By Mr. Loscocco of Holliston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 507) of Paul J. P. Loscocco relative to home schooling.  Education.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Paul J. P. Loscocco

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to home schooling.

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

SECTION 1. Section 11 of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the sixth paragraph the following two paragraphs:

The superintendent of every public school district in the commonwealth shall on or before October 15 each year notify in writing the headmaster of each private and parochial school and the parent or

guardian of every student who is otherwise instructed within the district of the opportunity for said private or parochial school or otherwise instructed student voluntarily to participate in and with the statewide assessment of students in grades 4, 8, and 10 as authorized in section 11 of chapter 69; provided,

however, that the results of any such assessment tests by private and parochial school students or of any student who is otherwise instructed shall not be used to evaluate the performance of any public

school within the school district or the performance of the school district and all records of such results

shall be collected and maintained separately by the department; provided further, however, that no public funds shall be expended by the public school district for any costs associated with the acquisition,

distribution, or administration of said tests relative to any student of each such private and parochial

school unless that student resides in the public school district where such private or parochial school is

located. Any private or parochial school or the parents or guardians of any student attending any private or parochial school or of any student who is otherwise instructed electing to have any student participate in said testing shall notify the superintendent of the decision no later than November 15, with any such participation at all times to be voluntary.

Any student who is otherwise instructed pursuant to this section and who requests a diploma from a public high school shall be required to satisfy the requirements of the competency determination

established in section 1 D of chapter 69 as a condition for receiving said diploma, which upon satisfaction of such requirements of competency determination shall be granted; provided, however, that the

assessment instrument used to verify competency determination shall be given at state expense; and provided further that in the case of any student who is otherwise instructed and fails to meet the

requirements of the competency determination, the school district may, but shall not be required to,

provide a remedial plan as defined in subsection (i) of section 1 D of chapter 69; provided, however, that nothing herein shall limit the rights of any student otherwise instructed who re-enrolls as a student within the public school district.