Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4519 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11 HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4519
22 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
33 ________________________________________
44 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES , April 8, 2024.
55 The committee on Education, to whom were referred the petition
66 (accompanied by bill, House, No. 468) of Carol A. Doherty and others
77 relative to establishing a special commission (including members of the
88 General Court) on creating a more diversified teaching workforce, the
99 petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 498) of Natalie M. Higgins,
1010 Jack Patrick Lewis and others relative to LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in
1111 public schools, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 500) of
1212 Vanna Howard, Sean Garballey and others for legislation to include Asian
1313 Pacific Islander Desi American history education in school curriculum, the
1414 petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 528) of Michael P. Kushmerek
1515 and others that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
1616 develop an accelerated, tuition-free teacher occupational apprenticeship
1717 program, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 529) of Jack
1818 Patrick Lewis and others relative to the teaching of Native American
1919 culture and history, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 536) of
2020 Samantha Montaño and others relative to the creation of a permanent
2121 commission relative to the education of American Indian and Alaska
2222 Native residents, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 542) of
2323 Tram T. Nguyen, Steven Ultrino and others for legislation to promote
2424 racially inclusive curriculum in schools, the petition (accompanied by bill,
2525 House, No. 546) of Steven Owens, Manny Cruz and others relative to
2626 addressing racial and cultural bias training in educator professional
2727 development, the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 548) of Alice
2828 Hanlon Peisch relative to teacher preparation and certification, the petition
2929 (accompanied by bill, House, No. 549) of Alice Hanlon Peisch and others
3030 relative to educator diversity, the petition (accompanied by bill, House,
3131 No. 561) of David M. Rogers and Frank A. Moran for legislation to
3232 establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in schools, the petition
3333 (accompanied by bill, House, No. 583) of Priscila S. Sousa and Rodney
3434 M. Elliott relative to protecting certain teachers from layoffs, the petition
3535 (accompanied by bill, House, No. 588) of Chynah Tyler, Dylan A. Fernandes and others for legislation to establish a permanent commission
3636 on anti-racist education to develop anti-racist curriculum for the public
3737 schools, and the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 591) of Chynah
3838 Tyler, Christopher J. Worrell and Michelle M. DuBois relative to
3939 including the events of Black History instruction at schools and
4040 institutions of higher education, reports recommending that the
4141 accompanying bill (House, No. 4519) ought to pass.
4242 For the committee,
4343 DENISE C. GARLICK. 1 of 15
4444 FILED ON: 3/15/2024
4545 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4519
4646 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
4747 _______________
4848 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
4949 (2023-2024)
5050 _______________
5151 An Act relative to educator diversity.
5252 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
5353 of the same, as follows:
5454 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
5555 2is hereby amended by inserting after section 2DDDDDD the following new section:-
5656 3 Section 2EEEEEE. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the
5757 4commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Educator Diversity Trust Fund. The
5858 5commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall administer the fund. The fund shall
5959 6be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court
6060 7and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and
6161 8(iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to further the
6262 9establishment of plans and programs to increase educator diversity and professional development
6363 10pertaining to evidence-based culturally responsive and linguistically sustaining pedagogy and
6464 11practices. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any
6565 12money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. 2 of 15
6666 13 (b) The commissioner shall establish a grant program for public school districts, charter
6767 14schools, nonprofits or community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education.
6868 15Grants shall be provided for the following purposes: (i) to assist public school districts and
6969 16charter schools with the establishment of plans and programs to increase educator diversity,
7070 17including, but not limited to, the development of in-house teacher residency programs, pathways
7171 18focused on recruiting, developing, and supporting educators who are members of groups
7272 19underrepresented in the educator workforce, and other promising practices to increase the
7373 20recruitment and retention of diverse educators; (ii) for professional development and other
7474 21training for educators and other district and school staff pertaining to evidence-based culturally
7575 22responsive and linguistically sustaining pedagogy and practices; (iii) to assist public school
7676 23districts and charter schools with the establishment of programs to incentivize diverse and highly
7777 24effective educators to work or continue working in districts and charter schools with high
7878 25concentrations of economically disadvantaged students or English learners; and (iv) other
7979 26evidence-based strategies to increase educator diversity and culturally responsive and
8080 27linguistically sustaining practices in public school districts and charter schools. In establishing
8181 28and administering the grant program, the commissioner shall prioritize public school districts and
8282 29charter schools with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students or English
8383 30learners, which may include a district or school implementing a turnaround plan.
