New Bill Seeks “Middle Road” on School Reporting
February 8, 2018
In Michigan, a new bill has been proposed in the state House of Representatives that would change how the state approaches school ratings. The legislation, introduced by Republican Representative Tim Kelly, would give individual schools an A-F grade on six academic indicators—including graduation rates and math and English-language proficiency—but would not provide an overall score for each school. The rating system would also “designate how each school compares to other schools serving a similar population, an approach aimed at accounting for the impact of poverty on academic performance.” If approved by the legislature and signed by the Governor, the law would go into effect at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.