substitute for House BILL NO. 4159 A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled "The revised school code," by amending section 1278 (MCL 380.1278), as amended by 2016 PA 170. 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 school 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 must encompass academic and cognitive instruction only. For purposes of this section, the state board model core academic curriculum content standards shall must 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. (2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall must be developed and periodically updated by the state board, shall must 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 must be distributed to each school district in the this state. The recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall 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 upon on 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 shall ensure do all of the following with regard to the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards described in this section: (a) Ensure that the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for history for grades 8 to 12 include learning objectives concerning genocide, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. The state board also shall ensure (b) Ensure that the state 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' a pupil's values or attitudes. (c) Ensure that the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for reading and writing for grades K to 6 are based on the science of reading and include the use of instructional methods and curriculum resources that use a code emphasis approach to address decoding, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, reading comprehension and word recognition, and that use evidence-based instructional methods that include features of evidence-based interventions that are grounded in the science of reading and the principles of structured literacy. (3) The board of each school district, considering academic curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to under 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 must define academic objectives to be achieved by all pupils and shall must be based upon on the school district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil performance objectives. The Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a core academic curriculum may vary from the model core academic curriculum content standards recommended by the state board pursuant to under subsection (2). Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a core academic curriculum for reading and writing for grades K to 6 must adhere to the standards recommended by the state board under subsection (2)(c). (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 of a school district 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 subjects or courses, including special assistance, that constitute the curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure must ensure that the pupils have a realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required by the school district's core academic curriculum. A subject or course required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to subsection (3) shall must 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 the nonpublic schools' consideration, the model core academic curriculum content standards developed for public schools pursuant to under 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 fourth or seventh grade state assessment program reading test shall must be provided special assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his or her the pupil's 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, Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich 517 (1984), on April 13, 1990 shall must continue to be offered to resident pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis. (10) As used in this section: , (a) "Armenian Genocide", "genocide", and "Holocaust" mean those terms as defined in section 1168. (b) "Science of reading" means a cumulative and evolving body of evidence whose research studies follow a scientific process of inquiry and use scientific methods to help answer questions related to reading development and issues related to reading and writing derived from research from multiple fields of cognitive psychology, communication sciences, developmental psychology, education, special education, implementation science, linguistics, and neuroscience.
substitute for
House BILL NO. 4159
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
by amending section 1278 (MCL 380.1278), as amended by 2016 PA 170.
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 school 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 must encompass academic and cognitive instruction only. For purposes of this section, the state board model core academic curriculum content standards shall must 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.
(2) Recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall must be developed and periodically updated by the state board, shall must 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 must be distributed to each school district in the this state. The recommended model core academic curriculum content standards shall 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 upon on 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 shall ensure do all of the following with regard to the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards described in this section:
(a) Ensure that the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for history for grades 8 to 12 include learning objectives concerning genocide, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. The state board also shall ensure
(b) Ensure that the state 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' a pupil's values or attitudes.
(c) Ensure that the recommended model core academic curriculum content standards for reading and writing for grades K to 6 are based on the science of reading and include the use of instructional methods and curriculum resources that use a code emphasis approach to address decoding, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, reading comprehension and word recognition, and that use evidence-based instructional methods that include features of evidence-based interventions that are grounded in the science of reading and the principles of structured literacy.
(3) The board of each school district, considering academic curricular objectives defined and recommended pursuant to under 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 must define academic objectives to be achieved by all pupils and shall must be based upon on the school district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil performance objectives. The Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, a core academic curriculum may vary from the model core academic curriculum content standards recommended by the state board pursuant to under subsection (2). Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a core academic curriculum for reading and writing for grades K to 6 must adhere to the standards recommended by the state board under subsection (2)(c).
(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 of a school district 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 subjects or courses, including special assistance, that constitute the curriculum the pupils engage in shall assure must ensure that the pupils have a realistic opportunity to learn all subjects and courses required by the school district's core academic curriculum. A subject or course required by the core academic curriculum pursuant to subsection (3) shall must 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 the nonpublic schools' consideration, the model core academic curriculum content standards developed for public schools pursuant to under 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 fourth or seventh grade state assessment program reading test shall must be provided special assistance reasonably expected to enable the pupil to bring his or her the pupil's 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, Snyder v Charlotte School Dist, 421 Mich 517 (1984), on April 13, 1990 shall must continue to be offered to resident pupils of nonpublic schools on a shared time basis.
(10) As used in this section: ,
(a) "Armenian Genocide", "genocide", and "Holocaust" mean those terms as defined in section 1168.
(b) "Science of reading" means a cumulative and evolving body of evidence whose research studies follow a scientific process of inquiry and use scientific methods to help answer questions related to reading development and issues related to reading and writing derived from research from multiple fields of cognitive psychology, communication sciences, developmental psychology, education, special education, implementation science, linguistics, and neuroscience.