Witnesses urge inclusion of discipline metrics in school accountability; committee hears H730/H376 and RAISE Act testimony

Vice Chair Bruce Ayers called the hearing to order and the committee heard a sustained block of testimony urging changes to how the commonwealth addresses exclusionary discipline in K‑12 schools. Leon Smith, speaking as a testifier in favor of the RAISE Act, said Massachusetts "prides itself on being a leader in K‑12 education" but that achievement measures omit disciplinary outcomes that research ties to lower graduation and enrollment rates. Smith cited a state‑level average of 16 lost days of instruction per 100 enrolled students and higher rates for students with disabilities and Black students.

The RAISE Act — described by witnesses as an amendment to how the Student Opportunity Act measures school performance — would add suspension and expulsion rates to accountability metrics and require disaggregated reporting.…