reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15 - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education › Section 64 - Carnegie School Grant Program; Definitions

Section 64. As used in sections sixty-three to sixty-five, inclusive, the following words shall have the following meanings:—
''Carnegie school'', an individual public school, including a school operated by an educational collaborative established under section four E of chapter forty, which operates pursuant to a system of governance set out in an approved Carnegie school plan.
''Carnegie school plan'', a comprehensive three-year strategy approved by the board of education which restructures the school building governance and educational environment, and empowers public school teachers and other professional staff by enabling them to participate in and design the public school governance and organization. Such plan may also include financial decisions on how Carnegie school grant funds are to be allocated at the school building level.
''Waiver'', a written agreement between the school-based planning team and an involved organization allowing exemptions from regulations, local school policies, or contractual provisions which, in the opinion of a school-based planning team, are necessary to implement the provisions of the Carnegie school plan. Said waiver may be approved by the board only when the board is convinced that the intent of existing rights and protections accorded to students is maintained or enhanced, and where there is reasonable promise of improved student achievement.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15 - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education › Section 66 - International Education Programs; School Recognition; Grants; Partnership Programs; Exchanges of Professional Personnel and Students

Section 66. (a) It shall be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage students, teachers, administrators and educational policy makers to participate in international studies, international exchange programs and other activities that advance cultural awareness and promote mutual understanding and respect for the citizens of other countries.
(b) The department of education may recognize a school that meets the standards for international education programs developed by the global education advisory council.
(c) The commissioner of education shall, annually, subject to appropriation, award grants not to exceed ten thousand dollars to local or regional school districts which operate schools recognized pursuant to this section. Such board shall use the funds to support the international education programs at such schools.
(d) The department of education may recognize sister school partnership programs between public schools of the commonwealth and foreign schools. Within available appropriations, participation in such partnership programs shall allow foreign schools access to state programs of professional development and technical assistance programs under the same terms and conditions as for public schools of this state with reciprocity for participation in such programs.
(e) Wherever possible, the department of education may promote exchanges of a limited number of professional personnel and students by state agencies and educational institutions, with institutions of other states and other countries and may pay the salaries of such personnel and may assign scholarships and grants-in-aid to such exchanges.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 3a - Statewide Educational Technology Plan; Goals; Development and Implementation

Section 3A. A statewide educational technology plan, to be known as Massachusetts education-on-line, shall be developed by the Massachusetts corporation for educational telecommunication, hereinafter referred to as MCET. Said educational technology plan shall incorporate the following goals:
(a) the implementation and integration of technology into teaching and learning in public schools, including, but not limited to, the establishment of a statewide telecommunications and technology link among public college and university campuses and school districts through the use of computer and communications technology;
(b) the facilitation of the implementation of a statewide professional development plan for teachers, principals, and superintendents using distance learning in coordination with the commissioner of education; and,
(c) the increased involvement of parents, guardians, mentors or other volunteers with their students' education by utilization of distance learning.
For the purposes of this section, said educational technology plan shall be broadly construed to include, but not be limited to, programs, courses, and capital expenditures including computer hardware and software, networks, television, satellite transmissions, fiber optics cable, calculators and video and audio tapes. Subject to appropriation, MCET may provide grants to universities, colleges, schools and school districts for the purposes of purchasing the equipment and other materials necessary for the implementation of said educational technology plan. The MCET executive director, in consultation with the secretary and the board of education and the board of higher education, may establish such advisory groups or committees as he deems necessary for the development and implementation of said educational technology plan.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 5 - Public Institutions of Higher Education System

Section 5. There shall be, for the purposes of this chapter, a system of public institutions of higher education, hereinafter called the system, which shall consist of the following segments: (i) the university of Massachusetts segment, which shall consist of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and Worcester; (ii) the state university segment, which shall consist of Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University; and (iii) the community college segment, which shall consist of Berkshire Community College, Bristol Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Greenfield Community College, Holyoke Community College, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Massasoit Community College, Middlesex Community College, Mount Wachusett Community College, Northern Essex Community College, North Shore Community College, Quinsigamond Community College, Roxbury Community College and Springfield Technical Community College.
The board shall coordinate activities among the public institutions of higher education and shall engage in advocacy on their behalf, which advocacy shall include a sustained program to inform the public of the needs, importance, and accomplishments of the public institutions of higher education in the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 6 - Department of Higher Education; Commissioner; Other Employees; Appointments; Salaries; Powers and Duties

