HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3373        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 432

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker

_________________

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 ensure equal access to education, including special education services, for all students in Massachusetts.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3373        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 432

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

An Act to ensure equal access to education, including special education services, for all students in Massachusetts.

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. Section 1I of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following paragraph: -

The department shall annually analyze and publish in an easily accessible and user friendly manner the student-specific data provided by school committees and charter schools pursuant to: section 1I of Chapter 69 of the General Laws; sections 37H, 37O, 37P, and 89 of Chapter 71 of the General Laws; sections 3 and 7 of Chapter 71A of the General Laws; section 6 of Chapter 71B of the General Laws; section 2A of Chapter 72 of the General Laws; statewide assessment data utilized as a basis for competency determinations pursuant to section 1D of chapter 69 of the General Laws; and any other data required by the federal office of education, provided that said data required by the federal department of education is also student-specific data and can be cross-tabulated. The department shall provide said data in a manner that can be easily cross-tabulated by, at a minimum, the following: each major racial and ethnic group; sex; economic status; high needs status; English learner status; and category of disability, if applicable. The information shall be presented statewide and also disaggregated by school committee, charter school, and individual school in a manner that is anonymized and does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student. Publication shall include, but need not be limited to, availability on the department's worldwide web site.

SECTION 2. Said Section 1I of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 235, the word “and” the second time it appears.

SECTION 3. Said Section 1I of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 237, the period and inserting in place thereof the following words: - ; and

(i) the number of children, by grade level, within each disability category receiving specific special education services, including but not limited to: each related service; assistive technology, including but not limited to augmentative and alternative communication; supplementary aids and services; vocational education; travel training; and community-based transition services; provided further that school districts and charter schools shall only be required to provide said information regarding number of children receiving specific special education services when the department provides school committees with an online web-based IEP application  aligned with the special education services requiring reporting under this section. 

SECTION 4. Section 6 of Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentences: - School committees shall also annually report to the department, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the department, delivery of specific special education services by each major racial and ethnic group, sex, economic status, and English learner status of children by age level, including but not limited to delivery of: each related service; assistive technology, including but not limited to augmentative and alternative communication; supplementary aids and services; vocational education; travel training; and community-based transition services. This annual reporting by school committees to the department shall only be required when the department provides school committees with an online web-based IEP application aligned with the special education services requiring reporting under this section. This information shall be cross-tabulated by, at a minimum, the following: each major racial and ethnic group; sex; economic status; and English learner status. The information shall be presented statewide and also disaggregated by school committee, charter school, and individual school in a manner that is anonymized and does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student.

SECTION 5. Said section 6 of Chapter 71B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 8,  after the word “assignment” the following words: - or pattern of delivery of the aforementioned specific special education services.