HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3364        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 471

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to Assure College and Career Readiness through Six-Year Career Plans for all Massachusetts Public School Students..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. This Act will require all Massachusetts public school districts to prepare all students for 21st century careers through the development of an individualized 6-year post secondary plan as a requirement for graduation. This 6-year plan will be coordinated by licensed school guidance counselors who are provided the conditions to work in accordance with standards-based, comprehensive, developmental school counseling practices.   All students graduating in 2017 and beyond shall have had the benefit of a six-year career and college readiness plan.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in partnership with the Department of Higher Education (DHE), shall, 90 days after enactment, convene a volunteer advisory committee to review and make recommendations on the development and implementation process for six-year career planning standards to be passed in immediately with full grade 6-12 career planning to be in place for students scheduled for graduation in 2017.

The advisory committee shall include representation from the Readiness Project, Leaders for Education coalition, vocational secondary schools, MASCA, The College Board, MEFA, the Massachusetts Principal’s Association, the Massachusetts Superintendent’s Association, Massachusetts PTA, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Massachusetts Life Science Center, the Massachusetts High Technology Council, and the National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research.