Section 6. DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION; COMMISSIONER; OTHER EMPLOYEES; APPOINTMENT; SALARIES; POWERS AND DUTIES
There shall be within the executive office of education a department of higher education, in this chapter called the department.
The council shall, whenever a vacancy may occur, by a two-thirds vote of all its voting members, submit to the secretary, for the secretary's approval, a recommended candidate to serve as the commissioner of higher education, in this chapter called the commissioner. The secretary may appoint the recommended candidate as commissioner. If the secretary declines to appoint the candidate, the council shall submit a new candidate for consideration. The secretary may appoint the commissioner only from candidates submitted to the secretary by the council.
The commissioner shall be the executive and administrative head of the department. The commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the council and may be removed by a majority vote of all its members. The commissioner shall not be subject to chapter 31 or to section 9A of chapter 30.
The commissioner shall be the secretary to the council and its chief executive officer and the chief school officer for higher education. The commissioner shall be responsible for carrying out the policies established by the council. The council may delegate its authority or any portion thereof to the commissioner whenever in its judgment such delegation may be necessary or desirable. The commissioner shall exercise any such powers or duties delegated with the full authority of the council in any matter concerning the system of public institutions of higher education subject to the direction and approval of the council.
The commissioner shall devote her full time during business hours to the duties of her office and shall, subject to appropriation, receive such salary as the council may determine. The commissioner may, subject to appropriation, appoint such other employees as she deems necessary to carry out her duties and responsibilities, shall be provided with adequate offices, and may expend sums for other necessary expenses of the department.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 7 - Mission Statements; Development, Approval and Adoption

Section 7. With regard to the overall system of public higher education, and each of the three segments of the system, as defined in section 5, the council shall develop and submit mission statements for review and approval by the secretary. Said segmental mission statements shall include, but not be limited to, the goals and purpose of each type of institution within the system and how they relate to each other in fulfilling the mission of the entire system.
The board of trustees of the university of Massachusetts, shall develop and submit to the secretary and the council mission statements for the university and each of its campuses. The board of trustees of each state university and community college shall develop and submit to the secretary and the council a mission statement for each such institution. All institutional mission statements, as developed and submitted by boards of trustees, shall be subject to approval by the secretary, in consultation with the council. Said approval shall take into consideration how well the institution's mission statement correlates with the mission statements as set forth in the preceding paragraph.
The council shall be responsible for making public said mission statements. The secretary, in consultation with the council, may, as she deems necessary, undertake or cause to be undertaken revisions of said statements.
The board of trustees of a state university or community college with the potential to expand its mission, profile, and orientation to a more regional or national focus may submit to the secretary and the board of higher education a five-year plan embracing an entrepreneurial model which leverages that potential in order to achieve higher levels of excellence. Such plans shall include, but not be limited to, budget and enrollment projections for each year, projections for total student charges for each year, projections for in-state and out-of-state enrollments for each year, and plans to insure continuing access to the institution by residents of the commonwealth and affirmative action policies and programs that affirm the need for and a commitment to maintaining and increasing access for economically disadvantaged and minority students. Said proposal, upon its receipt, shall be transmitted to the secretary of administration and finance, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on higher education. The secretary, in consultation with the council, shall have the authority to approve, reject, or propose amendments to said plan. Proposed amendments shall be returned to the institutions's board of trustees. If the board of trustees approves said amendments, the plan shall be considered adopted. If the institution's board of trustees rejects the proposed changes, it may submit a redrafted plan, which will be treated as a new plan under the provisions of this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 9b - Needs-Based Financial Assistance Program; Scholarships; Guidelines

Section 9B. There shall be a program, subject to appropriation, of needs-based financial assistance, administered by the board of higher education, to provide full or partial scholarships for residents of the commonwealth enrolled in and pursuing a part-time or full-time program of higher education in any of the public institutions of higher education in the commonwealth. The council shall establish guidelines to govern said program. Said guidelines shall be filed with the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on education, arts and humanities within thirty days of the approval by the council of said guidelines.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 12 - Council Actions Permitted to Provide for Hefa Expenses and for Payments of Indebtedness Incurred on Behalf of Community Colleges or Affiliates

