SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1855        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 297

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Joanne M. Comerford

_________________

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 responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium on the administration of the MCAS test for the 2020-2021 school year.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

 

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

2/19/2021

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/19/2021

Christina A. Minicucci

14th Essex

2/22/2021

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

2/25/2021

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

3/1/2021

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

3/4/2021

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

3/5/2021

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

3/8/2021

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

3/9/2021

John H. Rogers

12th Norfolk

3/9/2021

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

3/10/2021

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

3/12/2021

Eric P. Lesser

First Hampden and Hampshire

3/12/2021

Elizabeth A. Malia

11th Suffolk

3/16/2021

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

3/19/2021

Adam Gomez

Hampden

3/23/2021

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

3/26/2021

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

3/26/2021

Meghan Kilcoyne

12th Worcester

3/26/2021

Joan B. Lovely

Second Essex

3/29/2021

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

4/4/2021

John J. Cronin

Worcester and Middlesex

4/11/2021

Adam G. Hinds

Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden

4/20/2021

Marc R. Pacheco

First Plymouth and Bristol

5/11/2021


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1855        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 297

By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 297) of Joanne M. Comerford, Mindy Domb, Maria Duaime Robinson, Christina A. Minicucci and other members of the General Court for legislation to respond to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.  Education.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2814 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act responding to the COVID-19 emergency by instituting a moratorium on the administration of the MCAS test for the 2020-2021 school year.

 

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to establish forthwith a moratorium on the administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System 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 the 2020-2021 school year. 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. Upon receipt of a waiver under section 1 or any other authority under federal law, rule or regulation, notwithstanding sections 1D and 1I of chapter 69 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the department of elementary and secondary education shall not administer, implement or use the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam for any purpose for the 2020-2021 school year.