U.S. HISTORICAL INSTRUCTION                                                                      S.B. 209:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                      REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 209 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Patrick J. Colbeck

Committee:  Education

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to encourage the board of a school district or board of directors of a public school academy (PSA) to provide instruction that focused on the following topics during the school year in a grade- and age-level appropriate manner for all of its pupils in grades K to 12:

-- The core principles of the Declaration of Independence (specifically including language contained in the preamble).

-- The core principles of the United States Constitution (specifically including the preamble, Articles I through V, and the First, Second, and Tenth Amendments).

-- The core principles of the State Constitution.

The bill would permit a school district or PSA, 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 of the Code.

Section 1278 requires the State Board of Education to develop, and periodically update, recommended model core academic curriculum content standards. The bill would require the State Board, by May 1, 2016, to update the recommended content standards for each grade level for which there was a State assessment for social studies, to ensure that they 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 State assessment for social studies, the Superintendent of Public Instruction 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.

MCL 380.1278 et al.                                                          Legislative Analyst:  Jeff Mann

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  5-21-15                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Cory Savino

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.