SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 1T as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the following section:-

Section 1U. The department shall establish program standards for a high school professional development program providing rigorous, ongoing professional development to high school students, which shall include: (1) qualifications for professional development instructors; (2) training for professional development instructors to identify individual student professional development needs; (3) different models of professional development, as needed to meet student population professional development needs; (4) student access to professional development programs remotely or in person; (5) a comprehensive feedback system to plan, evaluate and improve on student professional development offerings; and (6) the opportunity for students to develop professional relationships with organizations and individuals outside the students’ school. The department shall approve any high school professional development program established by a school district that meets the department’s program standards.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 76 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the third sentence the following sentence:- In addition to all other absences excused by this section, or any other absence that constitutes an excused absence under the school or school committee’s rules, the superintendent, or teachers in so far as authorized by the superintendent or by the school committee, shall excuse 1 absence for a supervised professional development day each school year for high school students.