2015 Senate Bill 103 / Public Act 173

Reduce “student growth” portion of teacher rating criteria

Introduced in the Senate

Feb. 12, 2015

Introduced by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-25)

To move back until the 2018-19 school year the deadlines imposed by a 2011 law establishing a process for determining whether teachers are “effective” in which 22.5 percent of the assessment is based on the progress of students in their classroom on statewide tests. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject two years in a row. Nothing would prohibit continuing to assign new students to an ineffective teacher, however.

Referred to the Committee on Education

April 29, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

May 19, 2015

Amendment offered

To reduce the amount of a teacher's assessment based on actual "student growth" or academic progress from 50 percent to 40 percent.

The amendment passed by voice vote

May 20, 2015

Amendment offered by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R-20)

To place in statute a restrictive list of requirements that teacher evaluation tools would have to contain.

The amendment failed 18 to 19 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Margaret O’Brien (R-20)

To only allow teachers to be rated on student test results if three years of testing data are available.

The amendment passed 20 to 17 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-25)

To revise a reference to when during the year teacher evaluations would be performed.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To only allow teachers to be rated on student test results if three years of data from the same tests are available.

The amendment failed 15 to 22 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To make doing teacher evaluations contingent on adopting detailed and restrictive standards for teacher evaluators and systems.

The amendment failed 15 to 22 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To add an additional level of appeal for teachers who don't like the "ineffective" evaluation rating they've been given.

The amendment failed 12 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To expand the range of teacher performance evaluations criteria to include measures that are not "value added" ones.

The amendment failed 12 to 25 (details)

Passed in the Senate 22 to 15 (details)

To delay until the 2018-19 school year the final deadline to establish a teacher "effectiveness" rating system, and reduce the amount of the rating that is based on assessments actual of students in a teacher's classroom. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject, but new students could still be assigned.

Received in the House

May 20, 2015

Referred to the Committee on Education

Oct. 1, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-8) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Oct. 15, 2015

Amendment offered by Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-86)

To require a teacher to have been given mostly "highly effective" ratings by administrators and no "ineffective" ratings in order to qualify for a particular state education certificate.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-86)

To require that the training schools are required to provide to ineffective teachers be paid out of a particular state fund.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 97 to 8 (details)

To base just 20 percent of a teacher's "effectiveness" rating on actual progress of students in the teacher's classroom as measured by state assessments, instead of as much as 50 percent suggested by a 2011 teacher tenure reform law. Also, to let school districts develop their own evaluation tools for other parts of the rating rather than ones prescribed by the state. A school would be prohibited from assigning students to a class in the same subject for two years in a row taught by a teacher rated “ineffective” in that subject, but new students could still be assigned to that teacher.

Received in the Senate

Oct. 20, 2015

Passed in the Senate 35 to 2 (details)

Signed by Gov. Rick Snyder

Nov. 5, 2015