CERTIFICATION FEES
MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

AN ACT to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled "An act to provide a system of public instruction and elementary and secondary schools; to revise, consolidate, and clarify the laws relating to elementary and secondary education; to provide for the organization, regulation, and maintenance of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to prescribe rights, powers, duties, and privileges of schools, school districts, public school academies, intermediate school districts, and other public school entities; to provide for the regulation of school teachers and certain other school employees; to provide for school elections and to prescribe powers and duties with respect thereto; to provide for the levy and collection of taxes; to provide for the borrowing of money and issuance of bonds and other evidences of indebtedness; to establish a fund and provide for expenditures from that fund; to provide for and prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments, the state board of education, and certain other boards and officials; to provide for licensure of boarding schools; to prescribe penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by amending sections 1538 and 1539 (MCL 380.1538 and 380.1539), section 1538 as added by 1988 PA339 and section 1539 as amended by 2004 PA 76, and by adding sections 1531h and 1538a.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 1531h. (1) Not later than July 1, 2010, the department shall establish and implement a teacher certification database system that provides for at least all of the following:

(a) The ability for teachers to renew a professional teaching certificate online.

(b) Online credit card payment capability, to result in processing of teaching certificate applications and issuance of teaching certificates within 48 to 72 hours for in-state applicants and within 3 weeks for out-of-state applicants who have provided a complete application, as determined by the department.

(c) A central registry that documents each teacher's professional development activities and completion of state board continuing education units.

(d) Improved compatibility with the registry of educational personnel data reporting system.

(e) Improved efficiency of the teacher preparation institution web-based teacher certification recommendation process.

(f) Improved capacity to generate reports about the number of certificates and endorsements issued.

(g) Improved quality control through customization of the system.

(2) The department shall fund the system required under subsection (1) from the fee increases in section 1538 that result from the amendatory act that added this section.

Sec. 1538. (1) An applicant shall pay the following fees to the department for having the application evaluated for conformance with the application requirements:

(2) Except as otherwise provided by an administrative rule in effect on October 1, 1988, or as otherwise provided by law, a certificate, permit, authorization, endorsement, or approval, and the renewal of a certificate, certificate reinstatement, or authorization issued pursuant to subsection (1) is valid for 5 years.

Sec. 1538a. (1) A teacher preparation institution and its subject area specialty programs shall be approved by the state as provided under R390.1151 to R390.1156 of the Michigan administrative code. As provided under R390.1151 of the Michigan administrative code, and subject to subsection (3), the teacher preparation program and subject area specialty programs of a state-approved teacher preparation institution are subject to periodic review for conformance with state board standards and procedures.

(2) A state-approved teacher preparation institution shall pay the following fees to the department for approval and periodic review under subsection (1):

(a) For approval or periodic review of a teacher preparation program, the following:

(i) If the college or university of which the teacher preparation institution is part has a total student enrollment of less than 2,000, a fee of $2,000.00.

(ii) If the college or university of which the teacher preparation institution is part has a total student enrollment of 2,000 or more, a fee of $3,500.00.

(b) For approval or periodic review of a subject area specialty program, a fee of $300.00.

(3) The department shall not conduct a periodic review of a particular teacher preparation program or subject area specialty program more frequently than once every 5 years. However, if the content standards for a subject area specialty program are revised, the department may conduct a periodic review of that subject area specialty program before the 5-year review period has expired.

Sec. 1539. (1) A teacher-administrator preparation and certification fund is established in the department of treasury to be administered by the department of education.

(2) The department of education shall receive and forward to the state treasurer for deposit in the teacher-administrator preparation and certification fund all fees collected under section 1538 or 1538a. The teacher-administrator preparation and certification fund may receive as revenue money from any other source, as appropriated by the legislature.

(3) The revenue in the teacher-administrator preparation and certification fund shall be expended for the operation of the teacher preparation and certification program and the administrator preparation and certification program and for teacher and administrator professional development and other quality-related activities, including the teacher certification database system under section 1531h.

(4) Money in the teacher-administrator preparation and certification fund that is unexpended at the end of the state fiscal year shall be carried over to the succeeding state fiscal year, shall not revert to the general fund, and shall be expended as provided in subsection (3).

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Professional Preparation Services
P.O. Box 30008
Lansing, Michigan  48909
Telephone:  (517) 373-3310

FAX:  517 373 0542

12.18.07