HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3165        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 568

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker and Susannah M. Whipps

_________________

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 place a moratorium on high stakes testing for the duration of the COVID-19 state of emergency.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3165        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 568

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act to place a moratorium on high stakes testing for the duration of the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purposes, which are to establish forthwith a moratorium on the administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System and for associated graduation requirements and accountability measures, in response to the COVID-19 emergency, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall submit to the United States Department of Education a request that the Commonwealth’s statewide assessment, accountability and reporting requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act be waived for one year or until the emergency declaration issued by the Governor, dated March 10, 2020 is no longer in effect. The request shall be made pursuant to section 8401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and shall include a request to waive the assessment requirements in section 1111(b)(2); the accountability and school identification requirements in sections 1111(c)(4) and 1111(d)(2)(C)-(D); and the report card provisions related to assessments and accountability in section 1111(h).

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 1I of chapter 69 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, upon approval of the request referred to in the preceding paragraph of this section, the department of elementary and secondary education shall not administer the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System or any other named statewide standardized assessment in the 2020-2021 school year or until the emergency declaration issued by the Governor, dated March 10, 2020 is no longer in effect in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19; provided further that no assessment shall be administered prior to action by the United States Department of Education on the waiver request referred to in the preceding paragraph.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding subsection (i) of section 1D, for the 2020-2021 school year or until the emergency declaration issued by the Governor, dated March 10, 2020 is no longer in effect, the requirement that a student must demonstrate mastery of a common core of skills, competencies and knowledge as measured by Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System or any other named statewide standardized assessment as a condition for high school graduation shall be identical to the requirements utilized for the graduating class of 2020.