By Mr. Hynes of Marshfield, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 456) of Frank M. Hynes that students who have not passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) examination be authorized to petition for a determination of qualification for graduation.  Education.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Frank M. Hynes

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to provide for a competency examination.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

   Subsection (i) of section 1D of Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1998 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:—
   Notwithstanding the foregoing, any student who has completed the twelfth grade and has not satisfied the requirements for a competency determination due to failure to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System examination may petition the student’s school for a determination of qualification to graduate. Upon such petition, a panel, comprised of the student’s teacher in the academic subject the student has failed, the school’s department chair in the failed subject area, a guidance counselor and, if applicable, an appropriate special needs faculty member, shall conduct an objective evaluation of the abilities and performance of the student. The panel shall review the student’s portfolio of academic work, including tests and written assignments from grades nine through twelve to determine if the student is qualified to graduate. If the foregoing panel determines that such student has satisfied requirements for graduation the student shall be deemed to have satisfied the standardized examination portion needed for a competency determination.