reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 31.00 - Massachusetts Certificate of Mastery and State Seal of Biliteracy › Section 31.04 - Criteria for the State Seal of Biliteracy

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
School District Participation in the State Seal of Biliteracy
			 Program
.
(a) School districts
			 may award the State Seal of Biliteracy to students who meet the academic
			 criteria listed in 603 CMR 31. 04(2).
(b) A school district participating in the
			 State Seal of Biliteracy program shall provide written notification to parents
			 or legal guardians of all students enrolled in the district about the State
			 Seal of Biliteracy program, its purposes, and eligibility requirements, in a
			 language that the parent or legal guardian can understand.
(c) A school district that awards the State
			 Seal of Biliteracy shall affix the unaltered state insignia developed by the
			 Department on the diploma or the transcript, or both, of students who meet the
			 requirements listed in 603 CMR 31.04(2).
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 31.00 - Massachusetts Certificate of Mastery and State Seal of Biliteracy › Section 31.05 - Criteria for the Certificate of Mastery with Distinction

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) To be eligible for the Certificate of
			 Mastery with Distinction, a student must:
(a)
			 qualify as a Candidate for the Certificate of Mastery with
			 Distinction;
(b) demonstrate
			 accomplishment in both Arts/Humanities and Mathematics/Science; and
(c) be in good standing to graduate from the
			 high school in which the student is enrolled.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 31.00 - Massachusetts Certificate of Mastery and State Seal of Biliteracy › Section 31.06 - Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery with Distinction Award

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
A Student who fulfills the requirements of
				603 CMR
				31.05 will receive the Stanley Z. Koplik
				Certificate of Mastery with Distinction Award.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 31.00 - Massachusetts Certificate of Mastery and State Seal of Biliteracy › Section 31.07 - State Seal of Biliteracv

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
School District Participation in the State Seal of Biliteracv
			 Program
.
(a) School districts
			 may award the State Seal of Biliteracy to students who meet the academic
			 criteria listed in 603 CMR 31.07(2).
(b) A school district participating in the
			 State Seal of Biliteracy program shall provide written notification to parents
			 or legal guardians of all students enrolled in the district about the State
			 Seal of Biliteracy program, its purposes, and eligibility requirements, in a
			 language that the parent or legal guardian can understand.
(c) A school district that awards the State
			 Seal of Biliteracy shall affix the unaltered state insignia developed by the
			 Department on the diploma or the transcript, or both, of students who meet the
			 requirements listed in 603 CMR 31.07(2).
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 33.00 - Anti-hazing Reporting › Section 33.01 - Authority

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
603 CMR
				33.00 is promulgated by the Board of Education
				pursuant to M.G.L. c. 269, § 19.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 33.00 - Anti-hazing Reporting › Section 33.02 - Scope and Purpose

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
603 CMR
				33.00 governs the content and frequency of reports
				secondary schools must file with the Board of Education regarding the
				distribution of copies of the law against hazing and the adoption of a
				disciplinary policy concerning the organizers of and participants in hazing
				activities.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 33.00 - Anti-hazing Reporting › Section 33.03 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Hazing
shall mean any conduct or method of
				initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private
				property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health
				of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating,
				branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of
				any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal
				treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the
				physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or which
				subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including
				extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.
Non-school affiliated organization
shall mean any
				group or organization that operates on the campus of a secondary school but is
				not under the authority of such school.
Secondary school
shall mean any school, be it
				public or private, that has been designated or approved as a secondary school
				by the school committee.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 33.00 - Anti-hazing Reporting › Section 33.04 - Filing of Reports

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) On or before
			 October 1 of each year, the principal or headmaster of every secondary school
			 shall file a report as required by M.G.L. c. 269, § 19 with the Bureau of
			 Student Services.
(2) Such reports
			 as required by 603 CMR 33.04(1) shall include the following certifications:
(a) that the school has issued a copy of
			 M.G.L. c. 269, §§ 17 through 19 to every group or organization under
			 its authority and to every member, plebe, pledgee or applicant for membership
			 in such group or organization;
(b)
			 that the school has issued a copy of M.G.L. c. 269, §§ 17 through 19,
			 to every non-school affiliated organization;
(c) that the school has obtained an
			 acknowledgement of receipt from an officer of every group or organization under
			 its authority, and every individual which has received a copy of M.G.L. c. 269,
			 '' 17 through 19;
(d) that the
			 school has obtained an acknowledgement from a contact person for each
			 non-school affiliated organization that such organization has distributed a
			 copy of M.G.L. c. 269, '' 17 through 19, to every member, plebe, pledgee or
			 applicant for membership in such group or organization;
(e) that the school has adopted a
			 disciplinary policy with regard to the organizers of and participants in hazing
			 which has been approved by the school committee, is available to anyone upon
			 request and has been filed with the Bureau of Student Services as required by
			 M.G.L. c. 71, § 37H.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 33.00 - Anti-hazing Reporting › Section 33.05 - Notifying the Attorney General

