Public Act 123 of 2006

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• Introduced by Rep. Brian Palmer (R) on January 24, 2006, to prescribe high school graduation requirements for public schools and charter schools. These would include four credits (or year-long courses) each in English language arts and mathematics (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry); three in science; one each in U.S. and world history and geography; one in health and physical education; one in fine arts or music; and one-half each in civics and economics. Also, one course or "learning experience" that was presented online. Alternatively, a student could request a custom alternative "personalized curriculum" that would incorporate as much of the graduation requirements as is "practicable." The bill would also require the state Department of Education to develop clear and consistent content expectations for all these classes.
  • Referred to the House Education Committee on January 24, 2006.
    • Reported in the House on March 1, 2006, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-7) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on March 2, 2006, to replace the previous version of the bill with a version incorporating many detail changes resulting from committee testimony and deliberation. Among the decisions made by the Education Committee: Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II will be required; foreign languages will not be required; require students to get "a passing grade," but not a "2.0" (on a scale of 0 to 4.0); provide a waiver process for schools that plead they cannot find enough proficient teachers through the "ed-flex" provisions of House Bills 4079 and 4080, which are tie-barred to this bill. Note: Gov. Granholm vetoed versions of the "ed-flex" bills in the previous legislature. Tie-barring them means this bill can't become law unless those bills become law. The House Fiscal Agency has a detailed description of the committee substitute at here. The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on March 2, 2006, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that is the same as the version originally proposed by the state Board of Education, which also required foreign language. The substitute failed in the House (44 to 57) on March 2, 2006. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Fred Miller (D) on March 2, 2006, to strip out provisions describing what should be included in the content of the required courses, including in science "the use of the scientific method to critically assess the validity of theories and formulate arguments for and against those theories". The amendment failed in the House (44 to 57) on March 2, 2006. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on March 2, 2006, to strip out a provision that allows a school discrict to seek a waiver from the rquirements under the "ed-flex" process that would be established by House Bills 4079 and 4080 (which are tie-barred to this bill), and instead allow the disctrict to propose a phase-in plan to the Department of Education. Note: Gov. Granholm vetoed versions of the "ed-flex" bills in the previous legislature. Tie-barring them means this bill can't become law unless those bills become law. The amendment failed in the House (44 to 57) on March 2, 2006. [Vote Details and Comments]
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Brian Palmer (R) on March 2, 2006, to extend the deadline by which the bill must become law in order to apply to students in the 2010 graduating class from April 1, 2006 to April 15, 2006. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Virgil Smith, Jr. (D) on March 2, 2006, to clarify a detail in the process for creating a custom "personalized curriculum" for individual students who request this . The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Dave Hildenbrand (R) on March 2, 2006, to require the Department of Education to submit an annual report to the legislature on "the overall success" of the proposed graduation requirements. "Success" is not defined. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Kathy Angerer (D) on March 2, 2006, to require the annual "success" report proposed by the Hildebrand amendment to be submitted by April 1 each year. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Mike Nofs (R) on March 2, 2006, to require the world history course mandated by the bill to include this mandate: "The course shall also cover at least one prominent civilization from each of the following regions: Asia, sub-Sahara Africa, the Mideast, and the Americas. Material concerning Africa shall focus on 1 or more of the following kingdoms: Ghana, Mali, Songhay, Benin, Bornu, Nubia, Axum, Meroe, or medieval Ethiopia". The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Farhat (R) and Rep. Roger Kahn (R) on March 2, 2006, to revise the mandate for a course in "visual and performing arts" to instead make it a course in "visual, performing and applied arts." "Applied arts" are not defined. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on March 2, 2006.
• Passed in the House (70 to 31) on March 2, 2006, to prescribe high school graduation requirements for public schools and charter schools. These would include four credits (or year-long courses) each in English language arts and mathematics; three in science; one each in U.S. and world history and geography; one in health and physical education; one in fine arts or music; and one-half each in civics and economics. Also, one course or "learning experience" that was presented online. Alternatively, a student could request a custom alternative "personalized curriculum" that would incorporate as much of the graduation requirements as is "practicable." The bill would also require the state Department of Education to develop clear and consistent content expectations for all these classes. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on March 7, 2006.
  • Referred to the Senate Education Committee on March 7, 2006.
    • Reported in the Senate on March 21, 2006, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
  • Substitute offered in the Senate on March 23, 2006, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that inserts the Senate proposal for high school graduation requirements, as described in Senate Bill 1124. This sets up a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences. The substitute passed in the Senate by voice vote on March 23, 2006.
• Passed in the Senate (36 to 1) on March 23, 2006, to prescribe high school graduation requirements for public schools and charter schools. These would include four year-long courses each in English and mathematics (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry); three each in science and social science (including biology and chemistry or physics); two in a foreign language (beginning with students entering ninth grade in 2009); one in health and physical education; one in fine arts or music; and at least one in certain electives specified in the bill. This is essentially what the Senate passed in Senate Bill 1124. This vote sets up a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences between the two bills as originally passed by each body. Primarily, the Senate but not the House proposes two years of foreign language study, and the House makes it easier to opt out of Algebra II. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the House on March 23, 2006.
• Failed in the House (13 to 93) on March 23, 2006, to concur with a Senate-passed version of the bill. The vote sends the bill to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on March 28, 2006.
• Passed in the Senate (37 to 0) on March 30, 2006, to adopt a House-Senate conference committee compromise prescribing high school graduation requirements for public schools and charter schools, beginning with the class graduating in 2011. These would include four year-long courses each in English and mathematics (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry); three each in science and social science (including biology and chemistry or physics); one in health and physical education; one in fine arts or music; and at least one in certain electives specified in the bill. Beginning with the class of 2016, two years of foreign language would be required sometime during the student's K-12 career. Students could "test-out" of any of the requirements. The Department of Education would be required to develop content expectations for each subject. At least one semester of Algebra II would be required for all, but struggling students could then enter an alternative math class. The provisions are divided between this bill and Senate Bill 1124. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the House on March 28, 2006.
• Passed in the House (97 to 9) on March 29, 2006, to adopt a House-Senate conference committee compromise prescribing high school graduation requirements for public schools and charter schools, beginning with the class graduating in 2011. These would include four year-long courses each in English and mathematics (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry); three each in science and social science (including biology and chemistry or physics); one in health and physical education; one in fine arts or music; and at least one in certain electives specified in the bill. Beginning with the class of 2016, two years of foreign language would be required sometime during the student's K-12 career. Students could "test-out" of any of the requirements. The Department of Education would be required to develop content expectations for each subject. At least one semester of Algebra II would be required for all, but struggling students could then enter an alternative math class. The provisions are divided between this bill and Senate Bill 1124. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on April 20, 2006.