An Act creating a grant program on alternative assessment models

This bill creates a grant program to help Massachusetts school districts develop and test new ways of assessing student learning that do not rely on standardized tests. For three years following the law's effective date, the state will not require students to pass specific standardized exams to graduate, nor will test scores be used to evaluate teachers or hold schools accountable. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must establish local task forces in up to 25% of districts to design these alternative assessment models, ensuring that economically disadvantaged districts and those with many English language learners are included if demand is high. Additionally, the bill mandates an audit of the state education department to review its contracts with testing companies and to provide guidance on future agreements with local nonprofits.