8484 31 (c) Amounts received from private sources shall be approved by the commissioner of
8585 32elementary and secondary education and subject to review before being deposited in the fund to
8686 33ensure that pledged funds are not accompanied by conditions, explicit or implicit, that may be
8787 34detrimental to the implementation of plans and programs to increase educator diversity or
8888 35professional development pertaining to evidence-based culturally responsive and linguistically 3 of 15
8989 36sustaining pedagogy and practices. The review shall be made publicly available on the
9090 37department's website.
9191 38 (d) In making grants, the commissioner shall utilize funding from the Educator Diversity
9292 39Trust Fund and may apply for federal, state or other funding. 
9393 40 (e) Annually, not later than December 1, the commissioner shall report to the clerks of
9494 41the house of representatives and senate, the joint committee on education and the house and
9595 42senate committees on ways and means on activity of the Educator Diversity Trust Fund. The
9696 43report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the source and amount of funds received; (ii) the
9797 44amounts distributed and the purpose of expenditures from the fund; (iii) grant recipients and the
9898 45amount received by each recipient; (iv) anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the
9999 46next year; (v) the number of public school districts, charter schools, nonprofits or community-
100100 47based organizations, and institutions of higher education that applied for, but were not granted,
101101 48funding; and (vi) the impact of the grant program, including the expenditure of funds by grantees
102102 49and an analysis of the types of programs created by said funds. The report shall be publicly
103103 50available on the department's website.
104104 51 SECTION 2. Section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
105105 52inserting after paragraph ending with the words, “approved provisional educator preparation
106106 53program”, in lines 93-94, the following paragraph:-
107107 54 The department of elementary and secondary education shall, in consultation with
108108 55relevant stakeholders, develop additional pathways for granting educator certification based on
109109 56the alternative assessment pilot authorized under 603 CMR 7.04(2)(f) that may be used to satisfy
110110 57the testing requirements contained in this section. 4 of 15
111111 58 SECTION 3. (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall, in
112112 59consultation with relevant stakeholders and with the solicitation of public comment for a period
113113 60of not less than 90 days, implement a 5-year pilot program to develop additional pathways for
114114 61granting educator certification.
115115 62 (b) The additional pathways may allow for waiver of not more than 1 of the 2 testing
116116 63requirements pursuant to said section 38G of said chapter 71, per candidate, and shall include
117117 64consideration of factors including, but not limited to, whether a candidate has: (i) completed
118118 65field-based experience of at least 2 years in the role and at the level of the license sought; (ii)
119119 66obtained certification in another state or territory in the United States, the District of Columbia,
120120 67or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as approved by the department; (iii) demonstrated at least
121121 682 years of educator proficiency according to traditional measures of effectiveness, as determined
122122 69by the department; (iv) completed a satisfactory portfolio of items that may include student
123123 70feedback or competency-based projects; (v) received a formal recommendation from the
124124 71principal, superintendent, or assistant superintendent of the current school or district where the
125125 72candidate has been employed as a teacher or paraprofessional for at least 3 full years; (vi)
126126 73obtained a master’s degree or doctorate from an accredited institution, provided that the
127127 74advanced degree relates to the content area for which the individual is seeking certification as
128128 75determined by the department; or (vii) completed a board-approved educator preparation
129129 76program for the role and at the level of the license sought, including but not limited to (A) a
130130 77college program, graduate or undergraduate, approved by the board for the preparation of
131131 78teachers; (B) a college preparation program included in the National Association of State
132132 79Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC); (C) an out of state teacher
133133 80education program approved by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education 5 of 15
134134 81(NCATE); or (D) another program approved by the board. This process shall give consideration
135135 82to necessary accommodations for any person with a disability as defined in 42 U.S.C. §12102
136136 83and comply with any other applicable state and federal laws.
