We are pleased to announce that the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and Turning Technologies, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education and ACT, are sponsoring a pilot to use ResponseCard technology (clickers) to administer the EXPLORE test from ACT.

The Michigan Department of Education, in partnership with the Alliance for Excellent Education, Monday announced its participation as a state host in the first-ever Digital Learning Day campaign and kick off to Michigan’s “Year of the Digital Learner.”

This national campaign is designed to celebrate innovative teaching and highlight practices that make learning more personalized and engaging for students, exploring how digital learning can provide all students with the opportunities they deserve — to build the skills needed to succeed in college, a career, and life.

On December 6, 2011, Matt’s Safe School Law (MCL 380.1310b) was signed into law by Governor Snyder. The law requires that not later than six months after the effective date of the legislation, the board of a local education agency (LEA) or intermediate school district (ISD) or board of directors of a public school academy (PSA) shall adopt and implement a policy prohibiting bullying. This act further requires that not later than 30 days after adopting this policy, the board or board of directors shall submit a copy of its policy to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE).

The Michigan Department of Education has updated the documentation required for certain pupil exit codes. The United States Education Department (USED) has reviewed Michigan’s graduation and dropout documentation and found that the state’s exit code documentation does not meet federal standards. If these standards are not met, state and local Title I funds could be in jeopardy.

President Barack Obama called on colleges and universities across the nation to keep their tuitions low or risk losing federal funding, and announced a "Race to the Top" initiative that will encourage states not to cut funding for higher education.

During his speech Friday morning at the Al Glick Fieldhouse on the University of Michigan campus, Mr. Obama said universities cannot continue to raise tuition rates each year. And if they do, they will see their federal funding decrease, he said. This would be first time federal government has tied aid to higher education to tuition rates.