| 1 | 1 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4399 |
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| 2 | 2 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 3 | 3 | | ________________________________________ |
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| 4 | 4 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 20, 2024. |
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| 5 | 5 | | The committee on Education, to whom was referred the petition |
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| 6 | 6 | | (accompanied by bill, House, No. 440) of Antonio F. D. Cabral and others |
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| 7 | 7 | | relative to admissions to vocational-technical schools or vocational- |
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| 8 | 8 | | technical programs to provide for equitable workforce development, the |
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| 9 | 9 | | petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 444) of Manny Cruz, Estela A. |
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| 10 | 10 | | Reyes and others for legislation to expand the use of career and academic |
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| 11 | 11 | | plans, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 450) of Josh S. Cutler |
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| 12 | 12 | | and others relative to state reimbursement for non-district vocational |
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| 13 | 13 | | school transportation costs, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. |
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| 14 | 14 | | 505) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to the advisory board to |
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| 15 | 15 | | the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the petition (accompanied |
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| 16 | 16 | | by bill, House, No. 524) of Michael P. Kushmerek and others relative to |
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| 17 | 17 | | discriminatory outcomes in vocational school admissions, the petition |
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| 18 | 18 | | (accompanied by bill, House, No. 531) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian, Jessica |
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| 19 | 19 | | Ann Giannino and others for legislation to increase student access to |
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| 20 | 20 | | career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with |
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| 21 | 21 | | regional labor market needs, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. |
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| 22 | 22 | | 538) of Frank A. Moran, Adam Scanlon and others for legislation to |
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| 23 | 23 | | provide for a program of capital investments for vocational-technical |
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| 24 | 24 | | education programs and regional vocational-technical schools, the petition |
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| 25 | 25 | | (accompanied by bill, House, No. 564) of Jeffrey N. Roy and others |
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| 26 | 26 | | relative to industry-recognized certification awards paid by the |
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| 27 | 27 | | Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the petition |
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| 28 | 28 | | (accompanied by bill, House, No. 592) of Chynah Tyler and others for |
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| 29 | 29 | | legislation to establish within the office of the Governor a workforce skills |
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| 30 | 30 | | cabinet to expand student pathways to success, and the petition |
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| 31 | 31 | | (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4245) of Jeffrey Rosario Turco for |
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| 32 | 32 | | legislation to authorize schools and students participating in certain |
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| 33 | 33 | | athletic programs to seek arbitration to review athletic programs eligibility |
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| 34 | 34 | | decisions, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4399) ought to pass. For the committee, |
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| 36 | 36 | | DENISE C. GARLICK. 1 of 7 |
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| 37 | 37 | | FILED ON: 2/7/2024 |
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| 38 | 38 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4399 |
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| 39 | 39 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 40 | 40 | | _______________ |
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| 41 | 41 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 43 | 43 | | _______________ |
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| 44 | 44 | | An Act to expand access to career technical education and other alternative pathways that |
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| 45 | 45 | | improve student opportunities and outcomes. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 47 | 47 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 48 | 48 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2sections:- |
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| 50 | 50 | | 3 Section 38. For the purposes of sections 39 through 42, inclusive, the following terms |
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| 51 | 51 | | 4shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:- |
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| 52 | 52 | | 5 “Career technical education”, shall have the same meaning as vocational-technical |
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| 53 | 53 | | 6education pursuant to section 1 of chapter 74. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 7 “Career technical education program”, shall mean a vocational technical education |
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| 55 | 55 | | 8program approved by the department pursuant to chapter 74. |
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| 56 | 56 | | 9 “District of residence”, shall mean the school district of the city or town where a student |
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| 57 | 57 | | 10resides. |
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| 58 | 58 | | 11 “Office”, shall mean the office of career technical education. 2 of 7 |
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| 59 | 59 | | 12 “School of residence”, shall mean the middle school or junior high school a student |
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| 60 | 60 | | 13attends within their district of residence. “School of residence”, shall mean the middle school or |
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| 61 | 61 | | 14junior high school a student attends within their district of residence. |
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| 62 | 62 | | 15 Section 39. There shall be established within the department of elementary and |
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| 63 | 63 | | 16secondary education an office of career technical education, whose purpose is to develop and |
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| 64 | 64 | | 17implement policies and promulgate regulations to promote, enhance, and expand career technical |
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| 65 | 65 | | 18education programs in the commonwealth and which shall be under the supervision and |
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| 66 | 66 | | 19management of the deputy commissioner of career technical education. The deputy |
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| 67 | 67 | | 20commissioner shall be appointed by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, |
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| 68 | 68 | | 21with the approval of the board. It shall be the duty of said deputy commissioner to improve and |
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| 69 | 69 | | 22maximize career technical education throughout the commonwealth, and to collaborate with the |
