Course Provider Requirements per Section 21f

Intended Audience: Catalog Managers

If you want to offer a virtual course in Michigan’s statewide catalog, there are certain rules and requirements you must follow. These requirements are set by Section 388.1621f of The State School Aid Act. Below is a guide to help you understand what is expected.

Publishing in the Statewide Catalog

• All virtual courses must be published in the statewide catalog managed by Michigan Virtual.
• Each school district (called the “primary district”) must include a link to this catalog on its public website.

Providers Offering Courses to Multiple Districts

If your virtual courses are available to students in more than one district, you have a few additional responsibilities:

1. Course Syllabus Submission
   • You must provide Michigan Virtual with a course syllabus in the required format. This will be listed in the statewide catalog. Your syllabus must clearly show:
     • How the course aligns with Michigan state standards (or national standards if no state standards exist).
     • A course outline (what topics will be covered).
     • Required assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.).
     • Course prerequisites (what students need to know before enrolling).
     • Expectations for teacher-student communication (how often students will interact with their teacher).
     • Academic support available to students.
     • Learning outcomes and objectives (what students will gain from the course).
     • The name of the institution or organization providing the course content.
     • The name of the institution or organization providing the teacher of record (instructor).
     • Course titles, as well as national course codes (SCED codes from the National Center for Education Statistics).
     • The maximum number of students who can enroll. (Districts acting as providers can limit enrollment to their own students.)
     • Results of a course quality review following Michigan Virtual’s guidelines.
2. Annual Enrollment Reporting
   • Every year by October 1, providers must report to Michigan Virtual:
     • The total number of enrollments in each course from the previous school year.
     • The number of students who earned 60% or more of the course points.

Teacher of Record Requirement

• Every student must have a teacher of record assigned to them.
• Providers must give the primary district the teacher’s personnel identification code.
• If a community college is the provider, the course must be taught by an instructor employed by or contracted through that college.

Community College-Specific Requirement

• If a community college offers the course, it must provide postsecondary credit for students who complete it.

Who Can Be a Provider?

A “provider” can be:

• A school district
• An intermediate school district (ISD)
• A community college
• A third-party vendor (hired by a district)
• Michigan Virtual