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) On November
			 1 of each year, the Commissioner of Education shall notify the Attorney General
			 of any failure by a secondary school to file a report as required by M.G.L. c.
			 269, § 19.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.01 - Scope and Purpose

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) The specific
			 purposes of evaluation under M.G.L. c. 71, § 38 and
			 603 CMR 35.00 are:
(a) to promote student learning, growth, and
			 achievement by providing educators with feedback for improvement, enhanced
			 opportunities for professional growth, and clear structures for accountability;
			 and
(b) to provide a record of
			 facts and assessments for personnel decisions.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.03 - Standards and Indicators of Effective Teaching Practice

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
School committees shall establish evaluation systems and
				Performance Standards for the evaluation of all teachers that include all of
				the principles of evaluation, set forth in
				603 CMR 35.00. School
				committees may supplement the standards and indicators in 603 CMR 35.03 with
				additional measurable performance standards and indicators consistent with
				state law and collective bargaining agreements where applicable. The district
				shall adapt the indicators based on the role of the teacher to reflect and to
				allow for significant differences in assignments and responsibilities. The
				district shall share the Performance Standards with teachers employed by the
				district.
(1)
Curriculum,
			 Planning, and Assessment Standard
. Promotes the learning and
			 growth of all students by providing high quality and coherent instruction,
			 designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments,
			 analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve
			 instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an on-going
			 basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.
(a)
Curriculum and Planning
			 Indicator
. Knows the subject matter well, has a good grasp of
			 child development and how students learn, and designs effective and rigorous
			 standards-based units of instruction consisting of well-structured lessons with
			 measurable outcomes.
(b)
Assessment Indicator
. Uses a variety of informal and
			 formal methods of assessment to measure student learning, growth, and
			 understanding, develop differentiated and enhanced learning experiences, and
			 improve future instruction.
(c)
Analysis Indicator
. Analyzes data from assessments,
			 draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.05 - Evaluation of Administrators under Individual Employment Contracts

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Districts shall have a system of evaluation for administrators
				under individual employment contracts that reflects the purposes in
				603 CMR
				35.01(2), and adapts the
				Standards and Indicators for Effective Administrative Leadership Practice and
				the procedures in
				603
				CMR 35.04 through
				35.10
				as applicable to the role and contract of the administrator. Nothing in
				603 CMR 35.00 shall abridge
				the authority of a school or district to dismiss or non-renew an educator
				consistent with applicable law, including M.G.L. c. 71, §§ 41 and
				42.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.06 - Evaluation Cycle

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) School
			 committees shall adopt either the Model System designed and regularly updated
			 by the Department, or a locally developed system that is consistent with these
			 principles. The evaluation system shall include the evaluation cycle set forth
			 in 603 CMR 35.06.
(2) The
			 evaluation cycle shall include self-assessment addressing Performance Standards
			 established through collective bargaining or included in individual employment
			 contracts.
(a) Each educator shall be
			 responsible for gathering and providing to the evaluator information on the
			 educator's performance, which shall include:
1. an analysis of evidence of student
			 learning, growth, and achievement for students under the educator's
			 responsibility;
2. an assessment of
			 practice against Performance Standards; and
3. proposed goals to pursue to improve
			 practice and student learning, growth, and achievement.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.07 - Evidence Used in Evaluation

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) The following
			 categories of evidence shall be used in evaluating each educator:
(a) For educators responsible for direct
			 instruction, multiple measures of student learning, growth, and achievement,
			 which shall include:
1. Measures of student
			 progress on classroom assessments that are aligned with the Massachusetts
			 Curriculum Frameworks or other relevant frameworks and are comparable within
			 grades or subjects in a school;
2.
			 Measures of student progress on learning goals set between the educator and
			 evaluator for the school year;
3.
			 Statewide growth measure(s) where available, including the MCAS Student Growth
			 Percentile and the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA);
			 and
4. Common assessments of
			 student learning, growth, and achievement.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.08 - Performance Level Ratings

