Michigan House Bill HB5994

Michigan 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/26/24
• Refer: 9/26/24

Caption

Education: school districts; a school district, an intermediate school district, or a public school academy to post certain information on the school district’s, intermediate school district’s, or public school academy’s website; require. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1280h.

Impact

The bill further stipulates that by July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, schools must provide an annual summary to parents or guardians. This summary will include critical information from the MI School Data website, such as the school's performance on state assessments broken down by subject area. By implementing these requirements, the bill seeks to increase parental engagement and oversight in their children's education.

Summary

House Bill 5994 aims to enhance transparency within Michigan's educational institutions by mandating that school districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies provide essential data to parents and guardians. Specifically, schools are required to post a link to the MI School Data website's parent dashboard on their public websites by July 1, 2025. This initiative is intended to improve access to educational performance data, ensuring that parents can readily see important metrics regarding their children’s schools.

Contention

While proponents argue that HB 5994 will foster greater accountability and transparency in education, there may be concerns regarding the feasibility of implementing such measures across diverse districts with varying resources. Some may argue that the requirements could place additional burdens on smaller or underfunded districts, potentially limiting their ability to comply fully with the new regulations. Furthermore, discussions may arise around the effectiveness of the data provided and whether it genuinely leads to improved educational outcomes or simply increases the paperwork for educational institutions.

Final_note

Additionally, the bill proposes that the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI) expand the information included in the MI School Data website. This will help facilitate comparisons among public schools in the state, which is a significant move towards standardizing educational performance measurement and providing clearer insights for parents.