Section 12. To provide for the expenses of HEFA and for the payment of indebtedness incurred by it in connection with any project financed by HEFA on behalf of any community college or any community college affiliate, or in connection with any transfer for such purpose by HEFA, or the commonwealth acting through the council under the provisions of section eleven, or any other community college affiliate to HEFA, or the commonwealth acting through the council, or any other community college affiliate of buildings or other property, the council may, in the name and on behalf of the commonwealth, (i) transfer or pledge that they will periodically transfer to HEFA, or to any community college affiliate under terms permitting further transfer or pledge to HEFA, any part or all of any funds held as trust funds for any community college under the provisions of paragraph (d) of section eleven, administered on behalf of any community college as gifts, grants, or trusts under the provisions of clause (e) of section twenty-two, made available for expenditure on behalf of any community college pursuant to an appropriation or other spending authorization in the commonwealth's annual operating budget, including supplementary and deficiency budgets, or otherwise available for expenditure by the council, and (ii) may contract with HEFA or any community college affiliate with respect thereto under terms permitting further transfer or pledge by HEFA to a trustee under any trust agreement related to such project and entered into by HEFA pursuant to chapter six hundred and fourteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and sixty-eight; provided, that in the case of any funds expected to be available for expenditure by the council pursuant to subsequent appropriation or other spending authorization by the legislature, the council may only pledge that they will so transfer such funds subject to such subsequent appropriation or other spending authorization. The council may impose such terms and conditions as to the application of the funds so transferred as it deems appropriate for the carrying out of the provisions of said chapter six hundred and fourteen and of this chapter. Any such pledge shall be valid and binding from the time when the pledge is made; the funds so pledged shall immediately be subject to the lien of such pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of any such pledge shall be valid and binding as against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract or otherwise against the council, any community college, or any other community college affiliate, irrespective of whether such parties have notice thereof. Neither the resolution nor any trust agreement by which such a pledge is created need be filed or recorded except in the records of HEFA.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 13 - Hefa; Sale or Lease of Buildings, Lands or Other Property; Proceeds

Section 13. HEFA may sell the buildings or other structures upon any land acquired by it pursuant to section eleven and which are not included in a project, or may remove the same, and may sell or lease any lands or rights or interest in lands or other property acquired for the purposes of this act whenever the same shall, in the opinion of HEFA, cease to be needed for such purposes. The proceeds of any such sale or lease shall be held and disposed of as revenues from the project for or with respect to which the property sold or leased shall have been acquired; provided, however, that except as permitted by section eleven, no property acquired from the commonwealth shall be sold or leased without prior approval of the governor and council; and provided further that the proceeds of any sale or lease of any such property shall be paid to the treasurer and receiver-general of the commonwealth and shall be credited on the books of the commonwealth to the General Fund.
In the event that the council shall sell, convey or lease to HEFA any dormitory, dining commons or boarding hall faculty or student apartment building or student union building at any community college and owned by the commonwealth or any interest of the commonwealth in or to such a building so located but owned by another, and in the further event that funds for the rental or maintenance of such building or buildings have been provided by appropriation from general funds of the commonwealth for any fiscal year ending after the effective date of such sale, conveyance or lease, such sale, conveyance or lease shall provide that the rentals, fees or other charges levied for the use of such building or rooms or accommodations therein or services provided therein in such fiscal years shall be retained by or paid to the treasurer and receiver-general of the commonwealth, as the case may be.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 14 - Powers Under Secs. 11 and 12 Exercised on Behalf of University of Massachusetts and Affiliates

Section 14. Upon application by the trustees of the University of Massachusetts, the council may exercise on behalf of such university and its university affiliates all the powers it has with respect to community colleges or community college affiliates under sections eleven and twelve.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 15 - Estimate of Ordinary Maintenance and Revenues; Capital Outlay Requests; Allocation of Appropriations