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Each educator
			 shall receive one of four ratings on each Performance Standard and overall:
(a) Exemplary;
(b) Proficient;
(c) Needs Improvement;
(d) Unsatisfactory.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 35.00 - Educator Evaluation Regulations › Section 35.10 - Implementation and Reporting

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) All evaluation
			 systems and changes to evaluation systems shall be subject to the Department's
			 review to ensure the systems are consistent with the Boards' Principles of
			 Evaluation. A District may continue to use an evaluation system that it had
			 submitted for review under
			 603 CMR 35.00.
(2) Districts shall provide the Department
			 with individual educator evaluation data for each educator in the district in a
			 form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner, including, but not limited to:
(a) the educator's performance rating on each
			 standard and overall; and
(b) the
			 educator has Professional Teacher Status.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.02 - Reorganization Procedures

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Reorganization Needs Conference.
In order to establish the need
			 for a proposed school district reorganization and to ensure that all
			 alternatives for satisfying said need are fully addressed, the Department shall
			 convene a Reorganization Needs Conference. For a proposed new regional school
			 district, the Reorganization Needs Conference shall be requested in writing by
			 the Regional School District Planning Board, as defined in M.G.L. c. 71,
			 [[section]] 14. For an existing regional school district expanding its grade
			 level structure or enlarging its membership, the Regional School Committee
			 shall submit the written request for the Reorganization Needs
			 Conference.
(2)
Long Range
			 Education Plan.
The Reorganization Needs Conference shall include
			 consideration of a Long Range Education Plan to determine whether the proposed
			 project is in the best interest of the applicant and of the Commonwealth. The
			 Long Range Plan shall be a written plan which addresses the expected
			 educational benefits of reorganization; current and projected enrollments; an
			 inventory of all educational facilities under the jurisdiction of the various
			 school committees (current and proposed) and any construction efficiencies; the
			 administrative structure, including a current and proposed organization chart;
			 the fiscal benefits; the geographical and physical characteristics; and the
			 transportation economies which would result from a school district
			 reorganization.
(3)
Department Review.
The review and evaluation of the Long Range
			 Educational Plan by the Department shall include consideration of compliance
			 with state and federal law and potential for enhancing learning opportunities
			 and improving student performance for all students within the proposed
			 district.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.03 - Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Approval

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) After the Reorganization Needs Conference
			 the Department will either give written notification to proceed or make a
			 written request for additional information or modifications. In the case of an
			 approved proposal to establish a new region, the Department shall direct the
			 Regional School District Planning Board to draft a District Agreement, in
			 accordance with M.G.L. c. 71, [[section]] 14B. In the case of an approved
			 proposal to expand or enlarge a regional school district, the Department will
			 direct the regional school committee to draft an amendment to the existing
			 District Agreement.
(2) Admission
			 and Withdrawal of Members
(a) A new member
			 may be admitted to, or an existing member withdraw from, a regional school
			 district as of July 1 of any fiscal year, provided that all requisite approvals
			 for such admission or withdrawal, including the Commissioner's approval, shall
			 be obtained no later than the preceding December 31. The authorizing votes may
			 provide for the deferral of said admission or withdrawal until July 1 of a
			 subsequent fiscal year.
(b)
			 Following the approval of a prospective member for admission into a regional
			 school district and continuing until the actual date of such admission, the
			 local school committee of the prospective member may designate a non-voting
			 representative to the regional school committee.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.04 - Municipal Representatives in Regional School District Collective Bargaining

