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Bill Summary · SB 455

SB 455 — Summary (Education: cultural‑competency instruction and professional development)

Purpose

SB 455 would add section 1526c to Michigan’s Revised School Code (1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1–380.1852). The bill requires the state Department of Education to develop or adopt and distribute resources to support professional learning on cultural competency, and it requires school districts and public school academies to provide cultural‑competency training for educators and school personnel.

Key provisions

  • Department obligations

    • By no later than June 1, 2027, the Department must develop or adopt and provide to schools resources for professional learning on cultural competency.
    • Required topics (must include, but not limited to):
    • Value of diversity and approaches to improve students’ sense of belonging.
    • Understanding cultural identity.
    • Key historic contributions and perspectives of specified groups (Asian American & Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous, Latine, Hispanic, Jewish American, European American, Middle Eastern, North African, and Chaldean American people) in Michigan and the U.S.
    • Implicit bias (training developed with expert input).
    • The Department may also make available instructional materials on the listed group histories that align with state social studies standards.

  • Local education agency obligations

    • Beginning with the 2027–2028 school year, school district boards, intermediate district boards, and public school academy governing boards must require:
    • All educators to receive cultural‑competency training using the Department’s resources or comparable locally adopted resources (training may be provided as part of existing professional development under MCL 1527).
    • All non‑educator school personnel who have contact with pupils to receive cultural‑competency training using the same resources or comparable materials. (Non‑educator personnel are not required to receive the topic on historical contributions listed above.)

Who is affected

  • Michigan Department of Education: must develop/adopt and distribute resources.
  • School districts, intermediate school districts, and public school academies: must require and provide training.
  • Educators (teachers, licensed staff) and school personnel who interact with pupils: subject to new training requirements.
  • Students and families: intended beneficiaries through increased cultural‑competency practices and materials.

Timeline & implementation

  • Resource development/adoption deadline: June 1, 2027.
  • Training requirement effective: beginning with the 2027–2028 school year.
  • Training may be delivered as part of existing professional development structures.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Operational: districts will need to integrate new training into PD schedules and ensure non‑educator staff access.
  • Fiscal: costs for staff time, substitute coverage, and/or curriculum procurement—likely absorbed locally unless the state provides funding.
  • Content design: implicit bias training must be developed with expert input; local options allowed if comparable to state resources.
  • Alignment: Department materials may include instructional history resources aligned to state social studies standards.

Procedural status

  • Classification/subject: Education — curriculum; teachers and administrators.
  • Status: Referred to Committee on Education (introduced Feb 19, 2025 per filing information). Key implementation dates are included above.

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

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