SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 1075 (as introduced 9-16-14)
Sponsor: Senator Randy Richardville
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:
-- Require the board of a school district or public school academy (PSA) to ensure that the social studies curriculum for grades 8 to 12 included at least six hours each school year of instruction about genocides.
-- Require the State Board of Education's recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for grades 8 to 12 to include learning objectives concerning genocides.
-- Require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to ensure that the Michigan Merit Examination and the Michigan Education Assessment Program assessments included questions related to the State Board's learning objectives concerning genocides, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
Social Studies Curriculum
Under the bill, the board of a school district or board of directors of a PSA would have to ensure that the district's or academy's social studies curriculum for grades 8 to 12 included at least six hours each school year of age- and grade-appropriate instruction about genocides, including the Holocaust. This requirement would not preclude a school district or PSA from including such instruction in other subject areas. A school district or PSA that included such instruction in one or more other subject areas could count it toward meeting the bill's six-hour requirement.
Model Core Academic Curriculum Content Standards
Under the Code, if the board of a school district wants all of the district's schools to be accredited, the board must provide to all pupils attending public school in the district a core academic curriculum in each of the curricular areas specified in the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards developed by the State Board of Education.
The State Board's recommended model standards must set forth desired learning objectives in math, science, reading, history, geography, economics, American government, and writing. Under the bill, the State Board would have to ensure that the standards for history for grades 8 to 12 included learning objectives concerning genocides, including the Holocaust.
State Assessments
Under the bill, in addition to the other requirements of the Code pertaining to the Michigan Merit Examination and the requirements of Public Act 38 of 1970 (which governs assessment of remedial assistance programs), beginning with assessments conducted during the 2015-2016 school year, the Superintendent of Public Instruction would have to ensure that the Michigan Merit Examination social studies component and the Michigan Education Assessment Program assessments for social studies included questions related to the learning objectives in the State Board recommended model core academic curriculum standards concerning genocides, including the Holocaust.
MCL 380.1278 et al. Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The Michigan Department of Education could experience some additional costs to ensure that content expectations for all of grades 8 through 12 included learning objectives on genocide and to ensure that State assessments included questions on genocide. It appears that current high school content expectations include learning objectives on genocide, but the extent to which State assessments currently test on the subject of historical genocide is unknown.
For the school districts around the State, the bill could have some fiscal impact if the districts were not already providing at least six hours of instruction on historical genocide in each of grades 8 to 12. However, the extent to which each district currently provides such instruction in each of those grade levels is unknown. It is likely that most districts provide at least some instruction in at least some of the grades.
Fiscal Analyst: Kathryn Summers
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.