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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1401 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 374 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Adam Gomez |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act empowering students and schools to thrive. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Adam GomezHampdenJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester2/12/2025Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex2/20/2025John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/27/2025 1 of 9 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1401 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 374 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 374) of Adam Gomez, Joanne M. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Comerford, Patricia D. Jehlen and John F. Keenan for legislation to empower students and |
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| 20 | 20 | | schools to thrive. Education. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 246 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act empowering students and schools to thrive. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out sections |
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| 32 | 32 | | 21J and 1K and inserting in place thereof the following section:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 Section 1J. (a) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall identify |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4schools for comprehensive support and improvement using a formula developed by the |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5department that complies with the criteria and processes in federal education law; provided that, |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6under this formula, student growth shall be given at least as much weight as student |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7achievement, and provided further that no more than five per cent of all schools statewide shall |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8be designated as comprehensive support and improvement schools at one time. 2 of 9 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9 (b) Within 30 days of a school being designated as in need of comprehensive support and |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10improvement, the superintendent of the district shall convene a local stakeholder group of not |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11more than 11 individuals to develop a support and improvement plan for the school. The district |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12should strive to have the group membership represent the racial-ethnic and language diversity of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13the school. The group shall include: (1) the superintendent, or a designee; (2) a representative |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14from the school committee selected by a majority of school committee members; (3) the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15president of the local teachers union, or a designee; (4) an administrator from the school, who |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16may be the principal, chosen by the superintendent; (5) two educators (who could be teachers or |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17education support professionals) from the school, chosen by the school’s educators; (6) a parent |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18from the school, chosen by the local parent organization, provided that if the school or district |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19does not have a parent organization or if the organization does not select a parent, the |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20superintendent shall select a volunteer parent of a student from the school; (7) for high schools, a |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21student selected by the students at the school, and for other schools, an individual selected by the |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22superintendent who brings the appropriate grade-level perspective to the group (e.g., a |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23representative from the early childhood or pre-kindergarten sector for an elementary school); (8) |
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| 54 | 54 | | 24an educator or representative from the social services sector with expertise in students’ mental |
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| 55 | 55 | | 25health and social-emotional development, selected jointly by the group; (9) a member |
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| 56 | 56 | | 26representing a community organization, selected jointly by the group; and 10) an individual who |
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| 57 | 57 | | 27has specialized expertise in one or more of the evidence-based programs listed in subsection (c), |
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| 58 | 58 | | 28selected jointly by the group. |
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| 59 | 59 | | 29 (c) The local stakeholder group shall develop a support and improvement plan for the |
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| 60 | 60 | | 30school, consistent with federal and state law, a final draft of which shall be submitted to the |
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| 61 | 61 | | 31school committee within 45 days of its first meeting. Consistent with guidelines developed by 3 of 9 |
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| 62 | 62 | | 32the department, the group shall: (i) research, identify and analyze the root causes of the school’s |
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| 63 | 63 | | 33challenges; (ii) examine the adequacy of resources and equity in the distribution of those |
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| 64 | 64 | | 34resources, including an assessment of the physical condition of the school building; and (iii) |
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| 65 | 65 | | 35identify and catalog the school’s strengths and assets. The final draft plan submitted to the school |
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| 66 | 66 | | 36committee shall include a guiding vision of learning for the school; goals and objectives; and a |
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| 67 | 67 | | 37description of the evidence-based programs, supports and interventions that the district shall |
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| 68 | 68 | | 38employ to address the root causes of the school’s challenges and capitalize on assets consistent |
