HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1707        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 237

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Shawn Dooley

_________________

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 relative to civic test requirements for graduation.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

1/19/2017

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

2/3/2017

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

 

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

 

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1707        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 237

By Mr. Dooley of Norfolk, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 237) of Shawn Dooley and others relative to requiring high school students to pass a civics test for prior to graduation.  Education.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3224 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to civic test requirements for graduation.

 

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. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 1O the following section:-

Section 1P. All school committees and school districts shall provide for a civics test for all high school students prior to graduation. Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a general equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least 60 of the 100 questions listed on a civics test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. A pupil who does not obtain a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test may retake the test until the pupil obtains a passing score. Pupils who receive special education shall not be required to achieve passing scores on the civics test in order to graduate from high school.

SECTION 2. The department of elementary and secondary education shall establish rules and regulations for monitoring adherence to section 1.