Bill H.561

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4073 FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 561

By Representative Rogers of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 561) of David M. Rogers and Frank A. Moran for legislation to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in schools. Education.

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 to establish an integrated cultural studies curriculum in our schools.

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. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following new section:-

(a) Definitions.

Section XX. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall be defined as:

“Advisory Council”, means the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.

“Commissioner”, means the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education.

“Department”, means the department of elementary and secondary education.

“Integrated Cultural Studies”, means the interdisciplinary study of race and ethnicity, as understood through the perspectives of major underrepresented racial groups in the United States such as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans. Integrated Cultural Studies shall examine the historical and contemporary role of race and racism in the United States at the local, state, and national level. The curriculum shall reference social commentary, scholarly sources, art and literature of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Latin-Americans. This curriculum shall promote civility and collaboration between students of different ethnicities and backgrounds. The curriculum shall be inclusive, and shall offer diverse voices and narratives to broaden student’s understanding of race and culture.

(b) Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council.

The commissioner of the department shall establish an Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council for the purpose of developing a model curriculum and framework for grades kindergarten through twelve in Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall make recommendations to the department regarding the implementation of Integrated Cultural Studies in public schools. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall include but not be limited to: six teachers of color to be appointed, three teachers of color from Gateway Cities across Massachusetts; the president of the Boston Branch of the NAACP or designee, the executive director of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods or designee, the chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus or designee, the executive director of Massachusetts' Commission on Indian Affairs or designee, the executive director of Sociedad Latina or designee, the executive director of the Hyde Square Task Force or designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee, one commissioner of the Massachusetts Asian American Commission or designee; and, the Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison established in subsection (c ).

The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall elect the council’s Chair by a majority vote among its members at the advisory council’s first official meeting of business. The Chair shall preside over the advisory council’s meetings for the duration of the advisory council’s existence or until a new chair is elected by its members. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall meet at times and places to be determined by the Chair, in consultation with the members, and shall establish working groups, meetings, forums or other activity deemed necessary to carry out its business. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall remain in existence until their final report is published or at the Chair’s discretion.

The department shall hire, appoint and support an Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison that shall be a member of the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and represent the department in advisory council meetings. The Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison shall oversee all implementation of Integrated Cultural Studies in school districts and shall make recommendations to school districts on ways to improve their curriculum.

(d) (1) Initial Survey.

The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct an initial survey of all public school district’s existing curriculum to assess the prevalence of cultural studies curriculum in Massachusetts. The questions on the initial survey shall be created by the advisory council members. The survey shall be administered by each school district and shall be reported back to the Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council within 45 days of the initial inquiry. The initial survey and the initial survey’s results shall be included in the annual report for the first year and in the final report and shall be published on the department’s website.

(2) Annual Reports.

The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall conduct annual surveys based on the questions included in the initial survey. These questions and results shall be included in the advisory council’s annual report which shall be filed with the department. These annual reports shall include the advisory council’s work and findings for the year, the advisory council’s impact on implementing the Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and framework and analysis from the school district’s surveys. The department shall publish the annual reports on the department’s website.

(3) Final Report.

The advisory council shall recommend a comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum that would expound upon all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks as they relate to ethnic literature, content, language, events, and figures. The advisory council’s report shall also include recommendations on improvements to all applicable core subjects, included but not limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to include Integrated Cultural Studies. The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council shall recommend curriculum that is appropriate for students regardless of gender, race, disability status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The advisory council’s recommendations shall include, but not be limited to: (i) teaching disciplinary or interdisciplinary theories necessary for students to comprehend, articulate, and critically analyze diverse social, cultural, and political perspectives; (ii) provide educational material that shall demonstrate critical awareness of how individual perspectives and biases influence ways of seeing the world; (iii) provide students with knowledge of structural and cultural forces that shape or have shaped discrimination through media based on factors such as race, ethnicity, language, religion, class, ability, nationality, sexuality, or gender; (iv) develop relationships amongst students and teachers that shall promote the practice of listening to and communicating respectfully with others of diverse perspectives; and (v) explore and research questions that reflect multiple perspectives to develop a complex understanding of the world.

The department shall use the advisory council’s recommendations to modify the curriculum’s framework as needed to include a more diverse array of narratives and broaden students' exposure to ways of thinking and understanding diverse cultural and racial perspectives.

(e) Department Duties.

(1) Pursuant to section 1E of chapter 69, the board of elementary and secondary education shall direct the commissioner to update all applicable core subjects, included but not limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks to include provisions, consistent with this section, relative to Integrated Cultural Studies, as recommended by the advisory council, upon the effective date of this act and periodically thereafter.

(2) The department shall require each school district to implement curriculum recommended by the advisory council established in subsection (d). The department shall make resources available to school districts to assist in the selection of materials and curriculum for Integrated Cultural Studies.

(3) The department shall determine minimum education requirements and training qualifications for faculty teaching all applicable core subjects, included but not limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy, for the purpose of teaching Integrated Cultural Studies. The department shall provide professional development support for teachers to adequately instruct Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum and shall create guidelines for a professional development program, framework for curriculum and guidance documents for cities and towns to implement Integrated Cultural Studies programming across all grades.

(4) The Integrated Cultural Studies Advisory Council and the Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison shall be appointed by the commissioner no later than 90 days after the effective date of this act.

(5) The department shall promulgate rules to implement, administer, and ensure compliance with the provisions of this section.

(f) School District Requirements.

Each public school district shall update their curriculum to include the Integrated Cultural Studies recommendations offered by the advisory council. School districts shall use the department’s guidance documents to integrate comprehensive Integrated Cultural Studies education into all applicable core subjects, including but not limited to History and Social Science and English Language Arts and Literacy frameworks, in grades K-12. School districts shall develop a plan to implement Integrated Cultural Studies into their curriculum no later than one year after the advisory council publishes its final report.

Beginning the first academic year following the effective date of this act, each public school district shall file an annual report with the department regarding curriculum frameworks related to Integrated Cultural Studies education. Said report shall include, but not be limited to, the following data for each public school district, by grade level: (1) the course name and a description of any Integrated Cultural Studies education curriculum offered; (2) the approximate number of hours spent on Integrated Cultural Studies education; and (3) the number of students receiving Integrated Cultural Studies education.

(g) Review of School District’s Plans.

The department shall work with the Integrated Cultural Studies Liaison and the advisory council members to review district plans and make recommendations to improve district plans pertaining to Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum.

(h) Online Resources.

The department shall create an online open educational resources portal to support Integrated Cultural Studies curriculum which must be made accessible for students, teachers and parents interested in learning more about Integrated Cultural Studies.

(i) Effective Date.

This act shall take effect for the academic year immediately following this bill’s passage.

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
David M. Rogers	24th Middlesex	1/20/2023
Frank A. Moran	17th Essex	1/24/2023