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| 69 | 69 | | 39with the guiding vision. Such evidence-based programs, supports and interventions may include: |
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| 70 | 70 | | 40(1) reduced class sizes and student caseloads; (2) small-group instruction and/or one-on-one |
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| 71 | 71 | | 41tutoring; (3) increased opportunity for common planning time for teachers; (4) implementation of |
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| 72 | 72 | | 42a “Community Schools” or “Hub School” model or other strategies for expanding social and |
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| 73 | 73 | | 43wraparound services to support students’ social-emotional and physical health; (5) additional |
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| 74 | 74 | | 44hiring, increased compensation, and/or strategic deployment of school personnel (e.g, coteaching |
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| 75 | 75 | | 45to facilitate inclusion) to support student learning and to retain highly qualified staff; (6) |
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| 76 | 76 | | 46increased or improved professional development, which may include mentoring and induction |
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| 77 | 77 | | 47programs for new teachers, as well as training in trauma-informed and anti-racist best practices |
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| 78 | 78 | | 48that are designed to limit school exclusion and maximize student engagement; (7) the use of |
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| 79 | 79 | | 49effective curriculum materials that are culturally responsive and aligned with the statewide |
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| 80 | 80 | | 50curriculum frameworks; (8) expanded early education and pre-kindergarten programming within |
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| 81 | 81 | | 51the district in consultation or in partnership with community-based organizations; (9) |
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| 82 | 82 | | 52diversifying the educator and administrator workforce; (10) developing additional pathways to |
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| 83 | 83 | | 53strengthen college and career readiness; and (11) any other program determined to be evidence |
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| 84 | 84 | | 54based by the group that addresses root causes of challenges identified in its analysis. 4 of 9 |
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| 85 | 85 | | 55 (d) The local stakeholder group shall make every effort to reach consensus on the final |
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| 86 | 86 | | 56draft plan and shall submit it to the school committee for review and approval. If consensus |
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| 87 | 87 | | 57cannot be reached, a majority of the group shall submit its final draft plan to the school |
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| 88 | 88 | | 58committee for review and approval. Dissenting members of the group may submit an alternative |
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| 89 | 89 | | 59final draft plan to the school committee for consideration, clearly indicating the areas of dissent. |
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| 90 | 90 | | 60Upon receipt of the final draft plan or plans, the school committee shall hold at least one public |
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| 91 | 91 | | 61hearing, giving at least 30 days’ public notice. The school committee may make modifications to |
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| 92 | 92 | | 62the final draft plan as necessary, consistent with federal and state law, and shall vote on the final |
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| 93 | 93 | | 63draft plan within 30 days of the hearing. The final plan shall be shared publicly and filed with the |
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| 94 | 94 | | 64commissioner. After confirming that the requirements of subsections (b) through (d) were |
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| 95 | 95 | | 65complied with, the commissioner shall approve the final plan. |
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| 96 | 96 | | 66 (e) The department shall prioritize comprehensive support and improvement schools for |
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| 97 | 97 | | 67additional funding above and beyond chapter 70 allocations to support the evidence-based |
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| 98 | 98 | | 68programs identified in the final approved plan. Before the local stakeholder group commences its |
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| 99 | 99 | | 69work, the department shall provide the group with an estimate of future Chapter 70 aid for the |
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| 100 | 100 | | 70district and available funds in excess of Chapter 70 aid for the school that shall support the final |
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| 101 | 101 | | 71approved plan. |
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| 102 | 102 | | 72 (f) The support and improvement plan shall be in effect for not more than four years and |
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| 103 | 103 | | 73shall be reviewed annually by the superintendent pursuant to guidelines developed by the |
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| 104 | 104 | | 74department. Such progress reviews shall be shared publicly and filed with the commissioner, |
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| 105 | 105 | | 75who may comment on the reviews. 5 of 9 |
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| 106 | 106 | | 76 (g) The department shall establish exit criteria for schools in need of comprehensive |
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| 107 | 107 | | 77support and improvement using a formula that complies with federal education law. Upon |
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| 108 | 108 | | 78expiration of the final approved plan, the commissioner shall review the school’s progress and |
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| 109 | 109 | | 79determine, based solely on the exit criteria established by the department, whether: (1) the school |
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| 110 | 110 | | 80is exited from comprehensive support and improvement status; or (2) the status and plan shall |
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| 111 | 111 | | 81continue for up to four additional years. If the commissioner determines that the status and plan |
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| 112 | 112 | | 82shall continue, the local stakeholder group shall be reconvened to revise the final approved plan, |
