SENATE DOCKET, NO. 777        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 612

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act Relative to College Readiness.

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

Chapter 15A of the general laws, as appearing in the 2006 official edition,  is hereby amended by adding, after section 19E, the following  new section:-

Section 19F.  Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, there shall be a high school student early assessment program for the purpose of evaluating the college readiness of high school students and providing such students the support to prepare for college-level coursework.

The department of higher education shall promulgate guidelines governing the early assessment program.  The guidelines shall include the following provisions:

a college placement exam that provides information about student skill levels and abilities will be administered by the public colleges and university campuses to selected participating high school students no later than the eleventh grade;

participating students will represent diverse academic, ethnic, and economic backgrounds; and

the public colleges and university campuses will provide advising, curriculum development assistance, and mentoring to high school teachers,  guidance counselors, and students identifying effective intervention programs and best practices.