MEMPSA Legislative Update

House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee and House Education Committee Hold Joint Hearing on Future of M-STEP

As previously reported, the House Appropriations Committee followed the recommendation of the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee to eliminate funding for both the M-STEP and SAT in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2016-2017 K-12 budget. Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw), Chair of the Subcommittee, noted this week that he took that funding out of his budget proposal in order to generate a conversation over whether M-STEP should remain or be replaced.

The House Education Committee and the House K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee held a joint hearing on the issue this week, and took testimony from State Superintendent Brian Whiston as well as from representatives of NWEA. Whiston did not indicate support for scrapping M-STEP, noting that changing any assessment takes time, and recommended maintaining the test for the upcoming fiscal year. Whiston did indicate a willingness to consider a new assessment for the 2017-2018 school year, but indicated concerns with continuously changing the assessment every few years, creating confusion for parents and students by continuously moving the goalposts for educators at the local level.

While NWEA has received mention as a potential replacement for the M-STEP, legislators on the committees, including House Education Committee Chair Amanda Price (R-Park Twp.), voiced concerns that NWEA may not be appropriate to replace M-STEP as NWEA does not currently have a summative test available that meets Michigan guidelines and is not necessarily an appropriate replacement for the M-STEP.

When the K-12 budget is finalized for the upcoming school year, it is highly unlikely that the House proposal to cut funding for M-STEP will survive at the end of the day. However, we expect rigorous discussion to continue with respect to what the future of summative and interim testing will look like in Michigan both in the short- and long-term.
Balanced Calendar Update

The House of Representatives this week prepared House Bills 5193 and 5194, both sponsored by Rep. Daniela Garcia (R-Holland), for final passage. However, the votes are not yet there on the floor to hold a vote, and heavy lobbying continues to occur behind the scenes with respect to HB 5193 both by school groups in favor of the package as well as by tourism and hospitality industry lobbies in opposition. HB 5193 will expand the balanced calendar waiver process, while HB 5194 would remove the school calendar as a prohibited subject of collective bargaining.

We support Rep. Garcia’s efforts to allow schools the flexibility at the local level to utilize innovative strategies to stem summer learning loss and ensure academic success, and encourage MEMSPA members to weigh in with their personal thoughts and experiences surrounding this issue as well.