projection analytics system implemented by the department, and will be based on the following, as determined by the department by (Sec. 1280G):

• Pupil growth measured from fall to spring of the same school year or from the spring of one school year to the spring of the next school year, as appropriate based on the timing of applicable state assessments;

• Pupils who scored proficient on the immediately preceding applicable state assessment and who at least maintained a score of proficient on the immediately preceding applicable state assessment and who at least maintained a score of proficient on the most recent applicable state assessment; and

• Pupils who scored less than proficient on the immediately preceding applicable state assessment and who demonstrate growth sufficient to reach proficiency in 3 school years.

• Requires that, no later than September 1 of 2019, the department is to assign a ranking of significantly above average, above average, average, below average, or significantly below average to each public school for each of the following indicators (Sec. 1280G):

• The rate of pupils who are chronically absent as defined by and reported to CEPI;

• The participation rate for each applicable state assessment, based on pupils who are assigned to take each applicable state assessment; and

• Pupil Subgroup performance compared to pupils in the same subgroup statewide, as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

• Requires the Department to not consider a pupil who meets both of the following (Sec. 1280G):

• Is eligible for special education programs and services according to statute or rule or is a child with disabilities; or

• Is not required to participate in a state assessment.

• Requires the Department to develop standards for identifying public schools as falling into categories of performance and adequate achievement (Sec. 1280G).

• Requires the Department to develop standards for identifying the lowest achieving public schools as comprehensive support and improvement schools, as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (Sec. 1280G).

• Requires a public school that meets any of the following to be identified as a comprehensive support and improvement school (Sec. 1280G):

• Is a high school that graduates less than ⅔ of its pupils;

• Receives the lowest grade on all of the indicators; and

• Meets any other criteria for a comprehensive support and improvement school under the Every Student Succeeds Act as determined by the Department.

• Specifies that the number of public schools in this state identified as comprehensive support and improvement school to not exceed a number equal to 5 percent of all public schools in this state (Sec. 1280G).

• Requires the Department to develop standards for identifying high achieving public schools as rewards schools (Sec. 1280G).

• Requires a public school that meets any of the following to be identified as a reward school (Sec. 1280G):

• Is a high school that graduates at least 99 percent of its pupils;

• Receives the highest grade on any of the indicators; and

• Meets any other criteria for identification as a reward school, as determined by the department.

• Requires the department to also develop standards for all of the following (Sec. 1280G):

• Identifying public schools in which 1 or more groups of pupils are consistently underperforming as targeted support and improvement schools;

• Identifying public schools in which the the performance of 1 or more groups of pupils would place those pupils in the bottom 5 percent of Title I Schools; and

• Identifying public schools in any other categorization required under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Full Bill Text