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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1306 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 306
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Jason M. Lewis
_________________
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 increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are
aligned with regional labor market needs.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jason M. LewisFifth MiddlesexMichael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/15/2023Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex2/23/2023Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex3/3/2023 1 of 6
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1306 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 306
By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 306) of Jason M. Lewis, Michael O.
Moore, Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Patricia D. Jehlen for legislation relative increase student
access to career technical education schools and programs which are aligned with regional labor
market needs. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 357 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act to increase student access to career technical education schools and programs which are
aligned with regional labor market needs.
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 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
26 sections:-
3 Section 37. For the purposes of sections 38 through 42, inclusive, the following terms
4shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
5 “Career technical education”, shall have the same meaning as vocational-technical
6education pursuant to section 1 of chapter 74.
7 “Office”, shall mean the office of career technical education. 2 of 6
8 Section 38. There shall be established within the department of elementary and
9secondary education an office of career technical education, which shall be under the supervision
10and management of the deputy commissioner of career technical education. The deputy
11commissioner shall be appointed by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education,
12with the approval of the board. It shall be the duty of said deputy commissioner to improve and
13maximize career technical education throughout the commonwealth, and to collaborate with the
14board to promulgate regulations and develop and implement polices to enhance the
15commonwealth’s career technical education programs, including but not limited to the ensuring
16the enforcement of regulations relative to certificates of occupational proficiency.
17 Section 39. The office shall promote and support with available resources innovative and
18collaborative career technical education demonstration programs in which students split time
19between their comprehensive high school and a school offering programs under chapter 74;
20provided, that under such programs, participating students’ daily schedule shall include required
21academic classes and vocational courses when the equipment is available.
22 Section 40. (a) The office shall develop credentials for students graduating from high
23quality career technical education programs in applied knowledge, effective relationships, and
24workplace skills as described in the federal Employability Skills Framework.
25 (b) The office shall ensure instructional ability and competence of career technical
26education instructors through the utilization of occupational advisory boards and nationally
27validated teacher competency testing.
28 (c)The office shall utilize both pre- and post-technical assessment in both cognitive and
29psychomotor domains to determine what students know and are able to do. 3 of 6
30 (d) The office shall collaborate with recognized industry credential providers such as a
31recognized industry credential provider to develop state-customized credentials to measure
32career readiness through skill assessments appropriate to each tier of career technical education.
33 (e) The office shall consider the use of the 21st Century Skills for Workplace Success
34Credential, including but not limited for use in validation of basic competencies prior to
35participation in externships or school-based enterprises and as a graduation or completion
36requirement for post-graduate and postsecondary chapter 74 programs..
37 (f) The office shall support the use of Industry Recognized Credentials, known as IRCs,
38in chapter 74 programs.
39 (g) The office shall support the use of both longitudinal and pre- and post-student
40assessment as a means of obtaining meaningful data for curricular improvement. Data may be
41utilized for facilities improvement, equipment investments, mission success, and professional
42development.
43 (h) The office shall engage in statewide data sharing agreements with credential providers
44that include a variety of access portals for a variety of levels of personnel, including but not
45limited to state, local career technical education administration, career technical education
46teachers, parents, and students, giving access to stakeholders to assess program effectiveness.
47 (i) The office shall encourage and work to increase the use of articulation agreements
48with community colleges and public universities and other dual credit programs to allow career
49technical education students to earn credit and stacked credentials that lead to an associate’s
50degree. 4 of 6
51 (j) The office shall implement and promote efforts, including those related to student
52outreach and retention, to ensure that career technical education programs are accessible to all
53students, including English language learners, students with disabilities, and student populations
54traditionally underrepresented in career technical education programs.
55 Section 41. The office shall work with the Regional Workforce Boards on an annual basis
56to determine the labor market needs in their region and, using that information, shall actively
57promote and facilitate the introduction of career technical education programs that align with
58regional demand. The office shall work with the regional workforce boards to assure curricular
59alignment to both local employers’ need and expected national standards for labor market needs.
60 Section 42. Any comprehensive high school shall have access to a minimum of 1 career
61technical education course or an approved career technical education internship to increase all
62students’ exposure to career technical education fields, enabling students to have the knowledge
63to access both college and careers.
64 SECTION 2. The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish and
65administer a pilot program to incentivize collaboration between high school faculty and guidance
66counselors of schools offering chapter 74 programs and those that do not to utilize resources
67developed by career technical education to provide access to skill-training and career options for
68all students. The pilot program shall be administered for 2 years from the date the program is
69initiated. At the end of said 2-year period, the department shall submit a report on the effects of
70the program and the feasibility of continuing such program to the clerks of the house of
71representatives and the senate, and to the house and senate co-chairs of the joint committee on
72education. 5 of 6
73 SECTION 3. There shall hereby be established a commission to be known as the Career
74Technical Education Funding Commission, to study funding options for career technical
75education programs. The commission shall consist of 4 representatives of the department of
76elementary and secondary education, to be appointed by the deputy commissioner of the office
77of career technical education, provided, that one shall be the secretary of education or a designee,
78and 3 representatives of the executive office of labor and workforce development, to be
79appointed by the secretary of labor and workforce development. The commission shall identify
80the use of funds for changing market needs. This commission shall make recommendations,
81which shall include but not be limited to, the following:
82 (1) whether the Massachusetts school building authority may spend money on equipment
83only, or if they are limited to funding for education structures;
84 (2) whether the Massachusetts school building authority should add incentives for the
85approved chapter 74 educational spaces in programs that align to labor market demand;
86 (3) how to simplify state law, particularly section 16 of chapter 71 of the General Laws,
87so that all regional school districts can secure bonding for critical capital projects through the
88district-wide referendum process outlined in subsection (n) of said section 16 of said chapter 71;
89 (4) how to change language in subsection (d) of said section 16 of said chapter 71 to
90allow all regional school districts the option to secure project bonding approval upon a two-thirds
91vote of approval of each legislative body of a municipality comprising the district; and
92 (5) any other recommendations relative to funding at the commission’s discretion. 6 of 6
93 The commission shall submit a report, which shall include the findings of the study and
94all such recommendations and any proposed drafts of legislation, not later than 1 year after the
95effective date of this act.