Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H561 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4073 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 561
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David M. Rogers
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in our schools.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David M. Rogers24th Middlesex1/20/2023Frank A. Moran17th Essex1/24/2023 1 of 7
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4073 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 561
18	18	By Representative Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 561) of
19	19	David M. Rogers and Frank A. Moran for legislation to establish an integrated cultural studies
20	20	curriculum in schools. Education.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in our schools.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the
30	30	2following new section:-
31	31	3 (a) Definitions.
32	32	4 Section XX. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall be defined as:
33	33	5 “Advisory Council”, means the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.
34	34	6 “Commissioner”, means the commissioner of the department of elementary and
35	35	7secondary education.
36	36	8 “Department”, means the department of elementary and secondary education.
37	37	9 “Integrated Cultural Studies”, means the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity, as
38	38	10understood through the perspectives of major underrepresented racial groups in the United States 2 of 7
39	39	11such as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans.
40	40	12Integrated Cultural Studies shall examine the historical and contemporary role of race and racism
41	41	13in the United States at the local, state, and national level. The curriculum shall reference social
42	42	14commentary, scholarly sources, art and literature of African-Americans, Asian-Americans,
43	43	15Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans. This curriculum shall promote civility and
44	44	16collaboration between students of different ethnicities and backgrounds. The curriculum shall be
45	45	17inclusive, and shall offer diverse voices and narratives to broaden student’s understanding of race
46	46	18and culture.
47	47	19 (b) Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.
48	48	20 The commissioner of the department shall establish an Integrated Cultural Studies
49	49	21Advisory Council for the purpose of developing a model curriculum and framework for grades
50	50	22kindergarten through twelve in Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies
51	51	23Advisory Council shall make recommendations to the department regarding the implementation
52	52	24of Integrated Cultural Studies in public schools. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory
53	53	25Council shall include but not be limited to: six teachers of color to be appointed, three teachers of
54	54	26color from Gateway Cities across Massachusetts; the president of the Boston Branch of the
55	55	27NAACP or designee, the executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods or
56	56	28designee, the chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus or designee, the
57	57	29executive director of Massachusetts' Commission on Indian Affairs or designee, the executive
58	58	30director of Sociedad Latina or designee, the executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force or
59	59	31designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee,
60	60	32one commissioner of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee; and, the
61	61	33Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison established in subsection (c ). 3 of 7
62	62	34 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall elect the council’s Chair by a
63	63	35majority vote among its members at the advisory council’s first official meeting of business. The
64	64	36Chair shall preside over the advisory council’s meetings for the duration of the advisory
65	65	37council’s existence or until a new chair is elected by its members. The Integrated Cultural
66	66	38Studies Advisory Council shall meet at times and places to be determined by the Chair, in
67	67	39consultation with the members, and shall establish working groups, meetings, forums or other
68	68	40activity deemed necessary to carry out its business. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory
69	69	41Council shall remain in existence until their final report is published or at the Chair’s discretion.
70	70	42 (c) Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison.
71	71	43 The department shall hire, appoint and support an Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison that
72	72	44shall be a member of the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and represent the
73	73	45department in advisory council meetings. The Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison shall oversee
74	74	46all implementation of Integrated Cultural Studies in school districts and shall make
75	75	47recommendations to school districts on ways to improve their curriculum.
76	76	48 (d) (1) Initial Survey.
77	77	49 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct an initial survey of all
78	78	50public school district’s existing curriculum to assess the prevalence of cultural studies curriculum
79	79	51in Massachusetts. The questions on the initial survey shall be created by the advisory council
80	80	52members. The survey shall be administered by each school district and shall be reported back to
81	81	53the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council within 45 days of the initial inquiry. The initial
82	82	54survey and the initial survey’s results shall be included in the annual report for the first year and
83	83	55in the final report and shall be published on the department’s website. 4 of 7
84	84	56 (2) Annual Reports.
85	85	57 The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct annual surveys based on
86	86	58the questions included in the initial survey. These questions and results shall be included in the
87	87	59advisory council’s annual report which shall be filed with the department. These annual reports
88	88	60shall include the advisory council’s work and findings for the year, the advisory council’s impact
89	89	61on implementing the Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and framework and analysis from
90	90	62the school district’s surveys. The department shall publish the annual reports on the department’s
91	91	63website.
92	92	64 (3) Final Report.
