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HB 4157

Education: examinations; pilot programs for a state-administered assessment system; create. Amends secs. 11, 104, 104b & 104c of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1611 et seq.) & adds sec. 104d. TIE BAR WITH: HB 4158'25

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Cam Cavitt and 11 co-sponsors

HB 4157 authorizes pilot, state‑administered interim plus summative assessments to measure growth and standards mastery, potentially replacing M‑STEP for some purposes.

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Bill Summary · HB 4157

Summary — HB 4157 (State School Aid Act amendment): Pilot program for state‑administered assessment systems

Main purpose

HB 4157 creates statutory authority for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to run pilot programs testing alternate, state‑administered assessment systems that combine interim (growth) measures with summative scoring. The stated intent is to explore models that measure student growth throughout the year while still producing end‑of‑year summative results, reducing reliance on a single high‑stakes test.

Key provisions

  • MDE must contract with one or more entities to provide two distinct pilot assessment systems:
    • System A: three interim assessments whose cumulative result functions as a summative score (used to track growth and standards mastery).
    • System B: two interim growth assessments plus one summative assessment (used to track growth and standards mastery).
  • Assessment design and reporting requirements for pilot systems:
    • Must comply with federal law (including ESSA) and align to Michigan standards.
    • Must include a public sample pool of questions covering the same subject areas/concepts as tested items.
    • Must produce individual student reports showing proficiency, growth, domain‑level performance (including representative questions), and performance relative to state standards.
    • Must produce aggregate reports (by teacher, grade, school, district) and support data needed for educator evaluations.
    • Districts must receive individual student reports within 14 days after test completion.
  • Time limits:
    • Each interim assessment: average completion time no more than 1 hour per pupil.
    • Final summative assessment (for the model that includes one): average completion time no more than 3 hours per pupil.
  • Pilot participation and selection:
    • Districts (including public school academies/charter schools) may apply; MDE selects up to 90 participating districts.
    • MDE must ensure geographic representation: approximately one‑third rural, one‑third suburban, and one‑third urban.
  • Relation to Michigan merit examination and M‑STEP:
    • Districts enrolled in the pilot may use the piloted assessment system in place of the M‑STEP for certain purposes (HB 4158 amends related provisions for PSAs/authorizers).
  • Tie‑bar: HB 4157 is tied to HB 4158 — neither takes effect unless both are enacted.

Who is affected

  • Michigan Department of Education (implementation, contracting, reporting).
  • Test providers/contractors.
  • Up to 90 school districts and participating public school academies, and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
  • Authorizers of PSAs (per related HB 4158) when pilot assessments substitute for M‑STEP measures.

Timeline / procedural notes

  • Introduced in the House (Feb/Mar 2025). Passed the House and Senate; enrolled and sent to the Governor. Governor signed (6/20/2025); effective date listed as 9/1/2025.
  • MDE will likely need U.S. Department of Education approval before a piloted system could replace M‑STEP for federal‑accountability purposes.

Fiscal impact and positions

  • House Fiscal Agency: the bills create new state costs; MDE expects significant implementation costs but could not estimate total. An initial placeholder amount ($100 GF/GP in early summaries) is noted; other appropriation language in the substitute references funding allocations and a $500,000 cap for an online reporting tool in 2024–25.
  • Local districts/ISDs/PSAs: no direct fiscal impact anticipated from the legislation itself.
  • Positions recorded: Great Lakes Education Project Education Fund supported the bills; Michigan Department of Education, Michigan League for Public Policy, and EdTrust Midwest indicated opposition in committee testimony.

Additional notes

  • The bill requires transparency (public sample items and rapid reporting) and explicit capabilities to support educator evaluation systems.
  • Because the M‑STEP is currently the ESSA‑approved assessment, MDE would likely need federal approval to implement any new assessment system for federal accountability.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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