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Selection
			 of Municipal Representative.
No less than 21 days before collective
			 bargaining negotiations commence or resume in a regional school district, the
			 superintendent of the district shall send a notice to all chief executive
			 officers of the member cities and towns of the district, or, if there is no
			 town manager or town administrator in a member town, to the chairman of the
			 board of selectmen in that town, indicating the time, place and date of a
			 meeting to be held by the regional school district at which the chief executive
			 officers or chairmen of boards of selectmen shall elect one of their number to
			 represent them pursuant to M.G.L. c. 150E, [[section]] 1.
(a) The meeting shall be held no later than
			 seven days before commencement of collective bargaining negotiations in the
			 regional school district, and shall comply with the open meeting law. In
			 regional school districts where regional agreements provide for weighted voting
			 in accordance with law, such weighted voting shall be employed.
(b) A chief executive officer or chairman of
			 a board of selectmen may designate a representative to attend the meeting and
			 to vote in his or her place.
(c) If
			 the meeting of chief executive officers or chairmen of boards of selectmen does
			 not result in the designation of a representative, the superintendent shall
			 notify the commissioner of education, who shall randomly select one
			 representative from among the chief executive officers or chairmen of boards of
			 selectmen. Failure of the meeting of chief executive officers or chairmen of
			 boards of selectmen to elect a representative shall not delay or otherwise
			 impede the collective bargaining process.
(d) The chief executive officer or chairman
			 of the board of selectmen chosen to represent member municipalities may serve
			 either personally or through a designee, and must serve through a designee if
			 such officer or selectman is barred from service under the provisions of M.G.L.
			 c. 268A. In such cases, the city council or board of selectmen shall designate
			 an alternate.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.05 - Regional School District Budgets

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Initial Adoption by the School Committee
(a) The regional school committee shall
			 propose, by a majority vote, a budget containing all proposed operating
			 expenditures, capital expenditures, and debt service payments to be paid from
			 general revenues of the regional school district. The budget shall be
			 classified into such line items as the regional school committee shall
			 determine, provided that such line items shall be consistent with but need not
			 be to the same level of detail as the chart of accounts required for the end of
			 year reporting of expenditures pursuant to
			 603 CMR
			 10.03(3).
(b) The budget shall identify each separate
			 revenue source, and the amount estimated for each revenue source; shall specify
			 whether members' assessments are to be calculated pursuant to the statutory
			 assessment method or the alternative assessment method; and shall specify the
			 total amounts to be assessed to the members for the support of the
			 budget.
(c) The regional school
			 committee may include a line item in the budget for a reserve for extraordinary
			 and unanticipated expenditures.
(d)
			 The regional school committee may include a line item in the budget for
			 transfers into a stabilization fund established pursuant to M.G.L. c.71, §
			 16G½. Proposed expenditures from this stabilization fund shall not be
			 included in the budget, but shall be governed by the requirements of M.G.L.
			 c.71, § 16G½.
(e)
			 Expenditures from grant funds, revolving funds, trust funds, and other funds
			 that by law may be expended by the regional school committee without further
			 appropriation, shall not be included in the budget. A summary of projected
			 receipts and expenditures in such funds shall be provided to the members for
			 informational purposes only along with the budget.
(f) The regional school committee shall hold
			 a public hearing on the proposed budget and, following such hearing, shall
			 adopt a budget by a two-thirds vote, incorporating such changes from the
			 proposed budget as the regional school committee deems appropriate.
(g) The treasurer of the regional school
			 district shall certify and transmit the budget and the assessments to each
			 member within 30 days after the school committee's adoption of the budget and,
			 in any event, no later than April 30.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.06 - Excess and Deficiency Funds

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Every
			 regional school district shall maintain an excess and deficiency fund on its
			 books of account. At the end of every fiscal year, any surplus or deficit in
			 the district's general fund shall be closed to the excess and deficiency
			 fund.
(2) On or before October 31
			 of each year, every regional school district shall submit to the Department of
			 Revenue the forms and schedules as the Department of Revenue requires for the
			 purpose of reviewing and certifying the balance in the regional school
			 district's excess and deficiency fund. At the discretion of the Commissioner,
			 the Department may withhold release of all or some part of the quarterly state
			 school aid for the regional school district if the regional school district has
			 not filed the required forms and schedules by such date.
(3) A regional school committee may use all
			 or part of the certified balance in the excess and deficiency fund as a revenue
			 source for its proposed budget. If the certified balance exceeds five percent
			 of the proposed budget, the regional school committee shall use the amount in
			 excess of five percent as a revenue source for its proposed budget.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 41.00 - Regional School Districts › Section 41.07 - Fiscal Control of Regional School Districts by the Commissioner

