Admission to Course of
Study
(1)
Each and every course of study offered by a public school shall be open and
available to students regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability,
sexual orientation or national origin. Nothing herein shall be construed to
prohibit the use of prerequisite requirements that have been demonstrated to be
essential to success in a given program. However, if participation in a course
or program is dependent upon completion of a prerequisite which was previously
limited to students of one sex, or if close scrutiny reveals that access
mechanisms or other administrative arrangements have limited the opportunities
of any class of students to participate in such prerequisites, then all members
of the previously excluded group shall be given the opportunity to acquire the
prerequisites or be allowed to enter the program without such prerequisites. If
it cannot be shown that a prerequisite is essential for success in a given
program, the prerequisite shall be abolished.
(2) The
determination of what courses or units of study are to be required of any
student shall also be made without regard to the race, color, sex, national
origin, disability, sexual orientation or religion of that student.
(3) The
scheduling of students into courses or units of study shall not be done on the
basis of sex, color, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or national
origin.
(4)
Each student,
regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, sexual
orientation or limited English-speaking ability, shall have equal rights of
access to courses of study and other opportunities available through the school
system of the city or town in which he/she resides, along with appropriate
bilingual instruction and programs or other curriculum offerings of a supportive
nature such as appropriate remedial programs.
(5)
Nothing in 603 CMR
26.03 shall be construed to prevent particular segments of a program of
instruction from being offered separately to each sex when necessary in order to
respect personal privacy.
SOURCE: MASC
LEGAL REFS.: M.G.L.
15:1G; 76:1; 76:5; 76:15; 76:15A
603 CMR 26:01; 26:02; 26:03
Adopted on: April 10,
2008