HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 990        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 177

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Alice K. Wolf

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to respond to school exclusion data and reduce school dropouts.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 990        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 177

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act to respond to school exclusion data and reduce school dropouts.

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

Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 37H ½ the following section: -

Section 37H ¾.   (1) Each superintendent of schools shall notify the commissioner of education of all disciplinary exclusions of students from school, and shall report to the commissioner the alternative education services provided to students. On or before September 1, the commissioner shall file an annual report with the joint committee on education, arts and humanities, and with the offices of the clerks for the house of representatives and the senate, concerning the number of disciplinary exclusions in public schools, by grade level, race, gender, special education status, socioeconomic status, and English language proficiency, the duration of exclusions, the reasons for exclusions, the total number of school days in the school year students were excluded from school, the alternative education options provided to students and the number of students re-admitted under the provisions of this section.  The department shall use its existing data collection tools to obtain this expanded information from districts and shall modify those tools as necessary to obtain the information. Each superintendent shall ensure that the annual reporting of data on disciplinary exclusions is made on or before August 1 to the commissioner.   To ensure consistency with federal reporting requirements, annual reports from the superintendents and the commissioner required by this subsection shall collect and report publicly the disaggregated school discipline data at the state and district level for all students, including those not identified as having a disability, by all categories currently required by 20 U.S.C. § 1418.

(2) The commissioner of education shall analyze the disciplinary exclusion data received from the superintendents, and shall meet, at minimum, the federal requirements at 20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(22). Pursuant to regulations to be promulgated by the department, for each school that excludes a significant number of students for more than ten days cumulatively in a school year, the commissioner shall investigate and, as appropriate, shall recommend models that incorporate intermediary steps prior to the use of exclusion. The results of the analysis shall be publicly reported at the school district level.