137137 84 (c) The department shall ensure that any public school district or charter school which
138138 85employs educators licensed through this pilot program is able to provide the supports and
139139 86resources necessary for the educators to be effective, including but not limited to policies aligned
140140 87with the guidelines established in section 38G ¾ of chapter 71 of the General Laws.
141141 88 (d) The department shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program and
142142 89the use of the additional licensure pathways during the pilot period. The evaluation shall include:
143143 90(i) a measurement of student impacts according to factors determined by the department; (ii) an
144144 91assessment of progress made in diversifying the educator workforce, including data on the
145145 92demographics of participants, hiring rates and demographics of the districts and schools where
146146 93candidates were hired, aggregated evaluation ratings and retention rates; and (iii) an assessment
147147 94of the impacts on candidates of diverse backgrounds.
148148 95 (e) The department shall file a report including the evaluation of the pilot program with
149149 96the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and the joint committee on education no
150150 97later than one year after the conclusion of the pilot program.
151151 98 SECTION 4. Section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
152152 99amended by inserting after the words “attainment and renewal of such certificates”, in line 80,
153153 100the following sentence:- 6 of 15
154154 101 The board shall ensure that the established requirements for such certificates provide
155155 102necessary accommodations for any person with a disability as defined in 42 U.S.C. §12102 and
156156 103comply with any other applicable state and federal laws.
157157 104 SECTION 5. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
158158 105department of elementary and secondary education shall study the feasibility of establishing a
159159 106program which allows certain educator candidates to complete the testing requirements pursuant
160160 107to section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws at no cost to the candidates. Such a program
161161 108shall apply to candidates who are determined by the department to qualify for financial
162162 109assistance, or have (i) attempted to complete the testing requirements pursuant to said section
163163 11038G of chapter 71 of the General Laws; (ii) failed to meet the minimum score requirements
164164 111established by the department; and (iii) earned a score or scores within one standard error of
165165 112measurement of passing, as determined by the department. The study may include analysis of
166166 113any prior or existing voucher systems designed to pay for licensure test fees.
167167 114 (b) No later than October 1, 2025, the department shall file a report, including any
168168 115analysis or recommendations on the feasibility of the program with the clerks of the house of
169169 116representatives and the senate and the joint committee on education.
170170 117 SECTION 6. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
171171 118department of elementary and secondary education shall study the bias and accessibility of
172172 119assessments used by educator candidates to complete the testing requirements pursuant to section
173173 12038G of chapter 71 of the General Laws.
174174 121 (b) No later than October 1, 2025, the department shall file a report with the clerks of the
175175 122house of representatives and the senate and the joint committee on education on reducing bias 7 of 15
176176 123and increasing accessibility of assessments used by educator candidates to complete the testing
177177 124requirements pursuant to section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws, including any analysis
178178 125or recommendations. The report shall include, at minimum, (i) an analysis of potential racial,
179179 126cultural, or linguistic biases of assessments used by educator candidates; (ii) data on candidates
180180 127applying for accommodations and those receiving accommodations; (iii) data on the types of
181181 128accommodations requests received and those granted; (iv) data on candidates retaking the
182182 129assessment and any accommodations requested by those candidates; and (v) data on the passing
183183 130rates for candidates who received accommodations and all candidates passing the assessment.
184184 131 SECTION 7. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
185185 132department shall conduct a study and report on potential initiatives to incentivize diverse and
186186 133highly effective educators to work in high-needs schools and districts, including incentives to
187187 134recruit new and diverse teachers to high-needs schools and policies or practices to retain diverse
188188 135and effective teachers currently teaching in high-needs schools. “High-needs schools or
189189 136districts,” as used herein, shall be a school or district with a high percentage of low-income
190190 137students and/or English learners, which may include a school or district implementing a
191191 138turnaround plan.
