Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 45. The department shall establish and implement a college and career success program to address the shortfall in the number of public college graduates required to meet the commonwealth’s future needs for a highly educated workforce and the need to close the achievement gap between all Massachusetts students and low-income and minority students.

The department shall establish guidelines by which the superintendent of a city, town or regional school district participating under this section, may prepare and submit to the department for its approval, a plan for college and career programs to integrate college and career readiness. The plan shall be submitted jointly with an accredited 2 or 4-year college or university in the commonwealth along with any relevant non-profit partner who shall receive funds to implement said program.

A proposal submitted to the department shall demonstrate the ability to provide a 50 per cent match to funds distributed through the program. Proposals must have incorporated external evaluation to demonstrate impact in order to access program funds in subsequent years, subject to appropriation. School districts that participate in the program shall make available to the public all relevant data that is available to measure post-secondary completion and persistence.

The department shall establish rules and regulations governing the implementation and administration of the college and career success program.