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| 70 | 70 | | 23board to promulgate regulations and develop and implement polices to enhance the |
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| 71 | 71 | | 24commonwealth’s career technical education programs, including but not limited to the ensuring |
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| 72 | 72 | | 25the enforcement of regulations relative to certificates of occupational proficiency. |
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| 73 | 73 | | 26 Section 40. The office shall promote and support with available resources innovative and |
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| 74 | 74 | | 27collaborative career technical education demonstration programs in which students split time |
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| 75 | 75 | | 28between their comprehensive high school and a school offering programs under chapter 74; |
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| 76 | 76 | | 29provided, that under such programs, participating students’ daily schedule shall include required |
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| 77 | 77 | | 30academic classes and vocational courses when the equipment is available. |
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| 78 | 78 | | 31 Section 41. (a) The office shall oversee all Chapter 74 approved programs and ensure |
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| 79 | 79 | | 32compliance with M.G.L. Chapter 74 and related regulations. 3 of 7 |
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| 80 | 80 | | 33 (b) The office shall develop credentials for students graduating from high quality career |
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| 81 | 81 | | 34technical education programs in applied knowledge, effective relationships, and workplace skills |
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| 82 | 82 | | 35as described in the federal Employability Skills Framework. |
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| 83 | 83 | | 36 (c) The office shall ensure instructional ability and competence of career technical |
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| 84 | 84 | | 37education instructors through the utilization of occupational advisory boards and nationally |
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| 85 | 85 | | 38validated teacher competency testing. |
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| 86 | 86 | | 39 (d) The office shall utilize both pre- and post-technical assessment in both cognitive and |
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| 87 | 87 | | 40psychomotor domains to determine what students know and are able to do. |
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| 88 | 88 | | 41 (e) The office shall collaborate with recognized industry credential providers to develop |
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| 89 | 89 | | 42state-customized credentials to measure career readiness through skill assessments appropriate to |
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| 90 | 90 | | 43each tier of career technical education. |
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| 91 | 91 | | 44 (f) The office shall consider the use of the 21st Century Skills for Workplace Success |
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| 92 | 92 | | 45Credential, including but not limited for use in validation of basic competencies prior to |
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| 93 | 93 | | 46participation in externships or school-based enterprises and as a graduation or completion |
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| 94 | 94 | | 47requirement for post-graduate and postsecondary chapter 74 programs. |
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| 95 | 95 | | 48 (g) The office shall support the use of Industry Recognized Credentials, known as IRCs, |
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| 96 | 96 | | 49in chapter 74 programs. |
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| 97 | 97 | | 50 (h) The office shall support the use of both longitudinal and pre- and post-student |
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| 98 | 98 | | 51assessment as a means of obtaining meaningful data for curricular improvement. Data may be |
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| 99 | 99 | | 52utilized for facilities improvement, equipment investments, mission success, and professional |
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| 100 | 100 | | 53development. 4 of 7 |
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| 101 | 101 | | 54 (i) The office shall engage in statewide data sharing agreements with credential providers |
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| 102 | 102 | | 55that include a variety of access portals for a variety of levels of personnel, including but not |
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| 103 | 103 | | 56limited to state, local career technical education administration, career technical education |
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| 104 | 104 | | 57teachers, parents, and students, giving access to stakeholders to assess program effectiveness. |
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| 105 | 105 | | 58 (j) The office shall encourage and work to increase the use of articulation agreements |
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| 106 | 106 | | 59with community colleges and public universities and other dual credit programs to allow career |
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| 107 | 107 | | 60technical education students to earn credit and stacked credentials that lead to an associate’s |
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| 108 | 108 | | 61degree. |
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| 109 | 109 | | 62 (k) The office shall implement and promote efforts, including those related to student |
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| 110 | 110 | | 63outreach and retention, to ensure that career technical education programs are accessible to all |
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| 111 | 111 | | 64students, including English language learners, students with disabilities, and student populations |
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| 112 | 112 | | 65traditionally underrepresented in career technical education programs. Such efforts shall include, |
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| 113 | 113 | | 66but not be limited to (i) establishing a statewide marketing campaign to promote the success of |
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| 114 | 114 | | 67vocational-technical education and careers in Massachusetts and to raise the level of awareness |
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| 115 | 115 | | 68and understanding of such education among parents, students, businesses, labor unions, and the |
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| 116 | 116 | | 69general public, and (ii) working to increase awareness of vocational-technical education and |
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| 117 | 117 | | 70career opportunities among students in elementary schools, junior high schools, and middle |
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| 118 | 118 | | 71schools. |
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| 119 | 119 | | 72 (l) The office shall develop a model policy for public schools that ensures reasonable and |
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| 120 | 120 | | 73equitable access for Chapter 74 programs to provide students enrolled in public schools with |
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| 121 | 121 | | 74information about career technical programs. The model policy will include, but not be limited |
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| 122 | 122 | | 75to: (i) providing schools offering Chapter 74 programs reasonable access during the school day at 5 of 7 |
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| 123 | 123 | | 76schools of residence to meet with all students and distribute information about vocational- |
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| 124 | 124 | | 77technical education and careers to students, including English language learners, students with |
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| 125 | 125 | | 78disabilities, students of color, and other student populations, to ensure that such information is |
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| 126 | 126 | | 79provided equitably to all learners; (ii) providing schools offering Chapter 74 programs the |
