Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S317 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1911 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 317
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Cynthia Stone Creem
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 ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all
13	13	students in Massachusetts.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Cynthia Stone CreemNorfolk and Middlesex 1 of 4
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1911 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 317
19	19	By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 317) of Cynthia Stone Creem for
20	20	legislation to ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all
21	21	students in Massachusetts. Education.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE SENATE, NO. 249 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act to ensure equitable access to education, including special education services, for all
30	30	students in Massachusetts.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. Section 1I of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
34	34	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following
35	35	3paragraph:-
36	36	4 In order for the department to: address educational inequities through a data-driven
37	37	5approach; report data in a manner that specifies the demographics of students facing the most
38	38	6significant inequities; and ensure that educational inequities can be effectively identified and
39	39	7addressed; The department shall annually analyze and publish in an easily accessible and user
40	40	8friendly manner the student-specific data provided by school committees and charter schools
41	41	9pursuant to: section 1I of Chapter 69; sections 37G, 2 of 4 10 37H, 37O, 37P, and 89 of Chapter 2 of 4
42	42	1071 of the General Laws; sections 3 and 7 of Chapter 71A of the General Laws; section 6 of
43	43	11Chapter 71B of the General Laws; section 2A of Chapter 72 of the General Laws; statewide
44	44	12assessment data utilized as a basis for competency determinations pursuant to section 1D of
45	45	13chapter 69 of the General Laws; and any other data required by the federal office of education,
46	46	14provided that said data required by the federal department of education is also student-specific
47	47	15data and can be cross-tabulated. The department shall provide said data in a manner that can be
48	48	16easily cross-tabulated by, at a minimum, the following student status and categories: racial and
49	49	17ethnic group; gender; socioeconomic status; high needs status; English learner status; category of
50	50	18disability; and homeless children and youth, if applicable. The information shall be presented
51	51	19statewide and also disaggregated by school committee, charter school, and individual school in a
52	52	20manner that is anonymized and does not reveal personally identifiable information about an
53	53	21individual student. Publication shall include, but need not be limited to, availability on the
54	54	22department's worldwide web site.
55	55	23 SECTION 2. Said section 1I of said chapter 69, as so appearing, is further amended by
56	56	24striking out, in line 239, the word “and”.
57	57	25 SECTION 3. Said section 1I of said chapter 69, as so appearing, is hereby further
58	58	26amended by inserting after the word “learners”, in line 241, the following words:-- ; and (i) The
59	59	27number of children, by grade level, within each disability category receiving specific special
60	60	28education services, including but not limited to: each related service; assistive technology,
61	61	29including but not limited to augmentative and alternative communication; supplementary aids
62	62	30and services; positive behavioral interventions and supports; behavioral intervention plans;
63	63	31vocational education; travel training; and community-based transition 3 of 4 services; provided
64	64	32further that school districts and charter schools shall only be required to provide said information 3 of 4
65	65	33regarding number of children receiving specific special education services when the department
66	66	34provides school committees with an online web-based IEP application aligned with the special
67	67	35education services requiring reporting under this section.
68	68	36 SECTION 4. Section 6 of Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
69	69	37Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentences:-
70	70	38School committees shall also annually report to the department, pursuant to regulations
71	71	39promulgated by the department, delivery of specific special education services by each major
72	72	40racial and ethnic group, gender, socioeconomic status, English learner status and whether the
73	73	41child or youth is homeless by age level, including but not limited to delivery of: each related
74	74	42service; assistive technology, including but not limited to augmentative and alternative
75	75	43communication; supplementary aids and services; positive behavioral interventions and supports;
76	76	44behavioral intervention plans; vocational education; travel training; and community-based
77	77	45transition services. This annual reporting by school committees to the department shall only be
78	78	46required when the department provides school committees with an online web-based IEP
79	79	47application aligned with the special education services requiring reporting under this section.
80	80	48This information shall be cross-tabulated by, at a minimum, the following student status and
81	81	49categories: each major racial and ethnic group; gender; socioeconomic status; homeless children
82	82	50and youth; and English learner status. The information shall be presented statewide and also
83	83	51disaggregated by school committee, charter school, and individual school in a manner that is
84	84	52anonymized and does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.
85	85	53 SECTION 5. Said section 6 of said Chapter 71B, as so appearing, is hereby further
86	86	54amended by inserting after the word “assignment”, in line 8, the following words:-- or pattern of
87	87	55delivery of specific special education services. 4 of 4 4 of 4
88	88	56 SECTION 6. Said section 6 of said Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
89	89	57hereby further amended by inserting after the word “distribution”, in line 10, the following
90	90	58words:-- or if there is a statistically significant increase in the rates of assignment of students
91	91	59with disabilities to substantially separate classrooms for any racial or ethnic group in any of the
92	92	6010 years following the Governor’s Declaration of a State of Emergency due to COVID-19 in
93	93	61March 2020, as compared to the 2018-19 school year.