HB 4556 — Education: examinations; certain requirements concerning the Michigan merit examination; modify. Amends sec. 1279g of 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1279g).

HB-4556, As Passed Senate,House, MarchDecember 18, 20262025 SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO.

4556 A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled "The revised school code," by amending section 1279g (MCL 380.1279g), as amended by 20252016 PA 57.170.

The Michigan merit examination consists of a college entrance test, an optional work skills test, and the summative assessment known as the Michigan student test of educational CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 progress (M-STEP).

CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 (2) For the purposes of this section, the department of technology, management, and budget shall contract with 1 or more providers to develop, supply, and score the Michigan merit examination.

The Michigan merit examination shall must consist of all of the following:

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, a pupil may elect not to take a test described in this subdivision through a waiver that is developed by the department, made available on the department's website, and both signed and submitted to the pupil's school district, intermediate school district, or public school CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 academy by the pupil's parent or legal guardian by not later than February 28 of the school year in which the test will be administered.

The department shall consult with an individual who represents business in this state, an individual who represents manufacturing in this state, and an individual who represents skilled trades organizations in this state to develop an informational letter about the purpose and benefits of the workforce readiness assessment.

A school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy shall ensure that the informational letter is provided to all pupils described in subsection (1) and the parents or legal guardians of those pupils by not later than December 31 of the school year in which the test will be administered.

(d) Any other component that is necessary to obtain the approval of the United States Department of Education to use the Michigan merit examination for the purposes of the no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-110, or the every student CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 succeeds act, Public Law 114-95.

(a) The department of technology, management, and budget and the superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that any contractor used for scoring the Michigan merit examination supplies an individual report for each pupil that will identify for the pupil's parents or legal guardians and teachers whether the pupil met expectations or failed to meet expectations for each standard, to allow the pupil's parents or legal guardians and teachers to assess and remedy problems before the pupil moves to the next CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 grade.

CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 (d) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the Michigan merit examination meets all of the following:

(iii) Is consistent with the code of fair testing practices in education prepared by the joint committee Joint Committee on CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 testing practices Testing Practices of the American Psychological Association.

(b) The number of school days the pupil was in attendance at school each school year during high school and the total number of CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 school days in session for each of those school years.

To the extent that the department determines that additional test items beyond those included in the college entrance component of the Michigan merit examination are required in a particular subject area, the department shall ensure that all test CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 items in that subject area are scaled and merged for the purposes of producing a Michigan merit examination subject area score.

The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the Michigan merit examination is scored and the scores are returned to pupils, thetheir pupils' parents or legal guardians, and schools not later than the beginning of the pupil's first semester of grade 12.

In reporting the scores to pupils, parents,parents or legal guardians, and schools, the superintendent CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 of public instruction shall provide standards-specific, meaningful, and timely feedback on the pupil's performance on the Michigan merit examination.

If a CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 pupil chooses to retake the college entrance examination component of the Michigan merit examination, as described in subsection (2)(a), the pupil may do so through the provider of the college entrance examination component and the cost of the retake is the responsibility of the pupil unless all of the following are met:

(8) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the length of the Michigan merit examination and the combined total CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 time necessary to administer all of the components of the Michigan merit examination are the shortest possible that will still maintain the degree of reliability and validity of the Michigan merit examination results determined necessary by the superintendent of public instruction.

The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the maximum total combined length of time that schools are required to set aside for pupils to answer all test questions on the Michigan merit examination does not exceed 8 hours if the superintendent of public instruction determines that sufficient alignment to with applicable Michigan merit CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 curriculum content standards can be achieved within that time limit.

subtitle part A of title subchapter II of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990, 42 USC 12131 to 12134;

The provider or providers of the Michigan merit examination and the superintendent of public instruction shall mutually agree upon on the accommodations to be provided under this subsection.

Not later than July 1, 2008, the department shall identify specific grade level content expectations to be taught before and after the middle of grade 11, so that teachers will know CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 what content will be covered within the Michigan merit examination.Annually, after each administration of the Michigan merit examination, the department shall provide a report of the points per standard so that teachers will know what content will be covered within the Michigan merit examination.

The department may augment the college entrance and work skills components of the Michigan merit examination to develop the assessment, depending on the alignment of those components to this state's content standards.

If these components do not align with these standards, the department shall produce additional components as required by law, while minimizing the amount of time needed for assessments.

Upon request from a nonpublic school, the superintendent of public instruction shall direct the provider or providers to supply CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 the Michigan merit examination to the nonpublic school and the nonpublic school may administer the Michigan merit examination.

(12) In contracting under subsection (2), the department of technology, management, and budget shall consider a contractor that provides electronically-scored essays with the ability to score CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 constructed response feedback in multiple languages and provide ongoing instruction and feedback.

These standards are based upon on the expectations of what pupils should learn through high school and are aligned with national standards.

(13) (14) In addition to the other requirements of this section and the requirements of 1970 PA 38, MCL 388.1081 to 388.1086, beginning with assessments conducted during the 2016-2017 school year, the superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that the Michigan merit examination social studies component and the M-STEP and any successor state assessment for social studies, as appropriate, include questions related to the learning CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 1 objectives in the state board recommended model core academic curriculum standards concerning genocide, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide.

(14) For a pupil enrolled in ana early middle college program, other than ana early middle college operated as a shared educational entity or a specialized shared educational entity, if the pupil receives at least 50% of the pupil's instruction at the high school while in grade 11, the Michigan merit examination must be administered to CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 1 the pupil at the high school at which the pupil receives high school instruction, and the department shall include the pupil's scores on the Michigan merit examination in the scores for that high school for all purposes for which a school's or district's results are reported.

The department shall allow the early middle college program to use a 5-year graduation rate for determining adequate yearly progress.

As used in this subsection, "early"middle middle college" means a department-approvedprogram 5-yearconsisting of a series of courses and other requirements and conditions, including an early college or other program created under a memorandum of studyunderstanding, that worksallows closelya withpupil postsecondaryto partnersgraduate tofrom providehigh pupilsschool with anboth opportunity earn a high school diploma and 1a certificate or moredegree offrom thea following:community college or state public university.

(a)(15) 60For transferableeach collegereport credits.that the department issues that includes the statewide assessment results for a school building, the department shall include the scores for the statewide assessment and the graduation rate for consortium pupils with the scores for the school building in the participating district in which the consortium pupil is enrolled or would otherwise attend.

(b)The Anstatewide associateassessment degree.for a consortium pupil may be administered either at the consortium location or at the school building in the participating district in which the consortium pupil is enrolled or would otherwise attend.

(c)As Aused professionalin certification.this subsection, "consortium pupil" means a pupil who is enrolled or participating in a participating district in a school or program operated as a consortium or under a cooperative arrangement formed by 2 or more districts or intermediate districts, including, but not limited to, a consortium or cooperative arrangement operated as a program, a shared educational entity, a specialized educational entity, or a CRM H02513'25 (H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 gypzt0 special education center program.

(16) (15) As used in this subdivision,section: "professional certification" means any certificate or industry- recognized credential that a pupil prepared for by taking coursework provided by an eligible postsecondary institution.

(d)(a) The"Armenian MichiganGenocide", Early"genocide", Middleand College"Holocaust" Associationmean technicalthose certificate.terms as defined in section 1168.

(e) Participation in a registered apprenticeship.

(15) As used in this section:

CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1 73n2j6 (a) "Armenian Genocide", "genocide", and "Holocaust" mean those terms as defined in section 1168.

Final Page CRM H02513'25 (S-3)_HB4556_APS_1(H-2)_HB4556_APH_1 73n2j6gypzt0