Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on April 21, 2004, to revise the law that allows high school students to take certain community college classes under some circumstances, so that the test used to determine that a student is qualified is the nationally recognized achievement test proposed by Senate Bill 1153, rather than the Michigan Education Assessment Program test (MEAP)

The vote was 35 in favor, 1 opposed and 2 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 783 at Senate Journal 102)

Click here to view bill details.

Senator Clark-Coleman's statement is as follows: When this package of bills was before the Education Committee, I withheld my support until some of the language in the bills was finalized. When the idea of moving from the high school MEAP to a college entrance exam was first discussed, I did have some reservations about whether yet another change in our assessment program was in the best interest of our children. The work of the Cherry Commission, as well as the deliberations of the Senate Education Committee on these bills, has put many of those concerns to rest. I believe that allowing every high school student in Michigan the opportunity to take a college entrance exam at no cost to their families is a good one. I believe this will lead all students to think about the post-secondary options that are available in our state, whether it be a four-year degree or other advance degrees. I look forward to continued development of this concept by the Department of Education as we move forward. I remain concerned about our federal compliance and about the cost of our assessment program in general. However, I believe this is a package that warrants our support, and I will be supporting these bills today.