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) When the Commissioner is required to
			 assume fiscal control of a district pursuant to M.G.L. c.71, §16B, and
			 603 CMR
			 41.05(4)(b), the following
			 actions taken by the regional school committee, the superintendent of schools,
			 or any other official of the school district shall be effective only with the
			 written approval of the Commissioner:
(a)
			 Adoption or reconsideration of the district budget pursuant to
			 603 CMR 41.05(1)
			 and (3).
(b) Transfer of budgetary authority between
			 line items.
(c) Encumbrance or
			 expenditure of funds not included in the general fund budget.
(d) Borrowing.
(e) Execution of new or amended collective
			 bargaining agreements.
(f)
			 Execution of new contracts or amendments to existing contracts with a value of
			 $25,000 or more.
(g) Establishment,
			 increase, or decrease of user fees.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.01 - Purpose

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Purpose
. The Massachusetts license
				renewal system will enhance education through ongoing professional development
				for Educators that meets high standards for quality. The license renewal system
				is carried out in the context of professional development for school
				improvement leading to increased student learning. The goal is for Educators
				within a school and district to work together so that license renewal achieves
				educational goals for the individual, the school, and the district, in order to
				assist students in meeting state learning standards.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.03 - General Provisions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Except as
			 provided in
			 603 CMR
			 44.07, each license shall be valid for five
			 years, and may be renewed for successive five-year terms upon the successful
			 completion of the requisite number of PDPs as set forth in
			 603 CMR
			 44.05(1)  and
			 44.06(1)
			  within a particular five-year active period,
			 based on an individual professional development plan that is designed to
			 improve teaching and student learning and that is approved, if required, by the
			 Educator's supervisor.
(2)
			 Professional Development Points may be earned in the following ways:
(a) PDPs may be awarded by registered
			 providers to license holders who complete a professional development activity
			 and demonstrate proficiency in the relevant subject area or skill through an
			 appropriate end-of-course assessment that satisfies Department
			 guidelines.
(b) PDPs may be awarded
			 by, or under the auspices of, the Department, school districts, or educational
			 collaboratives upon an Educator's completion of a professional development
			 activity in compliance with Department guidelines.
(c) Educators may accrue PDPs through an
			 Educator-designed professional development activity that satisfies Department
			 guidelines.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.04 - Individual Professional Development Plans

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
For each Professional license issued to an Educator, an
				Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) shall be developed by the
				Educator and be subject to approval pursuant to
				603 CMR
				44.05.
(1) An IPDP must be in place for each of the
			 five years of validity for each Professional license issued to an
			 Educator.
(2) Educators who are
			 employed in the role of a Professional license may use the Educator Plan(s) and
			 associated Professional Development Points (PDPs) earned as related activities
			 to the Educator Plan(s) in
lieu
of a separate IPDP. Any PDPs
			 accrued under an Educator Plan are not subject to additional approvals pursuant
			 to
			 603 CMR
			 44.05.
(3) An Educator relying on an Educator Plan
			 must develop a second IPDP to supplement the Educator Plan(s) if the activities
			 under the Educator Plan will not satisfy the requirement for licensure
			 renewal.
(4) Educators who hold
			 multiple Professional licenses are required to develop an IPDP for each
			 additional license, unless the Educator's Educator Plan(s) satisfy the
			 requirement for renewal of the additional license(s).
(5) Educators who are employed in the role of
			 one or more additional Professional licenses are required to obtain
			 administrator approval for the IPDP under
			 603 CMR
			 44.05. Administrator approval is not
			 necessary for any license under which the Educator is not employed.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.05 - Approval of Individual Professional Development Plans

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) In accordance with M.G.L. c. 71, §
			 38G, educators working in a Massachusetts public school must obtain approval of
			 their proposed Individual Professional Development Plans from their
			 supervisors. Licensed educators working in schools other than Massachusetts
			 public schools are encouraged to seek such approval.
(a) Approval for proposed Individual
			 Professional Development Plans shall be from the educator's direct supervisor
			 or an appropriate designee. In most instances, this will mean that the plans of
			 teachers and other educators who report to the principal will be approved by
			 the principal, a principal's plan will be approved by the superintendent of
			 schools, and a superintendent's plan will be approved by the chairperson of the
			 school committee.
(b) Professional
			 development activities shall be identified by the Educator and supervisor
			 during the development of, and review of, the Individual Professional
			 Development Plan in order to better support student achievement. Approval of a
			 plan shall be based on whether the 80% of the PDPs in the plan that are subject
			 to supervisor approval are consistent with the educational needs of the school
			 and/or district and whether the plan is designed to enhance the ability of the
			 Educator to improve student learning.
(c) Supervisor approval is not required to
			 renew any additional licenses under which the Educator is not
			 employed.
(d) Educators working in
			 Massachusetts public schools must obtain initial approval of their professional
			 development plans pursuant to 603 CMR 44.05(1) within six months of issuance of
			 the license to be renewed.
(e)
			 Approval of Individual Professional Development Plans shall not be unreasonably
			 withheld. In the event that a plan is rejected by a supervisor, teachers and
			 other educators who report to the principal may seek review of the denial from
			 the superintendent of schools, principals may seek review from the school
			 committee chairperson, and superintendents may seek review from the Department.
			 An Educator may then seek additional review from the Department, according to
			 the provisions of
			 603 CMR
			 44.10.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.06 - Professional Development Requirements