192192 139 (b) Not later than October 1, 2025, the department shall file a report with the clerks of the
193193 140senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on education, including any analysis
194194 141or recommendations. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (1) a survey of educator
195195 142salaries and benefits across school districts and charter schools; (2) an assessment of potential
196196 143incentives to attract novice educators to high-needs school districts, including but not limited to
197197 144the establishment of loan forgiveness, scholarship, and housing support programs and the status
198198 145of such currently or previously existing state programs; (3) the feasibility of financial incentives 8 of 15
199199 146for achieving National Board certification; (4) the feasibility of establishing a master educator
200200 147corps program, to be administered by the department, to incentivize educators that have achieved
201201 148a certain level of mastery to transfer to high-needs school districts; (5) an assessment of a salary
202202 149parity scale for any educators that have switched to high-needs school districts; (6) any other
203203 150program, as determined by the department, to help meet the educator requirements of high-needs
204204 151school districts; and (7) an assessment of any additional actions necessary to achieve these
205205 152objectives.
206206 153 SECTION 8. Section 38G of said chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
207207 154hereby amended by inserting after the paragraph ending with the words “practical experience in
208208 155the application of these strategies”, in line 267, the following paragraph:-
209209 156 In addition to any other requirements of this section, the board shall incentivize all
210210 157educators and administrators to be trained in strategies related to evidence-based culturally
211211 158responsive and linguistically sustaining pedagogy and practices. The board may consider
212212 159incentives including but not limited to certification fee waivers, resources curated and published
213213 160by the department, professional development opportunities, and optional training during the
214214 161certification and recertification process.
215215 162 SECTION 9. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
216216 163section 36 the following section:-
217217 164 Section 37. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
218218 165department shall set measurable educator diversity goals for the state and collect and report
219219 166publicly statewide educator diversity data. The data shall be reported in an online dashboard
220220 167created in consultation with the board of elementary and secondary education. The data shall 9 of 15
221221 168include but not be limited to the hiring and retention of diverse educators, the racial, ethnic, and
222222 169linguistic demographics of educators who complete Massachusetts state educator preparation
223223 170programs, the racial, ethnic, and linguistic demographics of all persons applying for and
224224 171completing educator certification, and teacher qualification data from school and district report
225225 172cards. The department shall report annually to the board of elementary and secondary education
226226 173on state educator diversity data and goals. The department shall also submit a report on the state
227227 174of educator diversity to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint
228228 175committee on education no later than June 30 on an annual basis.
229229 176 (b) Each public school district and charter school shall collect and report to the
230230 177department educator diversity data in a manner prescribed by the department; provided that the
231231 178department shall utilize existing reporting mechanisms and schedules to collect educator
232232 179diversity data and outcomes.
233233 180 SECTION 10. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
234234 181section 38G ½ the following section:-
235235 182 Section 38G ¾. (a) To promote a diverse educator workforce, the department shall:
236236 183 (i) Establish guidelines for plans to increase racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity among
237237 184teaching, administration, and staff positions in each public school district, as defined in section 2
238238 185of chapter 70, and each charter school, as defined in section 89 of chapter 71. These guidelines
239239 186shall include, at a minimum, recommended policies designed to help districts and schools: (1)
240240 187identify and eliminate discriminatory barriers to hiring and learning in a district or school; (2)
241241 188remedy the effects of past discriminatory practices; (3) identify, recruit, and hire employees who
242242 189are members of groups underrepresented in the educator workforce; (4) develop, promote, and 10 of 15
243243 190retain employees who are members of groups underrepresented in the educator workforce; and
244244 191(5) ensure equal opportunity in employment for educators. In developing these guidelines, the
245245 192department shall consult with experts and school leaders from public school districts and charter
246246 193schools that have experienced significant increases in hiring and retaining racially, ethnically,
247247 194and linguistically diverse educators.
