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Lisa Sitkins, identified in testimony as president and COO of LSS Connections and a consultant to districts, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid that pupil-accounting rules and seat-time requirements obstruct districts trying to scale personalized learning models.

\"The path to personalized learning for every student seems to stop at pupil accounting,\" Lisa Sitkins said, describing operational burdens created when a single student participates in multiple program types (CTE, virtual, dual enrollment, work-based learning) and thus must be tracked under multiple rules.

Sitkins described how Michigan statute requires a district to provide at least 1,098 hours and 180 days of instruction for general programs but noted that cyber schools, dropout-recovery programs and other programs currently operate under exemptions or waivers. She argued that innovative programs should be allowed alternative accounting procedures aligned with those unconventional programs if they meet safeguards.

As a proposed alternative, Sitkins described an approach used in other flexible programs: an individualized written learning plan (education or development plan) co-created by the student, family and certified staff; measurable goals with weekly mentoring or coaching check-ins; quarterly satisfactory-progress reporting; and annual plan review and revision. She said that approach could permit removing strict seat-time rules for qualifying innovative programs without sacrificing rigor or access to certified teachers.

Committee members, including Vice Chair Glanville, voiced support for removing rigid seat-time rules and for greater use of competency-based education. Sitkins and other presenters asked to participate in a working group the committee said it might form to revise pupil-accounting procedures and the Pupil Accounting Manual.

Ending: Presenters asked the committee for statutory changes or procedural rules that would exempt qualifying innovative programs from the 1,098-hours seat-time requirement and implement streamlined pupil-accounting procedures; the subcommittee did not vote.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations - School Aid and Department of Education Tuesday, April 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lisa Sitkins, president and COO of LSS Connections (consultant), told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid that pupil-accounting rules and seat-time requirements obstruct districts trying to scale personalized-learning models.","taxTitle","Appropriations - School Aid and Education, Appropriations, House of Representative, Committees\t\t\t\t\t, Legislative, Michigan","taxId",30768,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6071531,"Educators tell appropriations subcommittee universal accountability labels alternative education as underperforming; propose parallel system",1191,1722000,2913000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038769-2578d3a25a07156e2cbb1cd60eb0821a&start=1722&end=2913","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038769-2578d3a25a07156e2cbb1cd60eb0821a/thumbnail_1722000.jpg","/articles/6071531/Michigan/Educators-tell-appropriations-subcommittee-universal-accountability-labels-alternative-education-as-underperforming-propose-parallel-system","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071531-68248d29797da77d27a10471e73eb65f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770602449&Signature=eeqCQNZPvw2V4dhLE-a8hXTwOLuT8AfdnO9hSuaE4sqOSuObknhnoBEznR33ZD77-d5cM2bxftMwkQYvIOF59EfhBCmJ7g-J4S7I-P2ixw5Vpk~eRDJTjMhKHCYXOT-JPEGhhlU9Pgw0zaoLE6c52SQJ4Qr4ssFuPktKnaexETjFPqScHX-fggmTb6~-9ORPGZ37gZIVDGcWxNTI3S2Q~R~ExfQgMPZOmZE2mIIUHJLNxThr4FDG8eiDo30n9-I1ETMnqfFPchPSN6XSi0-cEHG78k862e~3Vd6S3xLASj36V7UYsim6aBWPtxyv4o-XFGlRKrNe4K2qN1W9PzwfIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LANSING
Mitch Cummings, director of off-site and alternative programs at Berrien Springs Public Schools, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid that Michigan's universal accountability system can misclassify successful alternative education programs as underperforming, creating disincentives for districts to operate those programs.

\"In our programs, we have 100 kids. We have 100 stories,\" Mitch Cummings said, summarizing the case for tailored accountability that recognizes short enrollments and transient student populations.

Cummings said the Michigan School Index, which aggregates metrics such as graduation rate, student growth and proficiency, often places nontraditional programs on improvement lists (CSI/ATS/TSI) even when those programs achieve substantial success with high-need students. He said the mismatch occurs because state metrics measure outcomes on cohort-based timelines (four-, five- and six-year graduation cohorts) and often do not account for the short windows alternative programs have with students.

Cummings and others proposed four elements for a parallel accountability system: formal qualification criteria for alternative programs; rigorous but context-appropriate measures; clear definitions distinguishing \"at-risk\" students from \"alternative\" programs; and separate public reporting for qualifying alternative programs. He suggested tracking targeted short-term growth while students are enrolled, extending measured graduation tracking beyond the standard cohort where appropriate, and ensuring data reporting does not penalize programs that enroll students late in a cohort.

Committee members asked for technical clarifications about program closures, funding follow-through when students move between programs, and federal versus state accountability requirements. Cummings said funding follows an enrolled student when they are counted as part of a qualifying program, but detailed enrollment timing and audit questions would require follow-up with state staff.

Representative Stackloff (also referenced as Rep. Steploff in the record) and Rep. Jenkins Arno shared local experiences praising alternative programs and noted how universal reporting can obscure successful outcomes. Cummings noted that Berrien Springs Public Schools, which operates many alternative programs, was listed among low graduation rates in a media report despite graduating more than 1,100 students the prior year and operating successful traditional and alternative programs.