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
			 Educators applying to renew a Primary license are required to complete at least
			 150 PDPs including:
(a) At least 15 PDPs
			 related to SEI, English as a Second Language, or Bilingual Education.
(b) At least 15 PDPs related to training in
			 strategies for effective schooling for students with disabilities and
			 instruction of students with diverse learning styles.
(c) At least 15 PDPs in the content area of
			 the license.
(d) At least 15 PDPs
			 in pedagogy.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.07 - Inactive and Invalid Licenses

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) A license
			 that is not renewed within the five-year validity period is deemed inactive for
			 a period of five years. At the end of that time the license is invalid, except
			 as provided in 603 CMR 44.07(2) or (3).
(2) An Educator who is not currently employed
			 in a position requiring licensure may be employed in a position for which he or
			 she holds an inactive license, shall have two years from the start of such
			 employment to complete the professional development requirements for the
			 license.
(3) An Educator who is
			 currently employed in a position requiring licensure for which he or she holds
			 an active license, and who is to be employed in a position for which he or she
			 holds an inactive additional license, shall have two years from the start of
			 such employment to complete the professional development requirements for the
			 inactive license. The Educator may renew such additional license upon the
			 completion of 30 PDPs, provided that the Educator has renewed his or her
			 primary license.
(4) An Educator
			 may not be employed under an inactive license, except as provided in 603 CMR
			 44.07(2) or (3), until he or she renews the license, unless the school district
			 receives a waiver from the Department pursuant to
			 603 CMR
			 7.00:
Educator Licensure and Preparation
			 Program Approval.
An Educator may not be employed under an invalid
			 license, until he or she renews the license, unless the school district
			 receives a waiver from the Department pursuant to
			 603 CMR
			 7.00:
Educator Licensure and Preparation
			 Program Approval.
(5) If a
			 license has become inactive or invalid under 603 CMR 44.07(1), the Educator may
			 renew a license in that area after completing the professional development
			 requirements contained in
			 603 CMR
			 44.06.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.08 - Application Process

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) All applicants
			 for license renewal shall submit the following to the Department:
(a) a completed application in the manner and
			 form prescribed by the Department;
(b) the required fee;
(c) proof of sound moral character;
(d) a statement, signed under penalties of
			 perjury, that the candidate has completed all requirements for the license
			 renewal, including earning the requisite number of PDPs under an Individual
			 Professional Development Plan.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.09 - Documentation and Recordkeeping

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Each
			 Educator shall maintain the following materials to verify completion of license
			 renewal requirements:
(a) an Individual
			 Professional Development Plan, which has been approved by the Educator's
			 supervisor if required by
			 603 CMR
			 44.05(3), to be achieved
			 over the five-year period, that includes the Educator's goals for strengthening
			 content area knowledge and professional skills and for remaining current in
			 other professional issues, and resulting in improvements in teaching;
			 or
(b) Educator plans in effect
			 during the five year period; and
(c) reasonable documentation which validates
			 the completion of an activity and the number of points accrued; and
(d) a record of completed license renewal
			 activities, which at a minimum shall include the topic and type of professional
			 activities completed, the dates of such activities, and the number of points
			 completed;
(e) evidence of any
			 license issued by another licensing agency which the Educator must maintain in
			 order to hold the Educator license.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.10 - Reconsideration

