MA H596

Establishes MassCore as a mandatory statewide high school program beginning with ninth graders in 2027-2028, requiring 4 units of English, 4 units of math, 3 units of lab-based science, 3 units of history, 2 units of the same world language, 1 unit of arts, and 5 elective courses

Creates a MassCore advisory council with 14 members representing teachers unions, school administrators, parents, students, and advocacy organizations to advise the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on implementation

Requires school districts to report compliance capacity by December 31, 2025, with the department submitting funding requests by February 1, 2026 for districts demonstrating financial hardship; requirements are suspended for those districts until appropriations are made

Provides waiver processes for multilingual learners, students with disabilities, newly enrolled students, career/technical education students, and districts facing demonstrated hardships

Creates a 35+ member special commission to study alternative student assessment methods (portfolios, capstone projects, performance assessments) and report recommendations by August 31, 2026