248248 195 Each public school district and charter school shall set a corresponding policy that
249249 196conforms with the department's guidelines. Such plans shall comply with all applicable state and
250250 197federal laws, and shall be updated, at a minimum, every 3 years.
251251 198 (ii) Establish a process for reviewing plans based on clearly defined criteria. A public
252252 199school district or charter school shall amend any plan deemed not to conform with the
253253 200requirements of this section. A public school district or charter school shall be deemed to have
254254 201satisfied the requirements of this section if it has prioritized diversity in its 3-year plan required
255255 202by section 1S of chapter 69, as amended by chapter 132 of the acts of 2019, or in any other
256256 203strategic plan developed by the district.
257257 204 (iii) Establish periodic reporting requirements for public school districts and charter
258258 205schools concerning the implementation of their plans and all actions taken to ensure compliance
259259 206with this section and applicable state and federal laws. These reporting requirements shall be
260260 207incorporated into existing reporting mechanisms and schedules where feasible.
261261 208 (iv) Assist public school districts and charter schools in complying with their plans and
262262 209applicable federal and state laws.
263263 210 (v) Require approved educator preparation programs to implement plans to increase the
264264 211racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of program completers. These plans shall be required as 11 of 15
265265 212part of the educator preparation program approval process and the department shall make each
266266 213program’s plan publicly available. The department shall establish guidelines for educator
267267 214preparation program diversity plans.
268268 215 (b) The board of elementary and secondary education shall review compliance with these
269269 216plans and policies on a regular basis and may provide further recommendations regarding
270270 217educator diversity.
271271 218 SECTION 11. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
272272 219section 99 the following section:-
273273 220 Section 100. (a) Each public school district and charter school shall appoint or hire a
274274 221diversity, equity, and inclusion officer(s) or establish a diversity team, referred to in this section
275275 222as a diversity officer or team. The role and responsibilities of a diversity officer or team may be
276276 223assigned to an existing school employee or existing school entity. A diversity officer or team
277277 224shall report directly to the superintendent. Diversity officers or teams shall coordinate their
278278 225school district’s compliance with the requirements of this section and applicable federal and state
279279 226laws. Should a district or charter school have a diversity officer or team already in place, that
280280 227shall satisfy the requirement of this section.
281281 228 (b) Each public school district and charter school shall establish a process for advising the
282282 229school committee or board of trustees on matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the school
283283 230district or charter school. This process may include establishing an educator diversity council
284284 231consisting of educators, administrators, parents or caregivers, and students, which shall meet
285285 232regularly with the superintendent or the diversity officer or teams and the school committee or
286286 233board of trustees. For such councils that are established, members shall, to the best ability of a 12 of 15
287287 234school district or charter school, represent a diversity of identities, including but not limited to
288288 235race, ethnicity, culture, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability,
289289 236and socioeconomic level. The school committee or board of trustees may appoint a member of
290290 237the committee to serve as an ex-officio member of the educator diversity council.
291291 238 (c) Pursuant to guidelines established by the department, all superintendents, school
292292 239committee members, boards of trustees members, district leaders, principals, and school district
293293 240employees shall attend diversity and implicit bias training every two years; provided that training
294294 241completed during certification or recertification pursuant to paragraph 36 of section 38G of
295295 242chapter 71 shall satisfy this requirement for the year in which the training was completed.
296296 243 SECTION 12. Section 18 of Chapter 74, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is
297297 244hereby amended by striking the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following
298298 245paragraph:-
299299 246 The state board shall establish basic competency-based vocational-technical teacher
300300 247training standards which shall serve as the fundamental, pedagogical requirements for beginning
301301 248vocational-technical instructors. The board shall further require that all persons seeking to meet
302302 249the board's requirements shall have successfully passed performance and written tests in areas as
303303 250determined by the board or shall have satisfied alternative measures of proficiency established by
304304 251the board and shall have successfully completed an approved seminar on teaching skills and
305305 252methods.