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| 113 | 113 | | 83consistent with subsections (b) through (d) and subject to approval by the commissioner. If not |
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| 114 | 114 | | 84approved, the commissioner shall return the plan to the group with a directive to add specific |
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| 115 | 115 | | 85evidence-based programs, supports and interventions listed in (1) through (10) of subsection (c). |
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| 116 | 116 | | 86Within 30 days, the group shall submit the plan to the school committee for review and approval. |
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| 117 | 117 | | 87 Within 30 days of receipt of the plan from the group, the school committee shall submit |
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| 118 | 118 | | 88the final plan to the commissioner. |
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| 119 | 119 | | 89 (h) Upon the expiration of any continued or revised plan, the process in subsection (g) |
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| 120 | 120 | | 90shall be replicated. |
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| 121 | 121 | | 91 (i) The school committee of any district with schools which have been deemed |
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| 122 | 122 | | 92underperforming or chronically underperforming shall develop a transition plan for transition to |
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| 123 | 123 | | 93the current section 1J of this act which shall be implemented with transition to the current section |
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| 124 | 124 | | 94within 1 year of the effective date of this act. The transition plan shall be implemented and any |
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| 125 | 125 | | 95school receivership shall end within 1 year of the effective date of this Act. The department shall |
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| 126 | 126 | | 96provide the school committee with the necessary funding and technical assistance to develop and |
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| 127 | 127 | | 97implement the transition plan. 6 of 9 |
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| 128 | 128 | | 98 (j) The board shall adopt regulations to implement this section, including provisions that |
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| 129 | 129 | | 99allow features of a support and improvement plan to continue for up to two years after a school is |
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| 130 | 130 | | 100exited from comprehensive support and improvement status. The department shall also make |
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| 131 | 131 | | 101every effort to continue additional funding during any transitional period. |
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| 132 | 132 | | 102 SECTION 2. The school committee of any district in receivership shall develop a |
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| 133 | 133 | | 103transition plan for ending the receivership and hiring a superintendent. The transition plan shall |
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| 134 | 134 | | 104be implemented and the receivership shall end within 1 year of the effective date of this Act. The |
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| 135 | 135 | | 105department shall provide the school committee with the necessary funding and technical |
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| 136 | 136 | | 106assistance to develop and implement the transition plan. |
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| 137 | 137 | | 107 SECTION 3. (a) There shall be a special commission to study and make |
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| 138 | 138 | | 108recommendations for a more authentic and accurate system for assessing students, schools and |
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| 139 | 139 | | 109school districts. The commission shall examine: (i) the requirements of the Every Student |
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| 140 | 140 | | 110Succeeds Act of 2015, codified at 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et. seq., and potential waivers; (ii) |
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| 141 | 141 | | 111alternative assessment and accountability systems in place or being considered nationwide; and |
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| 142 | 142 | | 112research data on the knowledge and skills that parents, elementary and secondary educators, |
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| 143 | 143 | | 113higher education educators, and business leaders want students to have upon high school |
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| 144 | 144 | | 114graduation. |
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| 145 | 145 | | 115 Regarding the assessment of students, the special commission shall consider assessments |
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| 146 | 146 | | 116other than conventional methods, including, but not limited to: work samples, projects and |
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| 147 | 147 | | 117portfolios, performance assessments and other authentic and direct gauges of student |
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| 148 | 148 | | 118performance that encourage effective instruction, use strategies for avoiding racial and ethnic |
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| 149 | 149 | | 119biases, and recognize the strengths of all students. 7 of 9 |
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| 150 | 150 | | 120 Regarding the assessment of schools and districts, the special commission shall consider |
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| 151 | 151 | | 121the inclusion of a broader range of measures, beyond standardized test scores, that align with |
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| 152 | 152 | | 122public values and are less tied to student demography. The commission shall also research best |
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| 153 | 153 | | 123practices for facilitating stakeholder-driven improvement processes in schools identified under |
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| 154 | 154 | | 124federal law as needing comprehensive support, such as the creation of community schools. The |
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| 155 | 155 | | 125commission shall recommend strategies for assessing students, schools and districts that comply |
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| 156 | 156 | | 126with current federal law. The commission also may make recommendations for changes in or |
