HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2419        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 520

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Meghan Kilcoyne

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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 equitable accelerated learning opportunities for public school students.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2419        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 520

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to equitable accelerated learning opportunities for public school students.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 1B of Chapter 69 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after the 25th paragraph the following paragraphs: 

“The board of elementary and secondary education shall establish regulations regarding, in the K-12 public schools of the Commonwealth, the use of whole-grade and content-specific academic acceleration designed to match the level, complexity, and pace of instruction of the curriculum to the readiness and motivation of the student; enabling accelerated students to master knowledge and skills, as they may be capable, at a rate faster or at an age earlier than the typical age-average student. Said regulations shall authorize, provide a framework, and direct school districts to provide access to appropriate curriculum, instruction and pacing for students who demonstrate readiness for academic content, skills or understanding at a level beyond the curriculum ordinarily taught to students of a certain age. 

To ensure equity in education, the acceleration regulations established pursuant to this section shall direct that schools evaluate all children to determine the need for acceleration accommodations, not only those students recommended for acceleration by teachers and parents. Said regulations shall require the use of screening assessments, and an evaluation tool designed to take personal bias out of the decision-making process when considering a child for acceleration; and to ensure that acceleration decisions are evidence-based, systematic, thoughtful, well-reasoned, and defensible. Such regulations shall require that any determination made regarding acceleration accommodations for a student shall be documented in a written acceleration plan including, at a minimum, relevant academic and social-emotional supports.

Said written acceleration plan shall be implemented by administrators, counselors, and teachers. All districts shall provide professional development for educators to ensure a supportive environment for accelerated students and document it in their plans pursuant to Chapter 71 Section 38Q .  The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop and make available professional development and other assistance for implementation of acceleration plans.  

In developing said regulations, the department shall consider, at a minimum, the following acceleration strategies: 

Single subject acceleration; 

Combined classes (multi-age);

Online courses and open educational resources; 

Concurrent or dual enrollment, and early college;

Curriculum compacting;

Credit by examination or prior experience;

Credit toward graduation requirements for high-school level courses taken during elementary and middle school

Competency/mastery-based learning and advancement;

Whole-grade acceleration (one or more);

Self-paced instruction; 

Mentoring;

Early entrance to first grade;

Early graduation”