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Legislation
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| EDUCATION
BILLS |
Contact:
Michele Shelton
617-722-1570 |
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An Act Relative to 529 College Savings Plans
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“529 Plans” are savings plans designed for education expenses. Each state offers a 529 plan, but not all plans are the same. Several states offer income tax benefits that can be obtained through depositing money in the account. In an effort to incentivize families to save money for education this bill mirrors tax benefits offered by NY State; the first $5,000 ($10,000 for couples filing jointly) deposited into the fund each year is exempted from state income taxes.
An Act Relative to College Readiness
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Sixty percent of all incoming students at the Commonwealth’s community colleges have to enroll in remedial course work before they begin working at the college level. Despite high MCAS pass rates, our high schools are not preparing all students for college and oftentimes high school students fail to take full advantage of their senior year of high school; further highlighting the need for more awareness about what it means to be “college ready” upon graduation. This bill instructs the Department of Higher Education to develop a pilot program to administer a college readiness test for high school students. The test would be administered at public institutions of higher education, which would also provide counseling to students about how to become college ready by graduation from high school.
An Act Extending Creditable Service for Peace Corps Service
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This bill extends creditable service for higher education employees to include time served in the Peace Corps. Employees of K-12 already have this benefit, this bill merely established parity between K-12 and higher education.
An Act Relative to Funding Public Institutions of Higher Education
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The economic downturn has resulted in a dramatic increase in application at institutions of public higher education, yet funding from the state is more uncertain than ever. The public colleges need a reliable funding source in order to accommodate increased enrollment and plan for the future. This bill authorizes all public institutions of higher education to retain tuition and fees at their respective institutions, rather than rely on the state to appropriate annual funding. In the past I have heard concerns that this bill would result in escalating tuitions and fees; this bill limits the rate of increase of in-state tuition and fees to the 3 year average of the Consumer Price Index.
An Act Relative to High School Graduation Requirements
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This bill would require 4 years of math and 4 years of science before a student can receive a high school diploma.
An Act Relative to Equitable School Reimbursement Funds
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This bill will require that 50% of Medicaid reimbursement funds sent to municipalities will be set aside for school budgetary purposes.
An Act Relative to Student Conduct
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This bill would require schools to develop a program in which parents, classroom teachers, school administrators and students participate in a strategic planning process in order to address disruptive behaviors by students.
An Act to Reform Educator Licensure in the Commonwealth
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This bill will implement a number of reforms designed to streamline the licensure process and ensure that qualified teachers are put into classrooms. Specifically, this bill will replace the MTEL with the Praxis, streamline the number and types of licenses, and increase the practical experience requirements of students in educator preparation programs. |
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