Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S838 Compare Versions

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22 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1522 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
33 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 838
44 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
55 _________________
66 PRESENTED BY:
77 Michael O. Moore
88 _________________
99 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
1010 Court assembled:
1111 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
1212 An Act relative to advanced placement examinations.
1313 _______________
1414 PETITION OF:
1515 NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Michael O. MooreSecond WorcesterJohn J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex2/13/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/13/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/22/2023Adam GomezHampden3/2/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester3/2/2023 1 of 2
1616 SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1522 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
1717 SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 838
1818 By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 838) of Michael O. Moore, John J.
1919 Cronin, James K. Hawkins, James B. Eldridge and other members of the General Court for
2020 legislation relative to advance placement examinations. Higher Education.
2121 [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
2222 SEE SENATE, NO. 849 OF 2021-2022.]
2323 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2424 _______________
2525 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
2626 (2023-2024)
2727 _______________
2828 An Act relative to advanced placement examinations.
2929 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
3030 of the same, as follows:
3131 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition
3232 2is hereby amended by inserting after section 39 the following section:-
3333 3 Section 39A. (a) All public institutions of higher education, as set forth in section 5, shall
3434 4develop and adopt written policies and procedures to accept a score of three, four, and five on all
3535 5advanced placement examinations to satisfy degree requirements. The policies shall indicate
3636 6whether the credit shall be granted for general education, major, or elective requirements at the
3737 7institution, and shall include procedures related to the transferability of these credits to another
3838 8institution of higher education. An institution may not require an exam score of more than three
3939 9unless the chief academic officer provides evidence that the higher score is necessary for a
4040 10student to be successful in a related or more advanced course for which the lower-division course 2 of 2
4141 11is a prerequisite. The department of higher education shall provide guidance on what constitutes
4242 12as evidence for an institution to require an examination score of more than three.  
4343 13 (b) All policies and procedures governing the award of credit shall be posted on the
4444 14institution’s website under the category of admission, which the institution shall update as
4545 15necessary to reflect any changes in policies and procedures.  In addition, each institution shall
4646 16submit its policies and procedures, or any changes thereto, to the department of higher education
4747 17who shall post each institution’s policies and procedures, or changes thereto, on the department’s
4848 18website.
4949 19 (c) The board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts, in
5050 20cooperation with the board of trustees of the University of Massachusetts, shall annually review
5151 21the advanced placement examination score course granting policies of each institution of higher
5252 22education and any evidence supporting policies requiring scores above 3 in accordance with the
5353 23requirements of this section, and report its findings, evidence supporting scores above 3, and any
5454 24recommendations with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, and the chairs of
5555 25the joint committee on higher education not later than July 1. Each institution of higher education
5656 26shall provide the board of higher education, and in the case of the University of Massachusetts,
5757 27its board of trustees, with all necessary data, in accordance with the federal Family Educational
5858 28Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, to conduct the analysis.
5959 29 SECTION 2. The first annual report required by subsection (c) of section 39A of chapter
6060 3015A of the General Laws shall be published not later than July 1, 2023.
6161 31 SECTION 3. Section 1 shall take effect no later than 3 months after the effective date of
6262 32this act.