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| 127 | 127 | | 80opportunity to provide middle and junior high school students with information about vocational- |
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| 128 | 128 | | 81technical programs and careers through mail and email; (iii) providing all middle school students |
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| 129 | 129 | | 82an opportunity to tour, during regular middle school hours, the regional vocational-technical high |
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| 130 | 130 | | 83school and/or county agricultural school of which the middle school’s city or town is a member, |
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| 131 | 131 | | 84if applicable; and (iv) additional policies as the office deems reasonable and necessary to |
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| 132 | 132 | | 85promote equitable access by all students to information about career technical education. |
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| 133 | 133 | | 86 Section 42. The office shall work with the Regional Workforce Boards on an annual basis |
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| 134 | 134 | | 87to determine the labor market needs in their region and, using that information, shall actively |
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| 135 | 135 | | 88promote and facilitate the introduction of career technical education programs that align with |
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| 136 | 136 | | 89regional demand. The office shall work with the regional workforce boards to ensure curricular |
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| 137 | 137 | | 90alignment to both local employers’ needs and expected national standards for labor market |
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| 138 | 138 | | 91needs. |
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| 139 | 139 | | 92 SECTION 2. Section 3A of Chapter 70B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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| 140 | 140 | | 93Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the number “17” and inserting “19” in place |
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| 141 | 141 | | 94thereof, and further by inserting, after “Fire Chiefs' Association of Massachusetts, Inc.” the |
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| 142 | 142 | | 95following:- “, Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, Inc., Alliance for |
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| 143 | 143 | | 96Vocational Technical Education,” 6 of 7 |
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| 144 | 144 | | 97 SECTION 3. Subsection (c) of section 14B of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as |
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| 145 | 145 | | 98appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence and |
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| 146 | 146 | | 99inserting in place thereof the following 2 sentences:- |
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| 147 | 147 | | 100 “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a city or town may |
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| 148 | 148 | | 101simultaneously be a member of a vocational regional school district and any other type of |
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| 149 | 149 | | 102regional school district. A city or town that belongs to a regional vocational school district may |
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| 150 | 150 | | 103offer a vocational technical education program in its municipal high school; provided, however, |
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| 151 | 151 | | 104that the program is approved under section 2 of chapter 74 of the General Laws; provided, |
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| 152 | 152 | | 105further, that a vocational regional school district and any other type of regional school district |
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| 153 | 153 | | 106serving the same town shall collaborate through the office of career technical education in |
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| 154 | 154 | | 107offering reciprocal non-competitive programs under chapter 74 of the General Laws; provided, |
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| 155 | 155 | | 108further, that said programs meet the labor market needs in a community’s region as determined |
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| 156 | 156 | | 109by Regional Workforce Boards.” |
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| 157 | 157 | | 110 SECTION 4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish and |
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| 158 | 158 | | 111administer a pilot program to incentivize collaboration between high school faculty and guidance |
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| 159 | 159 | | 112counselors of schools offering chapter 74 programs and those that do not to utilize resources |
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| 160 | 160 | | 113developed by career technical education to provide access to skill-training and career options for |
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| 161 | 161 | | 114all students. The pilot program shall be administered for 2 years from the date the program is |
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| 162 | 162 | | 115initiated. At the end of the 2-year period, the department shall submit a report on the effects of |
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| 163 | 163 | | 116the program and the feasibility of continuing such program to the clerks of the house of |
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| 164 | 164 | | 117representatives and the senate, and to the house and senate co-chairs of the joint committee on |
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| 165 | 165 | | 118education. 7 of 7 |
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| 166 | 166 | | 119 SECTION 5. (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall (i) study |
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| 167 | 167 | | 120ways to incentivize the awarding of industry recognized credentials to high school students, |
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| 168 | 168 | | 121including, but not limited to, credentials that align with the annual list from the Executive Office |
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| 169 | 169 | | 122of Labor and Workforce Development of high demand or high growth industry-recognized |
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| 170 | 170 | | 123credentials; and (ii) study ways to enhance opportunities and remove barriers to work-based |
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| 171 | 171 | | 124learning experiences for high school students. |
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| 172 | 172 | | 125 (b) The department shall report their findings and recommendations to the clerks of the |
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| 173 | 173 | | 126house of representatives and senate and the joint committee on education on or before December |
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| 174 | 174 | | 12731, 2024. The department shall make the report publicly available on its website. |
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| 175 | 175 | | 128 SECTION 6. (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall study |
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| 176 | 176 | | 129ways to expand the use of student-centered, multi-year planning tools and resources that enhance |
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| 177 | 177 | | 130college and career readiness, including, but not limited to, MyCAP, to all public schools and |
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| 178 | 178 | | 131students in the Commonwealth. |
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| 179 | 179 | | 132 (b) The department shall report their findings and recommendations to the clerks of the |
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| 180 | 180 | | 133house of representatives and senate and the joint committee on education on or before December |
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| 181 | 181 | | 13431, 2024. The department shall make the report publicly available on its website. |
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