Section 15. In accordance with the funding formulas referenced in section 15B of this chapter, the secretary, in consultation with the council and with the board of trustees for the university of Massachusetts, shall periodically prepare and submit to the budget director an estimate, in detail, for the ordinary maintenance of the entire system of public institutions of higher education, and revenue therefrom, as provided in section three of chapter twenty-nine. Said statement shall include the salaries of all officers and employees within said system and all program costs which are to be borne by any source other than the commonwealth, including such sources as federal financing or federal research, demonstration, or training grants, community contributions and other grants, endowments or trusts.
The secretary, in consultation with the council and with the board of trustees for the university of Massachusetts, shall also periodically submit requests for capital outlay for the entire system of public institutions of higher education to the secretary of administration and finance as provided by section seven of said chapter twenty-nine and to the house and senate committees on ways and means. The secretary shall use the estimates and requests prepared by each board of trustees for the purposes of this section attaching whatever recommendations she may desire or deem necessary. The general court shall appropriate funds for the system of public institutions of higher education in various line items, including, but not limited to four separate appropriations; one each for the University of Massachusetts, state universities, community colleges, and scholarships.
The board of trustees of the university shall receive its appropriation directly, in one sum. Funds appropriated for the state university system and the community college system shall be disbursed by the council to each board of trustees by the establishment of allocation accounts; provided, however, that the council shall not allocate an amount less than that appropriated by the general court for the expenses of ''01, salaries, permanent positions''; ''02, salaries, other''; or ''03, services, nonemployee'' without prior approval of the commissioner of administration; and provided, further, that no such funds allocated for the expenses of ''01 salaries, permanent'' to a board of trustees shall be transferred without the prior approval of the commissioner of administration.
Except as provided in the preceding paragraph, the council shall not be prevented from amending institutional allocations or reallocating funds among institutions.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 15c - Expenditures and Revenues; Management and Accounting Reporting System

Section 15C. The public institutions of higher education shall report monthly by subsidiary all expenditures and revenues from all appropriated and non-appropriated funds on the Massachusetts management and accounting reporting system, so-called, by July thirty-first, nineteen hundred and ninety-three.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 15d - Personnel Administrative Reporting and Information System

Section 15D. The public institutions of higher education shall report all personnel information for those employees compensated from any budgetary, federal, capital or trust fund through the personnel administrative reporting and information system, so-called, by July thirty-first, nineteen hundred and ninety-three.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 15f - Community College Workforce Training Incentive Program

Section 15F. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the commonwealth to encourage public community college training opportunities in order to promote workforce development, minimize the shortage of skilled workers and raise economic opportunity through a matching incentive grant program to be known as the community college workforce training incentive program. Subject to appropriation, the board of higher education shall establish guidelines for the distribution of community college workforce training incentive grants; provided, however, that said guidelines shall provide: (i) allowable incentive grant awards which shall not exceed $200 for every $1,000 in eligible revenues; (ii) minimum requirements for the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction which shall be provided by incentive grant recipients in the fiscal year in which such grant is awarded. Each community college which is eligible for grant awards in a fiscal year shall, subject to appropriation, receive not less than $50,000 from the total amount appropriated for the incentive program to fund the salary of a workforce training coordinator at each such campus. For the purposes of this section, eligible revenues shall be defined as revenues received by a community college for one of the following purposes: tuition and fees paid by students enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; tuition and fees paid by Massachusetts employers on behalf of employees enrolled in not-for-credit vocationally-oriented courses; and revenues from service contracts with Massachusetts employers to provide not for-credit vocationally-oriented training. Revenues from contracts with public agencies, public grants or private gifts shall not be considered eligible revenues for the purposes of this section. Incentive grants shall be expended for the following purposes: to expand not-for-credit vocationally oriented course offerings; to expand not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided through contracts with Massachusetts employers; and to otherwise promote not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction. Each community college campus shall report not later than December 31, annually, to the board of higher education and the house and senate committees on ways and means on the level of not-for-credit vocationally-oriented instruction provided in the preceding fiscal year and the anticipated level of such instruction in the current fiscal year. Said report shall detail enrollment levels, revenues received, sources of revenues, the number of service contracts established with Massachusetts employers and such other information as the board of higher education may require.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 15g - Stackable Credentials

