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Ensuring that appropriately prepared and endorsed teachers are assigned to teach in Michigan’s classrooms is critical to student achievement.
Develop a team. To determine appropriate placement, a team of school/district staff will likely need to meet to discuss. This team could include a curriculum director, a teacher that may be assigned to the course, a department chair, a principal, a school counselor, a human resources representative, a program director, and/or an individual responsible for student and staff reporting.
Guided discussion. To make staffing decisions and properly report assignments, the team must take the following considerations into account. The considerations are listed in a two-tiered system to assist with making accurate decisions about teacher placement. After the team answers the Tier One considerations, they should move to the considerations in Tier Two.
Figure 1: Proper Placement Considerations Questions The Tier One considerations should be used by districts when first faced with designing a course, outlining curriculum, and making decisions on staffing for a course.
The Tier Two considerations also must be a part of staffing a course. They are requirements for districts and failure to comply with these requirements may result in a state aid deduction.
Note: The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) maintains a list of Michigan endorsement areas currently on teaching certificates.
Although there are many different options for districts, this document should assist with understanding how the considerations help with staffing decisions. Below are common examples of courses and possible staffing assignments.
Curriculum: the curriculum for the course will include aspects of world history & geography. Standards that will be covered in the course are those outlined in Michigan Social Studies Standards. The standards are appropriately integrated and cover both world history and geography content equally.
Credit: students taking the course will be awarded a social studies credit aligned to the Michigan Merit Curriculum and/or a local credit for social studies.
Context: this course will be for all students (students without learning plans, students with an IEP, students with a 504 plan, students with personalized curriculum) and is funded through general district funds. The course is delivered face-to-face with technology support and the teacher of record is delivering instruction to all students.
Certification, Endorsement, and Preparation of Staff: the teacher assigned to the course should hold endorsements in History (CC), Social Studies (RX), or Social Science (CX) at the grade level of the students. Although not required, this teacher should also be supported and prepared through job- embedded professional learning focused on the integration of content and enhancing pedagogical skills for all learners. If a teacher with proper endorsement is not available for the assignment, the district may place an individual who holds the appropriate content knowledge for the course under an appropriate substitute permit.
Coding and Reporting: the district must be accurate and transparent in their reporting of courses, students, and staff in the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP). A course that meets the above description should be coded as History (000CC) Social Studies (000RX) or Social Science (000CX) course. The department also encourages districts to use a course name that is similar to the coding and encompassing of the course content such as “World History & Geography”. For additional support in coding and reporting, districts should refer to the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI).
Curriculum: the content integrates elements of visual arts, computer science, writing, graphic design, and graphic arts. Standards used for instruction cross several content areas from arts to language arts. One of the final compilations for the course results in a school yearbook.
Credit: the students taking this course will earn many valuable skills, but the district will not use this course to directly award a specific Michigan Merit Curriculum credit. The credit awarded to students will be an “elective” credit.
Context: this course will be for all students (students without learning plans, students with an IEP, students with a 504 plan, students with personalized curriculum) and is funded through general district funds. The course is delivered face-to-face with technology support and the teacher of record is delivering instruction to all students.
Certification, Endorsement, and Preparation of Staff: the district may have several possibilities for placement of a teacher in this scenario. In this case, the course has no specific focus on individual standards and will award “elective” credit; therefore, there is no matching endorsement. The district will need to ensure that the teacher is endorsed at the grade-level for the students assigned to the course. An additional endorsement will be needed if there becomes a direct focus on one specific set of standards or if the district determines that the course can be used for a Michigan Merit Curriculum credit for any student in the course. Districts will also want to ensure that the teacher holds the appropriate skills for the course. For instance, if the district the chooses to focus the course curriculum on graphic arts (visual, performing and applied arts) standards, then the teacher will need to be endorsed at the grade-level and with the content endorsement for Art Education (LX), Visual Arts Education (LQ), Visual Arts Specialist (LZ), Industrial Technology (IX), or Industrial and Technology Education (TE). If a teacher with proper endorsement is not available for the assignment, the district may place an individual who holds the appropriate content knowledge for the course under an appropriate substitute permit.
Coding and Reporting: the district must be accurate and transparent in their reporting of courses, students, and staff in the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP). In the original scenario, the district may select a REP reporting code of Communication Arts (000AX), Journalism (000BC), or possibly others. If the course turns into a graphic arts credit (as mentioned in the previous consideration) the district will need to provide an appropriate code for the credit being awarded. The department also encourages districts to use a name that is similar to the coding and encompassing of the course content. For additional support in coding and reporting, districts should refer to the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI).
Curriculum: the curriculum for the course will include aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Standards that will be covered in the course are primarily include those outlined in Michigan Mathematics Standards, though some Science Standards are integrated as well.
Credit: students taking the course will be awarded a credit of mathematics.
Context: this course will be for all students (students without learning plans, students with an IEP, students with a 504 plan, students with personalized curriculum) and is funded through general district funds. The course is delivered face-to-face with technology support and the teacher of record is delivering instruction to all students.
Certification, Endorsement, and Preparation of Staff: the teacher assigned to the course should hold a mathematics endorsement at the grade level of the students. Although not required, this teacher should also be supported and prepared through job-embedded professional learning focused on the integration of STEM content and enhancing pedagogical skills for all learners. If a teacher with proper endorsement is not available for the assignment, the district may place an individual who holds the appropriate content knowledge for the course under an appropriate substitute permit.
Coding and Reporting: the district must be accurate and transparent in their reporting of courses, students, and staff. The district could use the Mathematics (000EX) code when reporting the class. The department also encourages districts to use a name that is similar to the coding and is encompassing of the course content such as “Mathematics through STEM”. For additional support in coding and reporting, districts should refer to the Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI)
