H.4646: The RAISE Act
Also known as An Act requiring accountability for inequities in suspension and expulsion, this bill was drafted to address in-school disciplinary action that is disproportionately experienced by students of color by requiring all schools to document and attempt alternative methods before suspending or expelling students while also introducing narrower parameters for both expulsion and suspension.
A portion of the RAISE Act was adopted in S.3097, the Addressing Barriers to Care Act (Mental Health ABC) and signed into law by the Governor. My amendment "Requiring Intermediary Steps before Exclusion" requires school administrators to employ and document alternative remedies before a student is suspended or expelled, and outlines support models administrators can use to re-engage students.
Facts & Figures
3 TIMES
In Massachusetts, African American students are 3 times more likely to be suspended than their Caucasian peers
2.5 TIMES
Hispanic students in our Commonwealth are 2.5 times more likely to face suspension than Caucasian students.
103 DAYS
...is the average classroom time lost due to suspension for African American students in high school. Caucasian students lost an average of just 21 days of instruction.
4 CATEGORIES
...of over-discipline will be established for data reporting:
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High disciplinary rates for the general student population of a school or district
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High disciplinary rates for a specific subgroup of students
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High rates of lost instruction time for a specific subgroup
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Schools and districts with multiple of the above categories
On January 4th, 2022, I had the pleasure of testifying in support of H.4138, the RAISE Act in front of the Joint Committee of Education.
The full hearing can be found here: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/4149