Section 15G. (a) The department of higher education shall assess stackable credentials offered at community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts campuses and, in collaboration with the public higher education institutions and regional workforce organizations, shall: (i) identify best practices to be shared and replicated across campuses to provide a clear and accessible path for students seeking to advance their education through workforce training and preparation; (ii) establish guidelines and standards for earning stackable credentials through workforce development or career and technical education; (iii) identify and implement stackable programs on campuses where further needs exist; and (iv) disseminate information on stackable education pathway opportunities with regional workforce agencies. For the purposes of this section, ''stackable credential'' shall mean a credential earned through an education, training or apprenticeship program while attending an institution of higher education which is designed to be part of a pathway for students that, along with other stackable credentials, cumulatively leads to a degree or industry specific skills certification. The department shall prioritize this effort in the areas of advanced manufacturing and information technology. The department may base credentials on competency, workforce or apprentice experience or workforce preparation. In developing criteria for credentials, the department shall consult with regional employment boards, career and technical education entities, community colleges, state universities, the University of Massachusetts, chambers of commerce, the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation doing business as the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and trade associations.
(b) Stackable credentials shall be available across the commonwealth and administered through public higher education institutions; provided, however, that public higher education institutions shall: (i) develop programs responsive to industry needs based on current regional labor market data; (ii) implement the programs in a manner that ensures interconnection of competencies offered in specialized training programs; and (iii) determine transferability of credentials for college credit.
(c) For the purposes of this section ''public higher education institutions'' shall include Quincy College.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 17 - Teaching Learning Corps Program

Section 17. The council, subject to appropriation, shall establish a program entitled the ''teaching learning corps''.
The program shall provide school districts choosing to participate, which contain a significant proportion of low-income students or a significant proportion of students deficient in basic skills, as determined by the board of education with college students as instructional aides. Instructional aides shall assist teachers in instructional activities during regular school programs or extended day programs, but shall not replace existing school personnel. Funds provided under this section shall be used first to provide matching funds for work-study college students, and in the case where work-study students are not available, to hire college students not enrolled in work-study programs. The council, in cooperation with the board of education, shall promulgate rules and regulations for said program, including selection criteria for public school sites, cooperative agreements between colleges and public schools, yearly program evaluation procedures, program duration standards, and other rules.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 19a - Student Loan Repayment Program; Guidelines; Expenses for Administration

Section 19A. There shall be a student loan repayment program known as the attracting excellence to teaching program, for the purpose of encouraging outstanding students to teach in the public schools of the commonwealth by providing financial assistance for the repayment of qualified education loans, as defined below. The program shall be administered by the board of education in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the board of higher education. The program shall be subject to appropriation.
The term ''qualified education loan'' shall mean any indebtedness including interest on such indebtedness incurred to pay tuition or other direct expenses incurred in connection with the pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree by an applicant, but shall not include loans made by any person related to the applicant.
The council shall promulgate guidelines governing the attracting excellence to teaching program. These guidelines shall include the following provisions:
(1) eligibility for the program shall be limited to persons who have graduated in the top 15 per cent of their undergraduate classes or who have graduated with honors designations, as certified by the institution attended by any such applicant;
(2) eligibility shall be limited to persons entering the teaching profession after July first, nineteen hundred and ninety-four;
(3) the commonwealth shall repay a participating teacher's student loan at a rate not to exceed one hundred and fifty dollars per month for a period not to exceed forty-eight months;
(4) repayment shall be made to the participating teacher annually upon the presentation by the participating teacher of satisfactory evidence of payments under the loan;
(5) payments by the commonwealth shall cover only loan payments made by the participating teacher in the months during which the participating teacher teaches in public school in the commonwealth;
(6) the program may or may not be limited to teachers who teach in school districts designated by the board of education;
(7) the program shall set forth an affirmative action policy and specific annual affirmative action goals. The council shall annually publish a report detailing its efforts to publicize the loan repayment program in order to advance the goals of this affirmative action policy and its success in meeting those goals.
Expenses for administration of the program may be retained in an interest bearing trust fund to be established by the board of education and expended for the costs of administering the program without further appropriation, and any funds remaining in the trust fund at the termination of the program shall be returned to the General Fund.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 19b - Teacher Signing Bonus Program; Regulations

