State Rep. Joseph Pavlov recently voted in support of legislation that would give Michigan schools greater flexibility to tailor instruction to students by allowing innovative competency-based education programs.

Current law requires students to complete 1,098 instructional hours over 180 school days each year. However, the seat-time requirement limits schools’ ability to adapt instruction for students who would benefit from a different pace or approach to learning. The legislation approved by the House would allow participating public schools to offer competency-based education programs that enable students to advance by demonstrating mastery of academic concepts rather than simply accumulating classroom hours.

“Michigan’s education system is still built around the amount of time students spend sitting in a classroom instead of whether they’ve actually learned the material,” Pavlov said (R-Smiths Creek). “Our schools should have the flexibility to focus on student achievement, personalize instruction when appropriate, and use proven approaches that help more students succeed. We shouldn’t let outdated state requirements stand in the way of better educational outcomes.”

Participation in an innovative program would be voluntary, requiring parental consent, and each program would require approval from the Michigan Department of Education before implementation.

House Bills 5983 and 5984 now advance to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.