AMERICAN HISTORY & GOVERNMENT

Senate Bill 423 (Substitute H-1)

Sponsor:  Sen. Patrick J. Colbeck

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education

Complete to 3-19-14

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 423 (H-1) AS REPORTED FROM HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The bill would amend the Revised School Code (MCL 380.1278 et al) to do the following:

·                    Encourage school boards and charter school boards to provide instruction that focuses on the core principles of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the State of Michigan Constitution. The bill contains a lengthy list of core principles from the documents cited.

·                    Allow (but not require) school boards and charter school boards, as well as their professional school personnel, to develop curricula and materials for the instruction proposed by the bill that are aligned with the State Board of Education recommended model core academic curriculum content standards.

·                    Encourage the State Board of Education, before May 1, 2015, to update the standards for each grade-level social studies state assessment, to ensure the standards cover the instruction required under the bill.

·                    Require the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure that state assessments for all social studies grade levels include questions related to the instruction described in the bill, including at least the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, beginning with state assessments conducted during the 2015-2016 school year.

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

There would be some cost to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) for development and periodic updating of core academic curriculum content standards.  The state board would also make available to all nonpublic schools in this state, as a resource for their consideration, the model core academic curriculum content standards developed for public schools for the purpose of assisting them in developing its core academic curriculum.

Additionally, there could be cost associated with student assessments.  The state board would need to ensure that the approved Michigan student assessment tests for social studies are based on the state recommended model core curriculum content standards described in this bill.  It is likely that added social studies questions would need to be created for the grades to be assessed.

Therefore, there could be some administrative cost in MDE staff resources for both curriculum development and creation of related assessment questions.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ACTION:

The members of the House Education Committee made three changes to the Senate-passed version of Senate Bill 423.  The changes in Senate Bill 423 (H-1) include the following:

1)                  The school year when social studies assessments would incorporate the curricular changes proposed by the bill is delayed one year to 2015-2016 (instead of 2014-2015).

2)                  The State Board of Education is "encouraged" to update its recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for social studies not later than May 1, 2015 (instead of being required to update those standards not later than May 1, 2014).

3)                  The Core Principles of the US Constitution to be taught would include, among other things, "a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" (replacing the shorter excerpt from the Second Amendment to the Constitution included in the Senate-passed version of the bill which read "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed").

POSITIONS:

           

The Great Lakes Education Project supports the bill.  (3-5-14)

Constituting Michigan supports the bill.  (3-5-14)

 

One student expressed support for the bill. (3-5-14)

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                 Fiscal Analysts:   Bethany Wicksall

                                                                                                                           Karen Shapiro

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.