WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SD 3877

DESE 2024 Safe and Supportive Schools Commission 10th Annual Report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Sustain SaSS funding through FY2026, while improving family engagement, access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and aligning SaSS with equity-focused district

Placed on file
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SD 3877

SD 3877 (Session 194th) — Massachusetts: Safe and Supportive Schools Commission 10th Annual Report

Note: This bill is a report document accompanying the Safe and Supportive Schools (SaSS) Framework statute (Mass. General Laws Chapter 69, Section 1P) and related recommendations. The action history shows it was “placed on file” on 2026-04-30. The summary below focuses on the substantive content, purpose, provisions, and likely impact of the bill as described in the provided material.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • To present the Safe and Supportive Schools Commission’s Tenth Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature, including progress, analysis of 2024 activities, and recommendations aimed at advancing safe and supportive learning environments across Massachusetts.
  • To outline legislative recommendations that would strengthen coherence between SaSS efforts and broader school-improvement planning, family engagement, and student-support services.
  • To align SaSS work with DESE’s EdVision framework, anti-racist and equity-focused practices, and statewide efforts to reduce barriers to learning (e.g., mental health, trauma sensitivity, attendance).

2) Key Provisions and Changes

The bill concentrates on presenting three core recommendations, grounded in current statute and administrative practice:

Commission Recommendations (as presented in the report)

  1. Continue and Sustain Funding for SaSS Efforts

    • Support ongoing funding via the SaSS line item (7061-9612) and complementary line items through FY2026 at or near current levels.
    • Funded activities include grants to districts/collaboratives, PD, evaluation, framework/tool updates, and administrative coordination.
    • Rationale: Funding supports MTSS, Whole-Student health, family engagement, student voice, and equity-aligned practices.

  2. Enhance Student Engagement and Attendance through School-Family and Service Access Efforts

    • Build state and local capacity to meaningfully engage families and community partners in anti-racist, equity-centered practices.
    • Improve access to clinically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate services as part of MTSS.
    • Emphasize holistic supports (social-emotional, behavioral health, trauma sensitivity, wraparound services) to reduce chronic absenteeism and improve attendance.
    • Provide concrete examples, including family partnerships, educator diversity pathways, staff development, and expanded health/wellness services (including SISP staff: counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers).

  3. Strengthen SaSS Work via Legislative Changes

    • Recommend legislative amendments to better reflect inclusive language and current practice, focusing on equity, mental/behavioral health services, and social justice.
    • Propose aligning SaSS with School Council Law (Chapter 71, Sec. 59C) and district improvement planning (SOA/CH 69-1S, 1I) to improve coherence.
    • Expand definitions and indicators of success to include climate, safety, equity, and student voice metrics.
    • Propose explicit inclusion of clinically appropriate services and expansion of student involvement (potentially increasing student representation on the Commission).

Note: The report clarifies that the DESE Commissioner-designated members abstained from voting on Recommendation 3 to avoid direct policy projection, consistent with customary neutrality on statutory changes.

3) Who or What Is Affected

  • Schools and Districts (including charters, regional schools, and collaboratives): Directly affected through SaSS framework adoption, action plans, MTSS implementation, family engagement activities, and service access improvements.
  • DESE and Related Agencies: Implementation support, grant administration, PD, and data collection/analysis for SaSS progress and grantee action plans.
  • SaSS Grantees: Recipients of continuation and new funding, required to prepare action plans using the SaSS Self-Reflection Tool and to align with school/district improvement plans.
  • Students and Families: Beneficiaries of enhanced engagement, culturally and linguistically sustaining services, and improved access to mental/behavioral health resources.
  • Legislature and Statewide Stakeholders: Recipients of recommended legislative changes to strengthen coherence among SaSS, SOA, School Councils, and district planning.

4) Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • Reporting Timeline: The Commission’s annual progress report, with legislative drafts if any, due by December 31 each year (as established in G.L. c. 69, § 1P).
  • Funding Horizon: Recommendation 1 envisions continued SaSS line-item funding through FY2026, with maintenance of current funding levels.
  • Departmental Collaboration: The report notes ongoing DESE activities related to SaSS (grant programs, PD, evaluations, and tool updates) as context for legislative considerations.
  • Commission Activities (2024): Five meetings were held (one canceled for quorum issues); focus areas included attendance, family collaboration, access to services, and analysis of grantee action plans. CES provided grant evaluation input.
  • Membership Updates: Several new appointees joined in 2024; several former members departed. The Commission’s work includes coordinating with multiple state agencies and stakeholder groups.

5) Notable Details and Context

  • The SaSS Framework Law (G.L. c. 69, § 1P) guides school-wide safe and supportive environments, emphasizing integration of services, trauma-informed approaches, equity, and continuous improvement.
  • The discussion references DESE’s EdVision, MTSS, and the goal of culturally and linguistically sustaining practices.
  • The report includes extensive examples of recommended actions, including professional development, family engagement tools, and staffing considerations (SISP, nurses, counselors, psychologists, social workers).
  • Appendices provide statutory charge, and a roster of SaSS Commission members and related documents.

Bottom Line

SD 3877 disseminates the Safe and Supportive Schools Commission’s 10th annual findings and advances three broad recommendations: (1) sustain current SaSS funding through FY2026; (2) bolster student engagement, family partnerships, and access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services; (3) consider legislative changes to strengthen the SaSS framework, align with district and school improvement planning, and expand focus on equity and student voice. The bill functions primarily as a reporting and guidance instrument to inform budgetary and policy deliberations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.