HOUSE BILL No. 4972

 

September 12, 2013, Introduced by Reps. McMillin, Genetski, MacMaster, Goike and Franz and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1278 (MCL 380.1278), as amended by 2004 PA 596,

 

and by adding section 1278d.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1278. (1) In addition to the requirements for

 

accreditation under section 1280 specified in that section, if the

 

board of a school district wants all of the schools of the school

 

district to be accredited under section 1280, the board shall

 

provide to all pupils attending public school in the district a

 

core academic curriculum in compliance with subsection (3) in each

 

of the curricular areas specified in the state board recommended

 

model core academic curriculum content standards developed under

 

subsection (2). The state board model core academic curriculum


 

content standards shall encompass academic and cognitive

 

instruction only. For purposes of this section, the state board

 

model core academic curriculum content standards shall not include

 

attitudes, beliefs, or value systems that are not essential in the

 

legal, economic, and social structure of our society and to the

 

personal and social responsibility of citizens of our society. The

 

state board model core academic curriculum content standards shall

 

not be based upon the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

     (2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content

 

standards shall be developed and periodically updated by the state

 

board, shall be in the form of knowledge and skill content

 

standards that are recommended as state standards for adoption by

 

public schools in local curriculum formulation and adoption, and

 

shall be distributed to each school district in the state. The

 

recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall

 

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 upon the

 

"Michigan K-12 program standards of quality" to ensure that high

 

academic standards, academic skills, and academic subject matters

 

are built into the instructional goals of all school districts for

 

all children. The state board also shall ensure that the Michigan

 

educational assessment program and the Michigan merit examination

 

are based on the state recommended model core curriculum content

 

standards, are testing only for proficiency in basic and advanced

 

academic skills and academic subject matter, and are not used to

 

measure pupils' values or attitudes.


 

     (3) The board of each school district, considering academic

 

curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to

 

subsection (2), shall do both of the following:

 

     (a) Establish a core academic curriculum for its pupils at the

 

elementary, middle, and secondary school levels. The core academic

 

curriculum shall define academic objectives to be achieved by all

 

pupils and shall be based upon the school district's educational

 

mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil performance objectives.

 

The core academic curriculum may vary from the model core academic

 

curriculum content standards recommended by the state board

 

pursuant to subsection (2).

 

     (b) After consulting with teachers and school building

 

administrators, determine the aligned instructional program for

 

delivering the core academic curriculum and identify the courses

 

and programs in which the core academic curriculum will be taught.

 

     (4) The board may supplement the core academic curriculum by

 

providing instruction through additional classes and programs.

 

     (5) For all pupils, the subjects or courses, and the delivery

 

of those including special assistance, that constitute the

 

curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure the pupils have a

 

realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required by

 

the district's core academic curriculum. A subject or course

 

required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to subsection (3)

 

shall be provided to all pupils in the school district by a school

 

district, a consortium of school districts, or a consortium of 1 or

 

more school districts and 1 or more intermediate school districts.

 

     (6) To the extent practicable, the state board may adopt or


 

develop academic objective-oriented high standards for knowledge

 

and life skills, and a recommended core academic curriculum, for

 

special education pupils for whom it may not be realistic or

 

desirable to expect achievement of initial mastery of the state

 

board recommended model core academic content standards objectives

 

or of a high school diploma.

 

     (7) The state board shall 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 pursuant to subsection (2) for the purpose of

 

assisting the governing body of a nonpublic school in developing

 

its core academic curriculum.

 

     (8) Excluding special education pupils, pupils having a

 

learning disability, and pupils with extenuating circumstances as

 

determined by school officials, a pupil who does not score

 

satisfactorily on the 4th or 7th grade Michigan educational

 

assessment program reading test shall be provided special

 

assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his or

 

her reading skills to grade level within 12 months.

 

     (9) Any course that would have been considered a nonessential

 

elective course under Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich 517

 

(1984), on April 13, 1990 shall continue to be offered to resident

 

pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.

 

     Sec. 1278d. (1) The state board and the department shall not

 

adopt or implement the Next Generation Science Standards and shall

 

not align any assessments to the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

     (2) After the effective date of this section, the state board


 

or any other state official or agency shall not participate in the

 

implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

     (3) The state board shall ensure that the state board model

 

core academic curriculum content standards under section 1278 and

 

the subject area content expectations that apply to the credit

 

requirements of the Michigan merit standard under sections 1278a

 

and 1278b are not based upon the Next Generation Science Standards.