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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4073 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 561
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
David M. Rogers
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in our schools.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David M. Rogers24th Middlesex1/20/2023Frank A. Moran17th Essex1/24/2023 1 of 7
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4073 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 561
By Representative Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 561) of
David M. Rogers and Frank A. Moran for legislation to establish an integrated cultural studies
curriculum in schools. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in our schools.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the
2following new section:-
3 (a) Definitions.
4 Section XX. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall be defined as:
5 “Advisory Council”, means the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.
6 “Commissioner”, means the commissioner of the department of elementary and
7secondary education.
8 “Department”, means the department of elementary and secondary education.
9 “Integrated Cultural Studies”, means the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity, as
10understood through the perspectives of major underrepresented racial groups in the United States 2 of 7
11such as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans.
12Integrated Cultural Studies shall examine the historical and contemporary role of race and racism
13in the United States at the local, state, and national level. The curriculum shall reference social
14commentary, scholarly sources, art and literature of African-Americans, Asian-Americans,
15Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans. This curriculum shall promote civility and
16collaboration between students of different ethnicities and backgrounds. The curriculum shall be
17inclusive, and shall offer diverse voices and narratives to broaden student’s understanding of race
18and culture.
19 (b) Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.
20 The commissioner of the department shall establish an Integrated Cultural Studies
21Advisory Council for the purpose of developing a model curriculum and framework for grades
22kindergarten through twelve in Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies
23Advisory Council shall make recommendations to the department regarding the implementation
24of Integrated Cultural Studies in public schools. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory
25Council shall include but not be limited to: six teachers of color to be appointed, three teachers of
26color from Gateway Cities across Massachusetts; the president of the Boston Branch of the
27NAACP or designee, the executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods or
28designee, the chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus or designee, the
29executive director of Massachusetts' Commission on Indian Affairs or designee, the executive
30director of Sociedad Latina or designee, the executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force or
31designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee,
32one commissioner of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee; and, the
33Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison established in subsection (c ). 3 of 7
34 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall elect the council’s Chair by a
35majority vote among its members at the advisory council’s first official meeting of business. The
36Chair shall preside over the advisory council’s meetings for the duration of the advisory
37council’s existence or until a new chair is elected by its members. The Integrated Cultural
38Studies Advisory Council shall meet at times and places to be determined by the Chair, in
39consultation with the members, and shall establish working groups, meetings, forums or other
40activity deemed necessary to carry out its business. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory
41Council shall remain in existence until their final report is published or at the Chair’s discretion.
42 (c) Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison.
43 The department shall hire, appoint and support an Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison that
44shall be a member of the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and represent the
45department in advisory council meetings. The Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison shall oversee
46all implementation of Integrated Cultural Studies in school districts and shall make
47recommendations to school districts on ways to improve their curriculum.
48 (d) (1) Initial Survey.
49 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct an initial survey of all
50public school district’s existing curriculum to assess the prevalence of cultural studies curriculum
51in Massachusetts. The questions on the initial survey shall be created by the advisory council
52members. The survey shall be administered by each school district and shall be reported back to
53the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council within 45 days of the initial inquiry. The initial
54survey and the initial survey’s results shall be included in the annual report for the first year and
55in the final report and shall be published on the department’s website. 4 of 7
56 (2) Annual Reports.
57 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct annual surveys based on
58the questions included in the initial survey. These questions and results shall be included in the
59advisory council’s annual report which shall be filed with the department. These annual reports
60shall include the advisory council’s work and findings for the year, the advisory council’s impact
61on implementing the Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and framework and analysis from
62the school district’s surveys. The department shall publish the annual reports on the department’s
63website.
64 (3) Final Report.
65 The advisory council shall recommend a comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies
66curriculum that would expound upon all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to
67History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks as they relate to
68ethnic literature, content, language, events, and figures. The advisory council’s report shall also
69include recommendations on improvements to all applicable core subjects, included but not
70limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to
71include Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall
72recommend curriculum that is appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability
73status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The advisory council’s recommendations shall
74include, but not be limited to: (i) teaching disciplinary or interdisciplinary theories necessary for
75students to comprehend, articulate, and critically analyze diverse social, cultural, and political
76perspectives; (ii) provide educational material that shall demonstrate critical awareness of how
77individual perspectives and biases influence ways of seeing the world; (iii) provide students with 5 of 7
78knowledge of structural and cultural forces that shape or have shaped discrimination through
79media based on factors such as race, ethnicity, language, religion, class, ability, nationality,
80sexuality, or gender; (iv) develop relationships amongst students and teachers that shall promote
81the practice of listening to and communicating respectfully with others of diverse perspectives;
82and (v) explore and research questions that reflect multiple perspectives to develop a complex
83understanding of the world.
84 The department shall use the advisory council’s recommendations to modify the
85curriculum’s framework as needed to include a more diverse array of narratives and broaden
86students' exposure to ways of thinking and understanding diverse cultural and racial perspectives.
87 (e) Department Duties.
88 (1) Pursuant to section 1E of chapter 69, the board of elementary and secondary
89education shall direct the commissioner to update all applicable core subjects, included but not
90limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to
91include provisions, consistent with this section, relative to Integrated Cultural Studies, as
92recommended by the advisory council, upon the effective date of this act and periodically
93thereafter.
94 (2) The department shall require each school district to implement curriculum
95recommended by the advisory council established in subsection (d). The department shall make
96resources available to school districts to assist in the selection of materials and curriculum for
97Integrated Cultural Studies.
98 (3) The department shall determine minimum education requirements and training
99qualifications for faculty teaching all applicable core subjects, included but not limited to History 6 of 7
100and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy, for the purpose of teaching
101Integrated Cultural Studies. The department shall provide professional development support for
102teachers to adequately instruct Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and shall create guidelines
103for a professional development program, framework for curriculum and guidance documents for
104cities and towns to implement Integrated Cultural Studies programming across all grades.
105 (4) The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and the Integrated Cultural Studies
106Liaison shall be appointed by the commissioner no later than 90 days after the effective date of
107this act.
108 (5) The department shall promulgate rules to implement, administer, and ensure
109compliance with the provisions of this section.
110 (f) School District Requirements.
111 Each public school district shall update their curriculum to include the Integrated Cultural
112Studies recommendations offered by the advisory council. School districts shall use the
113department’s guidance documents to integrate comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies
114education into all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to History and Social
115Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks, in grades K-12. School districts
116shall develop a plan to implement Integrated Cultural Studies into their curriculum no later than
117one year after the advisory council publishes its final report.
118 Beginning the first academic year following the effective date of this act, each public
119school district shall file an annual report with the department regarding curriculum frameworks
120related to Integrated Cultural Studies education. Said report shall include, but not be limited to,
121the following data for each public school district, by grade level: (1) the course name and a 7 of 7
122description of any Integrated Cultural Studies education curriculum offered; (2) the approximate
123number of hours spent on Integrated Cultural Studies education; and (3) the number of students
124receiving Integrated Cultural Studies education.
125 (g) Review of School District’s Plans.
126 The department shall work with the Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison and the advisory
127council members to review district plans and make recommendations to improve district plans
128pertaining to Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum.
129 (h) Online Resources.
130 The department shall create an online open educational resources portal to support
131Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum which must be made accessible for students, teachers and
132parents interested in learning more about Integrated Cultural Studies.
133 (i) Effective Date.
134 This act shall take effect for the academic year immediately following this bill’s passage.