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
An applicant for license renewal may request that the
				Commissioner reconsider the Department's decision not to renew such applicant's
				license. An applicant may also appeal a supervisor's decision not to approve or
				sign an Individual Professional Development Plan to the Commissioner, after
				seeking any review available at the local school district pursuant to
				603 CMR
				44.04(1) (d). The applicant
				shall submit a written request for reconsideration to the Commissioner within
				30 days of the date that the applicant received notice that his or her
				application for license renewal has been denied or that the Individual
				Professional Development Plan was rejected at the highest available level of
				local review. The decision of the Commissioner shall be
				final.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.11 - Failure to Satisfy Renewal Requirements

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
			 If the Department determines that the Educator has failed to demonstrate that
			 the Educator has met the requirements to renew the license, the Department may
			 deem the Educator's license inactive. Alternatively, if the Department
			 determines that the Educator has intentionally submitted a false application or
			 documentation, the Department may seek to take action up to and including
			 license revocation pursuant to
			 603 CMR
			 7.15(8):
License
			 Actions.
(2) Before the
			 Department deems the license inactive, it shall notify the Educator in writing
			 that the Department intends to deem the license inactive and of the Educator's
			 right to request a hearing before the Commissioner in accordance with M.G.L. c.
			 30A, and
			 801 CMR
			 1.00:
Adjudicatory Rules of Practice and
			 Procedure.
This notice shall operate as a notice of the action and
			 does not operate as an order to show cause.
(3) The Educator shall have 21 days from
			 receipt of the notice to make a written request for a hearing. If the
			 Commissioner does not receive a written request for a hearing in accordance
			 with 603 CMR 44.11(2), the Educator's license shall be deemed to be inactive
			 and the Educator shall be so notified by return mail.
(4)
Hearing
.
(a) If the Commissioner receives a request
			 for a hearing from the Educator in accordance with 603 CMR 44.11(3), the
			 Commissioner or his or her designee shall schedule a hearing. The hearing shall
			 be conducted in accordance with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 30A, and
			 801 CMR
			 1.00:
Adjudicatory Rules of Practice and
			 Procedure.
At such hearing, the Educator shall bear the burden of
			 proof. The hearing shall not be open to the public unless the Educator requests
			 a public hearing.
(b) The
			 Commissioner or his or her designee shall issue a written decision determining
			 whether or not the Educator's license shall be deemed inactive. The decision
			 shall comply with the requirements of M.G.L. c. 30A, § 11, and
			 801 CMR
			 1.00:
Adjudicatory Rules of Practice and
			 Procedure.
(c) The
			 Commissioner shall send a copy of the decision to the Educator along with a
			 notice informing the Educator of the right to appeal in accordance with the
			 provisions of M.G.L. c. 30A, § 14.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 44.00 - Educator License Renewal › Section 44.12 - Hardship Waiver or Modification

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Upon a showing
			 of extreme hardship, the Commissioner may waive or modify the requirement of
			 completion of the requisite number of PDPs as set forth in
			 603 CMR
			 44.05 and
			 44.06.
			 A showing of extreme hardship may include serious illness or other catastrophic
			 circumstances that are beyond the control of the Educator. No modification or
			 waiver will be granted without satisfactory evidence that the Educator has made
			 a good faith effort to obtain the required number of PDPs but that extreme
			 hardship has prevented the Educator from doing so.
(2) The Commissioner, at his or her
			 discretion, may impose reasonable conditions upon any modification or waiver
			 granted.
(3) The decision of the
			 Commissioner shall be final.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 46.00 - PREVENTION OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND REQUIREMENTS IF USED › Section 46.01 - Scope, Purpose and Construction

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Scope
.
			 603 CMR 46.00 governs the use
			 of physical restraint on students in publicly funded elementary and secondary
			 education programs, including all Massachusetts public school districts,
			 charter schools, virtual schools, collaborative education programs, and the
			 school day of special education schools approved under
			 603
			 CMR 28.09:
Approval of Public or
			 Private Day and Residential Special Education School Programs
, as
			 provided in
			 603 CMR
			 18.05(5)(h). Educational
			 programs in facilities operated by the Department of Youth Services, the
			 Department of Mental Health, the Department of Public Health, or County Houses
			 of Correction shall be governed by the restraint, seclusion, and time-out
			 requirements of such agencies.
(2)
Purpose
. The purpose of
			 603 CMR 46.00 is to ensure
			 that every student participating in a Massachusetts public education program is
			 free from the use of physical restraint that is inconsistent with
			 603 CMR 46.00. Physical
			 restraint shall be used only in emergency situations of last resort, after
			 other lawful and less intrusive alternatives have failed or been deemed
			 inappropriate, and with extreme caution. School personnel shall use physical
			 restraint with two goals in mind:
(a) To
			 administer a physical restraint only when needed to protect a student and/or a
			 member of the school community from assault or imminent, serious, physical
			 harm; and
(b) To prevent or
			 minimize any harm to the student as a result of the use of physical
			 restraint.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 46.00 - PREVENTION OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND REQUIREMENTS IF USED › Section 46.03 - Use of Restraint

