Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Wednesday, November 27, 2019 VOTE | FROM PAGE 7 ty Act will deliver increased state funding to every district, but the greatest increases, rightfully, will go to low-income districts whose students have the greatest needs. That means that students of all backgrounds will finally be able to enjoy the benefits – everything from smaller classes and additional counselors, to up-to-date classroom supplies and more art, music, and enrichment – that their peers in wealthier districts take for granted.” In order to track and reproduce successful school and district-level programs and policies, the legislation calls on school districts to develop and make publicly available plans for closing opportunity gaps. These plans will include specific goals and metrics to track success. The bill includes language to ensure that plans consider input from school committees and other stakeholders. In addition, the Secretary of Education will collect and publish data on student preparedness in each district for post-graduate success in college and the workforce. “MBAE applauds Representative Peisch, Senator Lewis and House and Senate leadership for coming together to produce a compromise bill that takes direct aim at the urgent challenge of racial and socio-economic achievement gaps,” said Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education Executive Director Ed Lambert. “This legislation prioritizes increased funding for students and communities that need it the most, includes essential guardrails to ensure the money is thoughtfully and strategically deployed, and increases state and district focus on preparing students for college and workforce opportunities.” Furthermore, the Student Opportunity Act establishes a Data Advisory Commission to help improve the use of data at the state, district and school levels to inform strategies that strengthen teaching, learning and resource allocation. The bill increases the scope of data collected and moves towards establishing targets for college and career success. VOTE | SEE PAGE 17
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