Section 19B. There shall be an incoming teacher signing bonus program to be administered by the department of education for the purpose of encouraging the best and brightest candidates to teach in the public schools. The goal of such program shall be to encourage high achieving candidates to enter the profession who would otherwise not consider a career in teaching. Funding for such program shall be subject to the provisions of section 35S of chapter 10.
The board of education shall promulgate regulations, where necessary, for the effective implementation of such program. Such regulations shall include the following provisions:
(1) On an annual basis, the department of education shall select the best and brightest teaching prospects based on objective measures such as test scores, grade point average or class rank and such other criteria as the department may determine. The department shall establish a system for receiving a limited number of recommendations for outstanding candidates for such bonuses from institutions of higher education across the nation. In selecting bonus recipients, the department shall consider such recommendations.
(2) In a given year, the department may target awards to attract teachers for those subject matter areas most needed in the commonwealth; provided, however, that such subject matter areas shall be included in the core subjects as described in section 1D of chapter 69.
(3) In a given year, the department shall award bonuses only to those deserving candidates rather than providing a set number of bonuses.
(4) Recipients shall receive a $20,000 signing bonus over at least three years with at least $8,000 distributed in the first year of the bonus.
(5) Such recipients shall be eligible for each year's bonus payment only if they are certified to teach in the commonwealth and are employed as a teacher by a public school in the commonwealth.
(6) The department shall select and notify bonus recipients by April 1 of each year. Eligible recipients shall receive their annual bonus payments by the subsequent October 1 of each year.
(7) The name of an individual recipient of such bonus shall remain confidential unless recipient waives such confidentiality in writing.
(8) The department shall aggressively market the existence of the program to encourage the best and brightest candidates in the nation to come to the commonwealth to teach. Such marketing shall focus on candidates who would otherwise not consider a career in teaching.
(9) The program shall set forth an outreach plan to attract underrepresented populations to the teaching profession.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 19c - Master Teacher Corps Program; Regulations

Section 19C. There shall be Massachusetts master teacher corps program for the purpose of building a group of recognized teachers of high achievement in the profession who shall serve to mentor incoming apprentice teachers and further the goals of the education reform act, so-called. The department of education shall administer this program. Funding for said program shall be subject to the provisions of section 35S of chapter 10.
The board of education shall promulgate regulations, where necessary, for the effective implementation of such program. Such regulations shall include the following provisions:
(1) The department may select master teachers who achieve master teacher status through certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, pass a challenging content test, and agree to mentor apprentice teachers. The department may develop and include alternatives to the NBPTS program provided such alternatives maintain equivalent or higher standards of excellence in teaching.
(2) The department may provide master teachers with partial or full reimbursement for the assessment costs of said NBPTS certification. The department shall provide master teachers with ongoing salary bonuses for such master teachers. Such ongoing salary bonuses shall be limited to $5,000 per year. Within said $5,000 limit, the department may authorize a nominal payment to the school district of such master teachers to facilitate time for the master teacher to engage in mentoring activity.
(3) Teachers with master teacher status shall have full parity in certification and compensation with teachers who earn a master's degrees from approved higher education institutions, notwithstanding the provisions of section 38G of chapter 71, or chapter 150E.
(4) The program shall set forth an outreach plan to attract underrepresented populations to the teaching profession.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 19d - Scholarship Program Known as Tomorrow's Educators Program; Guidelines

Section 19D. There shall be a scholarship program to be administered by the board, in consultation with the department of elementary and secondary education, which shall be known as the tomorrow's educators program to encourage students to teach in public schools by providing qualified students with scholarships for tuition, fees and additional costs of attendance as calculated by the student's institution of higher education, including, but not limited to, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, child care and personal expenses, for a bachelor's degree program or post-baccalaureate coursework at a public institution of higher education in the commonwealth leading to the certification required for employment at a public school. The program shall be subject to appropriation.
The board shall promulgate guidelines governing the tomorrow's educators program which shall include the following:
(1) Eligibility for the program shall be limited to high school graduates, undergraduate students and students enrolled in post-baccalaureate educator preparation programs who: (i) agree to complete a bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate educator preparation program in a public institution of higher education in the commonwealth; (ii) successfully complete a bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate educator preparation program at the institution of higher education and obtain the appropriate certification in accordance with section 38G of chapter 71; and (iii) commit to teaching for 4 years in a school district, as defined in section 2 of chapter 70, in the commonwealth.
(2) An outreach plan to attract individuals from underrepresented populations to the education profession through the program, which shall diversify the educator workforce consistent with chapter 132 of the acts of 2019.
(3) Procedures for repayment of the amount of scholarship benefits for persons who participate in the program but who fail to complete the 4-year teaching commitment; provided, however, that the procedures shall be designed to ensure there are no disincentives for low-income students to participate in the program and shall consider: (i) the amount of scholarship benefits the participant has received; (ii) the participant's current income if not working as a public school educator; (iii) whether the participant is currently working in another position that helps to support or educate students; and (iv) the amount of time the participant taught in a public school district in the commonwealth.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 19e - Principal and Superintendent Recruitment Program

