U.S. HISTORICAL INFORMATION INSTRUCTION
Senate Bill 209 as passed by the Senate
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick J. Colbeck
House Committee: Education
Senate Committee: Education
Complete to 10-7-15
SUMMARY:
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
o Encourage the board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy (a charter school) to provide instruction that focused on core principles of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Michigan Constitution, as described by the bill.
o Allow a school district or charter school to develop curricula and materials for the instruction described by the bill that were aligned with the State Board of Education's recommended model core academic curriculum content standards.
o Require the State Board of Education, by May 1, 2016, to update the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards to ensure that they covered the instruction described in the bill.
o Require the superintendent of public instruction to ensure that state assessments included questions related to the instruction and historical documents described in the bill.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
Topics of Instruction
The bill would encourage the board of a school district or board of directors of a charter school to provide instruction that focused on the following topics (described in greater detail within the bill) during the school year in a grade- and age-level appropriate manner for all of its pupils in grades K to 12:
o The core principles of the Declaration of Independence (specifically including language contained in the preamble).
o The core principles of the United States Constitution (specifically including the preamble, Articles I through V, and the First, Second, and Tenth Amendments).
o The core principles of the Michigan Constitution.
The bill would permit a school district or charter school, and its professional school personnel, to develop curricula and materials for the specified instruction that were grade- and age-level appropriate, and aligned with the State Board recommended model core academic curriculum content standards developed under Section 1278.
Curriculum & Assessments
Section 1278 of the Revised School Code requires the State Board of Education to develop, and periodically update, recommended model core academic curriculum content standards. The standards must set forth desired learning objectives in math, science, reading, history, geography, economics, American government, and writing for all children at each stage of schooling and be based on the "Michigan K-12 program standards of quality".
The bill would require the State Board, by May 1, 2016, to update the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for each grade level for which there was a social studies state assessment to ensure that those content standards covered the instruction described in the bill.
Beginning with assessments conducted during the 2015-2016 school year, for each grade level for which there was a social studies state assessment, the superintendent would have to ensure that state assessments included questions related to the instruction described in and the documents enumerated in the bill, including at least the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Michigan's content expectations for social studies already include learning objectives on the documents in question, but there may be minimal cost for the MDE in ensuring that the content expectations and state assessments cover each of the specifically mentioned topics.
There would be no fiscal impact on local school districts.
Legislative Analyst: J. Hunault
Fiscal Analysts: Bethany Wicksall
Samuel Christensen
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.