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| 157 | 157 | | 127waivers from federal law that would facilitate the implementation of effective assessment |
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| 158 | 158 | | 128strategies. |
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| 159 | 159 | | 129 (b) The commission shall consist of: 1 member who shall be appointed by the president |
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| 160 | 160 | | 130of the senate, who shall serve as co-chair; 1 member who shall be appointed by the speaker of |
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| 161 | 161 | | 131the house of representatives, who shall serve as co-chair; 1 member who shall be appointed by |
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| 162 | 162 | | 132the minority leader of the senate; 1 member who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the |
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| 163 | 163 | | 133house of representatives; the secretary of education, or a designee; the commissioner of |
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| 164 | 164 | | 134elementary and secondary education, or a designee; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 165 | 165 | | 135Massachusetts Association of School Committees, Inc.; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 166 | 166 | | 136Massachusetts Teachers Association; 1 member who shall be appointed by the American |
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| 167 | 167 | | 137Federation of Teachers, Massachusetts; 1 member who shall be appointed by the Massachusetts |
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| 168 | 168 | | 138Association of School Superintendents, Inc.; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 169 | 169 | | 139Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA); 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 170 | 170 | | 140NAACP; 1 member who shall be appointed by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee |
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| 171 | 171 | | 141Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition; 1 member who shall be appointed by Multicultural Education, |
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| 172 | 172 | | 142Training, and Advocacy, Inc; 1 member who shall be appointed by the Massachusetts 8 of 9 |
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| 173 | 173 | | 143Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 174 | 174 | | 144Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 175 | 175 | | 145Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association; 1 member who shall be appointed by the |
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| 176 | 176 | | 146Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy of the University of |
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| 177 | 177 | | 147Massachusetts Boston; 1 member who shall be appointed by the Massachusetts Advocates for |
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| 178 | 178 | | 148Children; 1 member who shall be appointed by the Center for Law and Education; 1 member |
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| 179 | 179 | | 149who shall be appointed by the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University; 1 of whom |
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| 180 | 180 | | 150shall be the student representative on the State Board of Education, or a designee; 1 of whom |
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| 181 | 181 | | 151shall be the parent representative on the State Board of Education, or a designee; 1 member who |
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| 182 | 182 | | 152shall be appointed by the Rural Policy Advisory Commission; 1 member who shall be appointed |
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| 183 | 183 | | 153by GLSEN Massachusetts; and 1 member who shall be a researcher from a public university |
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| 184 | 184 | | 154with expertise in the area of assessment, selected jointly by the members of the commission. |
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| 185 | 185 | | 155 Members shall not receive compensation for their services but may receive |
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| 186 | 186 | | 156reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members |
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| 187 | 187 | | 157of the commission. The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall furnish |
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| 188 | 188 | | 158reasonable staff and other support for the work of the commission. |
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| 189 | 189 | | 159 (c) The commission shall hold not less than 5 public meetings across the regions of the |
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| 190 | 190 | | 160commonwealth and may hold additional hearings and other forums as necessary. The |
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| 191 | 191 | | 161commission shall file its report and recommendations with the clerks of the senate and the house |
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| 192 | 192 | | 162of representatives, the chairs of the joint committee on education and the rural policy advisory |
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| 193 | 193 | | 163commission not later than August 31, 2025. 9 of 9 |
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| 194 | 194 | | 164 SECTION 4. Section 89 of chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking |
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| 195 | 195 | | 165out subsection (i) (3), as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, and by further striking out |
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| 196 | 196 | | 166subsection (i) (2) and inserting in place thereof the following section: |
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| 197 | 197 | | 167 (2) In any fiscal year, no public school district's total charter school tuition payment to |
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| 198 | 198 | | 168commonwealth charter schools shall exceed 9 per cent of the district's net school spending. The |
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| 199 | 199 | | 169commonwealth shall incur charter school tuition payments for siblings attending commonwealth |
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| 200 | 200 | | 170charter schools to the extent that their attendance would otherwise cause the school district's |
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| 201 | 201 | | 171charter school tuition payments to exceed 9 per cent of the school district's net school spending. |
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