Section 19E. There shall be a principal and superintendent recruitment program for recruiting and training as principals and superintendents in public schools individuals from other professions who have the skills, experience and talent to be outstanding school principals and superintendents, but who do not meet the existing statutory and regulatory requirements to serve as principals and superintendents. The program shall include the use of financial incentives and other methods for recruiting candidates and innovative methods for providing the necessary training.
The board of education shall promulgate regulations, where necessary, for the effective implementation of the program. The board shall establish standards that individuals who participate in the program shall meet to be authorized to serve as principals or superintendents. If the board determines that existing statutory or regulatory requirements for such service interfere with attracting highly qualified individuals from other professions who meet the standards established by the board, it may exempt such individuals from such requirements.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 20 - Educational Opportunities Information Center

Section 20. There shall be an educational opportunities information center in the office of the council to provide information and assistance to prospective college and university students, and to public and independent institutions of higher education on matters regarding student admissions, transfers, and enrollments.
Such public institutions shall cooperate with the center by furnishing such nonconfidential information as may assist the center in the performance of its duties. The center may request and receive similar information from private or other public educational institutions to the commonwealth.
An applicant for admission to an institution whose application is not accepted may send to the center appropriate nonconfidential information concerning his application. The center may, at its discretion and with permission of the applicant, direct the attention of the applicant to other institutions and direct the attention of other institutions to the applicant.
The center may conduct such studies and analyses of admission, transfers and enrollments as may be deemed appropriate.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 22a - Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center; Establishment; Powers and Duties of Board

Section 22A. (a) For purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:-
''Board'', the board of trustees of the Roxbury Community College.
''Center'', the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center established in subsection (b).
''College'', the Roxbury Community College.
''Use for nonpublic purposes'', shall include, but not be limited to, the leasing or renting of the building for commercial entertainment activity.
''Use for public purposes'', shall include, but not be limited to, use by public high school track programs, members of the abutting residential community or by members of the community at large and students, faculty, staff and alumni at Roxbury Community College.
(b) There shall be established the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. The center shall be a building containing a Massachusetts state track facility which shall be maintained at the college for public purposes. In the event the facility is not in use for public purposes, the board may permit use for nonpublic purposes for a rental amount to be determined by said board.
(c) The board shall be responsible for the management and operation of the center including, but not limited to, the following:-
(i) establishing user fees;
(ii) entering into agreements with the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association, with other public groups and, pursuant to this section, with nonpublic groups for nonpublic purposes;
(iii) establishing rules and regulations for the use of the center by Massachusetts public high school track programs, by members of the abutting residential neighborhoods and members of the community at large, by students, faculty and staff and alumni of Roxbury Community College, and, by nonpublic groups for nonpublic purposes in accordance with this section;
(iv) deciding the priority of uses and schedule for the center, with input from an advisory committee; and
(v) entering into agreements with vendors to provide concession stand services and other agreements as deemed necessary by the board for the maintenance and operation of the center.
(d) The center shall be made available without charge for use by public high school track programs and Roxbury Community College. The center shall be made available on a user fee basis for members of the public. The center shall be made available at market rate, as determined by the board, for use for nonpublic purposes so long as the center is not being used for public purposes.
(e) The annual operating expenses of the center shall be separate and distinct from appropriations within the general appropriations act for the college, shall use a separate item of appropriation and shall be audited biennially by the state auditor.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth › Chapter 15a - Public Education › Section 23 - Board of Trustees; Estimate for Institution's Ordinary Maintenance and Revenues

Section 23. Each board of trustees shall periodically prepare and submit to the secretary and the council an estimate, in detail, for the ordinary maintenance of its institution, including the salaries of all officers and employees of said institution and all revenues therefrom and any other such information as the secretary and the council may require or as provided in section three of chapter twenty-nine. Each board of trustees shall make requests to the council under the provisions of section seven of chapter twenty-nine.