Bill SD.1289

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1289 FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.

[Pin Slip]

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 288 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act to promote comprehensive and inclusive curriculum in 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 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2DDDDDD the following new section:-

Section 2EEEEEE. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Comprehensive and Inclusive Curriculum Trust Fund. The fund shall be administered by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on such revenues; and (iii) funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to further develop the curriculum described in section 1U, subsection (a) of Chapter 69 (herein referred to as the “Curriculum”) and provide professional development. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.

(b) Amounts credited to the fund may be expended, without further appropriation, by the commissioner for the following purposes: (i) for the development of the Curriculum frameworks within multiple disciplines and within the history and social science learning standards; (ii) to assist with the implementation of the Curriculum, (iii) for the development of materials and resources to enable school districts to implement the Curriculum in their schools, (iv) for professional development training, (v) for collaboration and sharing of best practices among school districts, (vi) for collaboration with institutions of higher education and other stakeholder organizations; and (vii) for issuing grants under the grant program established in subsection (c) below.

(c) The commissioner may expend funds from the trust fund for a grant program for the above purposes. The grant program shall be developed and administered by the commissioner of education for all public schools and school districts to promote the Curriculum within and across school districts. All grant applications shall include: (i) a statement of the prospective curriculum or program and the expected impact; (ii) a preliminary estimate of the cost; (iii) sustainability plan of execution of curriculum or program; and (iv) a mechanism for determining how the proposal may be effectively replicated in other school districts. The commissioner of education shall, from time to time, review and make recommendations on the improvement of the design, oversight, or implementation of the grant program.

(d) The commissioner may facilitate the granting of funds and other resources to public schools and school districts, state colleges and universities, and community groups. The commissioner will ensure that every public school and school district has the opportunity to apply for grants. Funds awarded through these grants shall be allocated for one or more of the following purposes: (i) professional development training; (ii) the review and revision of current curricula and standards; (iii) the development of educational materials; (iv) consulting services and relevant expertise (v) collaboration with institutions of higher education and other stakeholder organizations; and (vi) collaboration and sharing of model curricula, resources, and best practices with other districts and programs in order to support replication and dissemination of effective practices generated through the grant program.

(e) In expending amounts credited to the fund, the commissioner may prioritize: (i) underserved communities across the commonwealth, including those public schools or school districts with high concentrations of economically-disadvantaged students; (ii) communities that have experienced an incident motivated by racial, ethnic, gender identity, or religious bias; and (iii) schools implementing the Curriculum and new education models for the first time.

(f) Amounts received from private sources shall be approved by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education and subject to review before being deposited in the fund to ensure that pledged funds are not accompanied by conditions, explicit or implicit, that would improperly shape or otherwise hinder the development and implementation of the Curriculum, or that would be detrimental to the neutral and rigorous teaching of the Curriculum. The review shall be made publicly available on the department’s website.

(g) Public schools and school districts awarded funds pursuant to this section shall work with the commissioner of education to analyze the effectiveness of their initiatives.

(h) Annually, not later than December 1, the commissioner shall report to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, the joint committee on education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the fund's activity. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the source and amount of funds received; (ii) the amounts distributed and the purpose of expenditures from the fund, including but not limited to, funds expended to assist school districts in meeting the requirements in this section; (iii) any grants provided to institutions of higher education and other stakeholder organizations; and (iv) anticipated revenue and expenditure projections for the next year.

SECTION 2. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 1T the following new section:-

Section 1U. (a) In all public schools, instruction shall accurately represent and be inclusive of all people so that students learn about the histories, experiences, perspectives, heritages, and cultures of all Americans to promote mutual understanding and prepare them to become well-informed citizens. To ensure a comprehensive education, students shall be taught the accurate histories, writings, and contributions of cultural and ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented, marginalized, or excluded.

(i) Instruction within the academic standards in all subjects areas required in section 1D of chapter 69 shall include, but not be limited to: (1) studying literature, books, writings, art, music, film and other works by people from underrepresented groups that will offer insight into different perspectives and experiences, (2) celebrating people from underrepresented groups who have made notable contributions in math, science, humanities, the arts and other disciplines, and the impact these contributions have had on society, and (3) learning about the ethnic and cultural identities, heritage, and customs of underrepresented groups and celebrating their contributions to American society.

(ii) In the history and social studies academic standards required in section 1D of chapter 69, instruction shall include, but not be limited to, studying, analyzing and discussing: (1) accurate histories and experiences of underrepresented groups, including but not limited to their histories of immigration, assimilation, discrimination, and contributions within our society; (2) the history of slavery and segregation, and its past and present impact; (3) the consequences of colonial settlement, land appropriation, territorial expansion, and creation of tribal reservations; (4) the effects of discriminatory and exclusionary policies and practices; (5) how historical events and practices relate to current issues affecting contemporary society; (6) the identification of bias and stereotypes, and the impact of inequities and violence towards marginalized groups; and (7) issues related to how marginalization and exclusion of underrepresented groups affect opportunities for geographic and economic mobility, power and access, voting rights, and civic participation.

(b) A school district, charter school, approved private day or residential school, or collaborative school shall incorporate standards for inclusive teaching of the history, writings, and contributions of underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups established pursuant to section 1U and subsection (a) into existing curriculum including, but not limited to, English language arts, history and social science, mathematics, performing and visual arts, science and technology, and world language.

(c) All lessons and teaching related to the curriculum must be appropriate for use with students of all races, religions, nationalities, genders, gender identities, abilities, neurological profiles, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as English language learners.

(d) In developing, updating, or refining the framework standards pursuant to section 1U subsection (a), the department of elementary and secondary education shall have a meaningful process for soliciting and incorporating input from stakeholders, including but not limited to educators, scholars with cultural expertise, experts in ethnic studies, and students and community members from traditionally underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups. Any proposed changes to the standards shall be publicly available with opportunities for public feedback and said input shall be publicly available and considered in the development of standards.

(e) The department shall provide professional development opportunities for educators on the framework standards established pursuant to section 1U subsection (a), and create tools aligned with the framework to support districts in the implementation process. Subject to funding, the department will facilitate the sharing of model curricula and resources from experts, educators, organizations, and other school districts with implementation experience. Additional support and outreach from the department may include statewide and regional trainings, meetings or conferences, including opportunities for districts and other stakeholders to assess and share evidence-based best practices in support of the educational objectives stated above and provide feedback and recommendations to the department.

(f) Every three years the department shall hold a public review and issue a report on the adoption and implementation of the curriculum standards in section 1U subsection (a). The general court may be petitioned to direct the commissioner of education to, subject to appropriation, convene a working group consisting of educators experienced in teaching the curriculum, experts in the field of ethnic or cultural studies or related disciplines, and individuals or organizations in the community from traditionally underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups. The review shall further include a report on best practices and recommended improvements to the standards. Such a report shall be submitted to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and the chairs of the joint committee on education.

Name:	District/Address:
Adam Gomez	Hampden