306306 253 SECTION 13. (a) Notwithstanding any general law or special law to the contrary, the
307307 254department of elementary and secondary education shall, subject to appropriation, develop and
308308 255administer a 2-year pilot program, in partnership with a college or university or school or district 13 of 15
309309 256or other institution offering an approved preparation program pursuant to Section 38G of Chapter
310310 25771 of the General Laws, for teacher apprenticeships during which participants shall complete a
311311 258paid teaching apprenticeship for 2 full school years in a high-needs district in the classroom with
312312 259a highly proficient mentor teacher, as determined by the department using factors including but
313313 260not limited to traditional measures of effectiveness and demonstrated evidence-based practices,
314314 261as determined by the department. As used herein, “high-needs” shall be defined as: schools or
315315 262districts with a high percentage of low-income students and English learners, which may include
316316 263schools or districts implementing turnaround plans. The program shall provide sufficient funds to
317317 264candidates to support earning a competitive wage, including but not limited to support for
318318 265childcare, transportation, textbooks, and other core expenses, to ensure a diverse cohort are able
319319 266to fully participate. In designing the program, the department shall partner with the
320320 267Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and consult the National
321321 268Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS) for Registered Apprenticeships for K-12
322322 269teachers. The department shall seek to maximize revenues through federal monies, matching
323323 270funds and grants to support this program. Subject to available state and federal funds, the
324324 271department shall consider the feasibility of a no-cost or tuition-free program for some or all
325325 272participants on the basis of a participant’s financial need.
326326 273 (b) In administering the pilot program, the department shall promulgate regulations
327327 274defining the apprenticeship and the target candidates to be admitted to the program.
328328 275 (c) The department shall file a report with the clerks of the house of representatives and
329329 276the senate and the joint committee on education no later than 1 year after the completion of the
330330 277pilot on the outcome of the pilot program. The report shall include data on the demographics of
331331 278participants, licensure pass rates, hiring rates, and an assessment of the feasibility of applying for 14 of 15
332332 279status as a United States Registered Apprenticeship. The department shall file a report with the
333333 280clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and joint committee on education no later
334334 281than 3 years after the completion of the pilot that includes, at a minimum, an evaluation of the
335335 282impact of apprentices on student outcomes as compared to teachers not participating in the pilot
336336 283using traditional measures of effectiveness, as determined by the department, and an assessment
337337 284of the feasibility of expanding to a 2-year teacher apprenticeship for all teacher candidates or all
338338 285candidates in high-needs districts.
339339 286 SECTION 14. (a) Not later than October 1, 2025, the department of elementary and
340340 287secondary education, or any department or agency thereof designated by the executive office,
341341 288shall establish a public information campaign, which shall be no less than 1 year, to educate and
342342 289promote awareness to the public of available state scholarships and loan forgiveness programs
343343 290for prospective educators. The campaign shall include, but not be limited to, information about
344344 291the availability and eligibility for such scholarships and loan forgiveness programs. The
345345 292department of elementary and secondary education, or any department or agency thereof
346346 293designated by the executive office, shall seek to ensure that the information campaign reaches
347347 294individuals applying to public institutions of higher education, pursuant to section 5 of chapter
348348 29515A of the General Laws, and community colleges, pursuant to section 10 of chapter 15A of the
349349 296General Laws.
350350 297 (b) Not later than October 1, 2027, the department shall report to the joint committee on
351351 298education on the impact of the public information campaign, including data on the numbers of
352352 299applicants for available state scholarships and loan forgiveness programs and the awarding of
353353 300such scholarships and loan forgiveness program participants. 15 of 15
354354 301 SECTION 15. The board of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules
355355 302and regulations to implement the requirements of this act. Such regulations shall include a
356356 303schedule for public school districts and charter schools to meet the planning and reporting
357357 304requirements of this act, provided that such schedule shall prioritize implementation for school
358358 305districts and charter schools that have significant disparities between educator and student
359359 306demographics, according to racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity.