Student access to any time and any place learning options has expanded under a new law in Michigan. Section 21f of Public Act 60 of 2013 allows students in grades 6 through 12 to take up to two courses online per academic term (with parental consent). Michigan is the seventh state in the U.S. to enable statewide choice at the course level through online learning options.
The new legislation generated requests for support from the education community. So with input from MDE, MASSP, MEMSPA, MASA, MAISA, MASB, MACUL, Michigan ASCD and the REMC Association of Michigan, we identified, developed and collected an initial set of practical resources – a Tool Kit – to support schools as they implement expanded online learning options for students under Section 21f.
The majority of resources in this Tool Kit are PDFs of sample letters and forms and draft policies. Each PDF contains a link to a Word document that you can modify to suit local needs. Also included are individual informational documents that can be used as references, as well as slide presentation material. You’ll also find a new interactive version of the popular Online Learner Readiness Rubric that can be used to create a record of individual student levels. All the Tool Kit items are available online or from a link on the Michigan Online Course Catalog home page.
We plan to provide additional resources as they become available and will make improvements as we receive feedback. Please let us know if you see any gaps in this first set of tools and what other resources would be most helpful to you. We hope you find these resources helpful.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Becky Stimson at rstimson@mivu.org.
Michigan Virtual
For more than 27 years, Michigan Virtual has partnered with K–12 school districts across Michigan to expand learning opportunities for students and educators alike. Through our high-quality online courses, taught by Michigan-certified, highly qualified teachers, we empower students to learn anytime, anywhere. We also provide affordable, impactful professional development to help educators grow in their craft. Most recently, Michigan Virtual has been at the forefront of innovation and artificial intelligence in education, offering consultation services and professional learning to guide schools in thoughtfully integrating new technologies and learning pathways.