Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of elementary and secondary education, in partnership with at least 1 public institution of higher education, local educational authorities and private educational providers, shall study the delivery of education and services for students with disabilities pursuant to chapter 71B of the General Laws and all applicable federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act of 1990 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to provide an intersectional understanding of the current delivery of education and services for students with disabilities, best practices and appropriate placement and use for best practices.

The study shall include: (i) a consideration of the social and societal impacts on the diagnosis of students with disabilities including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, parents’ education background and socioeconomic status; (ii) a comprehensive evaluation of existing and potential models for providing education and services for students with disabilities, in both inclusive in-district and out-of-district settings and the associated costs and benefits including, but not limited to, the costs of personnel compensation, transportation, housing, specialized services and supports and assistive technologies; and (iii) proposed means by which individualized instruction may be provided in an inclusive manner to all students. The department shall submit its recommendations, together with any proposed legislative necessary to carry those recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the joint committee on education and the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than May 1, 2022.