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June 21, 2006
Michigan First State to Require Online Learning
Michigan has become the first state in the U.S. to require students to successfully complete an online course or learning experience under new legislation signed into law on April 20, 2006, by Governor Jennifer Granholm. This action was part of a comprehensive legislative package to revamp Michigan's high school graduation requirements beginning with incoming eighth graders in the fall of 2006.
The legislation requires students to take an online course or learning experience, or have the online learning experience incorporated into each of the required 16 credits of the Michigan Merit Curriculum. The Michigan Merit Curriculum represents the core elements of the new high school graduation requirements and includes the following credits:
- four credits of math and English language arts;
- three credits of science and social studies;
- two credits of foreign language;
- one credit of physical education and health; and
- one credit of visual, performing, or applied arts.
"Our online learning requirement makes Michigan a leader among all the states in using the power of the Internet to create learning opportunities in the classroom, the home and the workplace. In a world that demands life long learning, we are giving our students and our state a competitive advantage when it comes to landing the good-paying jobs of the 21st Century economy," Governor Granholm said.
The legislation requires the Michigan Department of Education to develop guidelines for the online course or learning experience by August 1, 2006. In addition, the State Board of Education will approve the basic level of technology and Internet access required for pupils to complete the online course or learning experience.
"Michigan's K-12 system has stepped into the 21st Century by fully recognizing the value of teaching and learning in a virtual environment. The importance of requiring all students to take an online course today can be compared to the efforts to teach young people how to use print resources in a public library 50 years ago," said Michael Flanagan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction and member of the Michigan Virtual University (MVU) Board of Directors.
"This initiative holds great promise for expanding the use of online education for students and educators in Michigan. We are committed to working in partnership with Michigan schools to support this innovative education policy reform strategy," said Jamey Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of the Michigan Virtual University (MVU), the private nonprofit corporation that operates the Michigan Virtual High School (MVHS). The MVHS is one of the largest virtual schools in the U.S. and earned accreditation in 2005. Since its inception in 2000, the MVHS has recorded over 23,000 course enrollments and served more than 125,000 students with an online ACT, SAT, PSAT or State Assessment (MEAP) review tools.
Public Act 230 of 2000 authorized implementation of the MVHS. The MVHS does not grant course credit or award diplomas independently, but works in partnership with local and intermediate school districts that award credit or diplomas. The MVHS operates as the core division of the MVU, a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation created by the State in 1998 to expand the use of learning technologies. Michigan Virtual University is governed by a Board of Directors representing business, education leaders and state government. For more information visit www.mivu.org and http://www.mivhs.org.
Michigan Virtual University
3101 Technology Blvd. Suite G,
Lansing, MI 48910
Contact: Erin Strang
(517) 324-5373
Posted by Nancy at June 21, 2006 03:06 PM