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Prohibition
.
(a)
			 Mechanical restraint, medication restraint, and seclusion shall be prohibited
			 in public education programs.
(b)
			 Prone restraint shall be prohibited in public education programs except on an
			 individual student basis, and only under the following circumstances:
1. The student has a documented history of
			 repeatedly causing serious self-injuries and/or injuries to other students or
			 staff;
2. All other forms of
			 physical restraints have failed to ensure the safety of the student and/or the
			 safety of others;
3. There are no
			 medical contraindications as documented by a licensed physician;
4. There is psychological or behavioral
			 justification for the use of prone restraint and there are no psychological or
			 behavioral contraindications, as documented by a licensed mental health
			 professional;
5. The program has
			 obtained consent to use prone restraint in an emergency as set out in 603 CMR
			 46.03(1)(b), and such use has been approved in writing by the principal;
			 and,
6. The program has documented
			 603 CMR 46.03(1)(b)1. through 5. in advance of the use of prone restraint and
			 maintains the documentation.
(c) Physical restraint, including prone
			 restraint where permitted, shall be considered an emergency procedure of last
			 resort and shall be prohibited in public education programs except when a
			 student's behavior poses a threat of assault, or imminent, serious, physical
			 harm to self or others and the student is not responsive to verbal directives
			 or other lawful and less intrusive behavior interventions, or such
			 interventions are deemed to be inappropriate under the circumstances.
(d) All physical restraints, including prone
			 restraint where permitted, shall be administered in compliance with
			 603 CMR
			 46.05.
Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 603 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Title 603 CMR 46.00 - PREVENTION OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINT AND REQUIREMENTS IF USED › Section 46.04 - Policy and Procedures; Training

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1)
Procedures
. Public education programs shall develop
			 and implement written restraint prevention and behavior support policy and
			 procedures consistent with
			 603 CMR 46.00 regarding
			 appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate
			 intervention. Such policy and procedures shall be annually reviewed and
			 provided to program staff and made available to parents of enrolled students.
			 Such policy and procedures shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Methods for preventing student violence,
			 self-injurious behavior, and suicide, including individual crisis planning and
			 de-escalation of potentially dangerous behavior occurring among groups of
			 students or with an individual student;
(b) Methods for engaging parents and youth in
			 discussions about restraint prevention and the use of restraint solely as an
			 emergency procedure;
(c) A
			 description and explanation of the program's alternatives to physical restraint
			 and method of physical restraint in emergency situations;
(d) A statement prohibiting: medication
			 restraint, mechanical restraint, prone restraint unless permitted pursuant to
			 603 CMR
			 46.03(1)(b), seclusion, and
			 the use of physical restraint in a manner inconsistent with
			 603 CMR 46.00;
(e) A description of the program's training
			 requirements, reporting requirements, and follow-up procedures;
(f) A procedure for receiving and
			 investigating complaints regarding restraint practices;
(g) A procedure for conducting periodic
			 review of data and documentation on the use of physical restraints as described
			 in
			 603 CMR 46.06(5) and
			 (6);
(h) A procedure for implementing the
			 reporting requirements as described in
			 603 CMR
			 46.06;
(i) A procedure for making reasonable efforts
			 to orally notify a parent of the use of restraint on a student within 24 hours
			 of the restraint, and for sending written notification to the parent within
			 three school working days following the use of restraint to an email address
			 provided by the parent for the purpose of communicating about the student, or
			 by regular mail to the parent postmarked within three school working days of
			 the restraint; and
(j) If the
			 program uses time-out as a behavioral support strategy, a procedure for the use
			 of time-out that includes a process for obtaining principal approval of
			 time-out for more than 30 minutes based on the individual student's continuing
			 agitation.