Act No. 22

Public Acts of 2020

Approved by the Governor

January 31, 2020

Filed with the Secretary of State

January 31, 2020

EFFECTIVE DATE:  January 31, 2020

 

state of michigan

100th Legislature

Regular session of 2020

Introduced by Senators Theis and Moss

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 650

AN ACT to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled An act to make appropriations to aid in the support of the public schools, the intermediate school districts, community colleges, and public universities of the state; to make appropriations for certain other purposes relating to education; to provide for the disbursement of the appropriations; to authorize the issuance of certain bonds and provide for the security of those bonds; to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to create certain funds and provide for their expenditure; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts, by amending section 23a (MCL 388.1623a), as amended by 2018 PA 586.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 23a. (1) A dropout recovery program operated by a district qualifies for the special membership counting provisions of section 6(4)(dd) and the hours and days of pupil instruction exemption under section 101(12) if the dropout recovery program meets all of the following:

(a) Enrolls only eligible pupils.

(b) Provides an advocate and teacher of record. An advocate may serve in that role for more than 1 pupil but not more than 50 pupils. An advocate or teacher of record may be employed by the district or may be provided by an education management organization that is partnering with the district. Before an individual is assigned to be an advocate or teacher of record for a pupil in the dropout recovery program, the district must comply with sections 1230 and 1230a of the revised school code, MCL 380.1230 and 380.1230a, with respect to that individual.

(c) Develops a written learning plan.

(d) Monitors the pupils progress against the written learning plan.

(e) Requires each pupil to make satisfactory monthly progress, as defined by the district under subsection (2).

(f) Reports the pupils progress results to the partner district at least monthly.

(g) The program may be operated on or off a district school campus, but may be operated using distance learning online only if the program provides a computer and internet access for each eligible pupil participating in the program.

(h) Is operated throughout the entire calendar year.

(i) If the district partners with an education management organization for the program, the education management organization has a dropout recovery program partnership relationship with at least 1 other district.

(2) A district operating a dropout recovery program under this section shall adopt a definition of satisfactory monthly progress that is consistent with the definition of that term under subsection (3).

(3) As used in this section:

(a) Advocate means an adult available to meet in person with assigned pupils, as needed, to conduct social interventions, to proctor final examinations, and to provide academic and social support to pupils enrolled in the districts dropout recovery program.

(b) Education management organization means a private provider that operates 1 or more other dropout recovery programs that meet the requirements of this section in partnership with 1 or more districts.

(c) Eligible pupil means a pupil who has been expelled from school under the mandatory expulsion provisions in section 1311 or 1311a of the revised school code, MCL 380.1311 and 380.1311a, a pupil who has been suspended or expelled from school under a local policy, a pupil who is referred by a court, a pupil who is pregnant or is a parent, a pupil who was previously a dropout, or a pupil who is determined by the district to be at risk of dropping out.

(d) Satisfactory monthly progress means an amount of progress that is measurable on a monthly basis and that, if continued for a full 12 months, would result in the same amount of academic credit being awarded to the pupil as would be awarded to a general education pupil completing a full school year. Satisfactory monthly progress may include a lesser required amount of progress for the first 2 months a pupil participates in the program.

(e) Teacher of record means a teacher who holds a valid Michigan teaching certificate; who, if applicable, is endorsed in the subject area and grade of the course; and is responsible for providing instruction, determining instructional methods for each pupil, diagnosing learning needs, assessing pupil learning, prescribing intervention strategies, reporting outcomes, and evaluating the effects of instruction and support strategies. If the district partners with an education management organization for the program, the teacher of record may be employed by or contracted through the education management organization.

(f) Written learning plan means a written plan developed in conjunction with the advocate that includes the plan start and end dates, courses to be taken, credit to be earned for each course, teacher of record for each course, and advocate name and contact information.

 

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

 

Secretary of the Senate

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Approved___________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Governor