2007 Senate Bill 842 (Require basic literacy to advance to 4th grade )

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Introduced by Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R) on October 24, 2007, to require a student to demonstrate having basic literacy skills to be promoted to fourth grade. Students would be tested after grades two and three.
- Referred to the Senate Education Committee on October 24, 2007.
  - Reported in the Senate on May 20, 2008, with the recommendation that the substitute (S-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the Senate on June 10, 2008, to not prohibit "social advancement" to 4th grade for students who haven't learned how to read, but insteat to to require school principles, teachers and administrators to have additional training in reading disabilities and instruction, and require the Department of Education to develop model remedial reading and intervention programs. The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on June 10, 2008.
Passed in the Senate (38 to 0) on June 11, 2008, to require school principles, teachers and administrators to have additional training in "the diagnosis and remediation of reading disabilities and differentiated instruction" as specified in the bill; and require the Department of Education to develop a model summer remedial reading program for first through fourth graders, and a model early intervention program for students who need help in reading. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the House on June 11, 2008.
- Referred to the Senate Education Committee on June 11, 2008.

Most Recent Comments

1) What staff?? [by Anonymous Citizen on July 23, 2008]
One of the major concerns I have about this bill is that it does not indicate in any specific way what type of person will provide the instruction to students who are struggling. In many districts, such as mine, teacher positions intended to focus on bringing up the reading levels of struggling students (Title 1 funded) are staffed by either "friends and family" or union favorites, not individuals who are highly qualified.

I am a Reading Specialist with a Ph.D. in Literacy and have applied for such positions - yet such positions have generally gone to individuals who do not possess advanced training in literacy. This is one reason, I believe, that the Detroit Public Schools will be refunding some monies to the federal government - they have been assigning unqualified individuals to such positions.

As this bill moves forward, great care should be taken to ensure that ALL districts prove that they are using highly qualified professionals (that would mean BR endorsed (Reading Specialists)) to provide instruction. Otherwise, this is just another means of allowing districts/unions to cherry pick jobs for relatives and friends rather than relying on the expertise of those who chose to follow the more difficult endorsement path.

Signed,
Sad person who just wanted to help kids read

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2) Good Analysis [by chris_domin on October 30, 2007]
I agree with the educator's comments.

As a side comment, metrics should be used to measure the schools performance for that district (but not to punish the district for non-performers preventing 100% compliance). Even though a statistical number of students will not perform or care about performance due to upbringing, circumstances, medical conditions, etc., It should not be the state's concern to ensure every single student "passes". There will always be some students outside the curve.

The state is responsible to it's taxpayers to fund education and supervise at the macro level, not the micro level. What gives Lansing the chutzpah to think they can manage outcomes for our kids when they can't even manage to balance their own budgets?
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3) Product or Employee? [by Anonymous Citizen on October 29, 2007]
So, in your market based system will the student be a product or an employee of the school?

If a product - what type of quality control will your "business" have on the materials that go into making the product? Right now public schools (and others!) take whatever families send them.

If students are the employees - expected to produce a product (test scores) will we fire them if they don't meet standards?

When will folks stop trying to apply business models to all aspects of education??
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