93	93	65 The advisory council shall recommend a comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies
94	94	66curriculum that would expound upon all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to
95	95	67History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks as they relate to
96	96	68ethnic literature, content, language, events, and figures. The advisory council’s report shall also
97	97	69include recommendations on improvements to all applicable core subjects, included but not
98	98	70limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to
99	99	71include Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall
100	100	72recommend curriculum that is appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability
101	101	73status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The advisory council’s recommendations shall
102	102	74include, but not be limited to: (i) teaching disciplinary or interdisciplinary theories necessary for
103	103	75students to comprehend, articulate, and critically analyze diverse social, cultural, and political
104	104	76perspectives; (ii) provide educational material that shall demonstrate critical awareness of how
105	105	77individual perspectives and biases influence ways of seeing the world; (iii) provide students with 5 of 7
106	106	78knowledge of structural and cultural forces that shape or have shaped discrimination through
107	107	79media based on factors such as race, ethnicity, language, religion, class, ability, nationality,
108	108	80sexuality, or gender; (iv) develop relationships amongst students and teachers that shall promote
109	109	81the practice of listening to and communicating respectfully with others of diverse perspectives;
110	110	82and (v) explore and research questions that reflect multiple perspectives to develop a complex
111	111	83understanding of the world.
112	112	84 The department shall use the advisory council’s recommendations to modify the
113	113	85curriculum’s framework as needed to include a more diverse array of narratives and broaden
114	114	86students' exposure to ways of thinking and understanding diverse cultural and racial perspectives.
115	115	87 (e) Department Duties.
116	116	88 (1) Pursuant to section 1E of chapter 69, the board of elementary and secondary
117	117	89education shall direct the commissioner to update all applicable core subjects, included but not
118	118	90limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to
119	119	91include provisions, consistent with this section, relative to Integrated Cultural Studies, as
120	120	92recommended by the advisory council, upon the effective date of this act and periodically
121	121	93thereafter.
122	122	94 (2) The department shall require each school district to implement curriculum
123	123	95recommended by the advisory council established in subsection (d). The department shall make
124	124	96resources available to school districts to assist in the selection of materials and curriculum for
125	125	97Integrated Cultural Studies.
126	126	98 (3) The department shall determine minimum education requirements and training
127	127	99qualifications for faculty teaching all applicable core subjects, included but not limited to History 6 of 7
128	128	100and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy, for the purpose of teaching
129	129	101Integrated Cultural Studies. The department shall provide professional development support for
130	130	102teachers to adequately instruct Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and shall create guidelines
131	131	103for a professional development program, framework for curriculum and guidance documents for
132	132	104cities and towns to implement Integrated Cultural Studies programming across all grades.
133	133	105 (4) The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and the Integrated Cultural Studies
134	134	106Liaison shall be appointed by the commissioner no later than 90 days after the effective date of
135	135	107this act.
136	136	108 (5) The department shall promulgate rules to implement, administer, and ensure
137	137	109compliance with the provisions of this section.
138	138	110 (f) School District Requirements.
139	139	111 Each public school district shall update their curriculum to include the Integrated Cultural
140	140	112Studies recommendations offered by the advisory council. School districts shall use the
141	141	113department’s guidance documents to integrate comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies
142	142	114education into all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to History and Social
143	143	115Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks, in grades K-12. School districts
144	144	116shall develop a plan to implement Integrated Cultural Studies into their curriculum no later than
145	145	117one year after the advisory council publishes its final report.
146	146	118 Beginning the first academic year following the effective date of this act, each public
147	147	119school district shall file an annual report with the department regarding curriculum frameworks
148	148	120related to Integrated Cultural Studies education. Said report shall include, but not be limited to,
149	149	121the following data for each public school district, by grade level: (1) the course name and a 7 of 7
150	150	122description of any Integrated Cultural Studies education curriculum offered; (2) the approximate
151	151	123number of hours spent on Integrated Cultural Studies education; and (3) the number of students
152	152	124receiving Integrated Cultural Studies education.
153	153	125 (g) Review of School District’s Plans.
154	154	126 The department shall work with the Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison and the advisory
155	155	127council members to review district plans and make recommendations to improve district plans
156	156	128pertaining to Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum.
157	157	129 (h) Online Resources.
158	158	130 The department shall create an online open educational resources portal to support
159	159	131Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum which must be made accessible for students, teachers and
160	160	132parents interested in learning more about Integrated Cultural Studies.
161	161	133 (i) Effective Date.
162	162	134 This act shall take effect for the academic year immediately following this bill’s passage.