Ending: Presenters asked the subcommittee to consider statutory or reporting changes that would allow separate, rigorous accountability for qualifying alternative education programs; no legislative action was taken at the hearing.","Presenters said Michigan's universal accountability metrics (Michigan School Index) disproportionately mark alternative and nontraditional programs as underperforming and urged lawmakers to create a separate, rigorous but appropriate parallel accountability framework for qualifying alternative education programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6071536,"Educators urge lawmakers to remove Michigan————shared-time growth cap, citing wait lists and penalties",1148,271000,1419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038769-2578d3a25a07156e2cbb1cd60eb0821a&start=271&end=1419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038769-2578d3a25a07156e2cbb1cd60eb0821a/thumbnail_271000.jpg","/articles/6071536/Michigan/Educators-urge-lawmakers-to-remove-Michiganshared-time-growth-cap-citing-wait-lists-and-penalties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071536-3dc1a09b3c6d6f745b7af645008e4eac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770602449&Signature=jyAnl3u4rN9Vhpd0GhJH8mdCbUkMalnfa3182UaNxWAOiQE5uwUkGvBOJe72GQJ9rJFg1vdbjVsNQZ~NNSfmrTiH6TR82mkRFuUHyGje0Lv6xU7Ke7kfyZlmpDVo~C1p7LVLpS5a2qNFUCD5Dxdw64ZqZRTQuwTFq9CzUWoMJOhx0z0UN2GFFxounYhX3sa3KqrzJybUSFt~EvtPhcroBmhQVI1DgT1YlPTdIPOud7lrgWmmuDETVfT0jw-fSIxZUf4FSgg~ioHa24kr4qt2qyZQ35r7GiyrzQFVjhOlkhGbHgjse1nPF65GOgxatnOdj-2dVziD0YK-39ZVw2KYzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","LANSING
Dr. Rebecca Redmer, executive director of innovative programming at Jenison Public Schools, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on School Aid that Michigan's 5% shared-time growth cap is preventing districts from enrolling nonpublic and homeschool students in part-time courses and is producing wait lists and financial penalties.

\"This is an antiquated policy that was, that's creating problems for us today,\" Dr. Rebecca Redmer said, arguing the cap was adopted before the rise of digital learning and the post-COVID enrollment decline.

The issue: funding for \"shared time\" students (nonpublic and homeschool students who take courses from public districts) is calculated as a fraction of full-time equivalent (FTE) based on courses taken. Redmer explained that in a six-period day, one public-taught elective equals 0.17 FTE. Current statute limits the amount of shared-time FTE a district may claim to 5% of its total FTE; districts that exceed the cap pay a penalty and then face a constrained growth allowance in subsequent years.

Why it matters: Redmer said the cap forces districts to keep wait lists even when families want part‑time enrollment, complicates teacher assignments and scheduling, and risks large financial hits. Using an example Redmer offered, a district of 2,500 students could claim 125 shared-time FTE under the 5% cap but might generate 165 FTE based on part‑time course enrollment, which she said could produce a roughly $400,000 penalty for the district.

Committee members asked how the cap interacts with the Pupil Accounting Manual and other guidance. Redmer said the manual interprets the statute and would be adjusted if the Legislature removed the statutory cap. She suggested the cap no longer reflects the diversity of modern digital, hybrid, and career-technical pathways.

Representative Jim Jenkins Arno pressed on athletic eligibility, asking whether part-time enrollment can be used to bolster school sports rosters. Redmer said athletic eligibility is governed locally and by MHSAA rules; her district imposes a three-class limit for shared-time students and relies on the rule that students enrolled over 66% are eligible for athletics.

Representative Beeson asked whether the per-course funding is adequate to cover dual-enrollment costs. Redmer said a single anchored course at 0.17 FTE amounts to a bit more than $800 per semester in the example she gave and argued that permitting shared-time enrollment enables families to use state funds for college-level courses and can ultimately reengage students into full-time enrollment.

The presenters asked the committee to consider removing the shared-time growth cap from the State School Aid Act to allow districts greater flexibility to enroll part‑time students, reduce administrative burden, and stabilize shared-time participation even when a district's full-time enrollment declines.

Ending: The subcommittee heard the testimony as part of a broader panel on personalized learning, and members indicated interest in examining pupil-accounting rules alongside any statutory change. No formal committee action on the shared-time cap was taken at the meeting; the minutes were approved at the start of the session by unanimous consent.","Educators told the House appropriations subcommittee that the 5% shared-time growth cap in the State School Aid Act limits part-time enrollment from nonpublic and homeschool students, creates operational burdens, and can trigger financial penalties when districts exceed the cap.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Personalized-learning task force urges pupil-accounting reform to scale flexible schooling options

Educators tell appropriations subcommittee universal accountability labels alternative education as underperforming; propose parallel system

Educators urge lawmakers to remove Michigan————shared-time growth cap, citing wait lists and penalties