Massachusetts. Advisory Council on Education

Largely as a result of recommendations made in the 1965 report of the Willis-Harrington Commission, the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Education (MACE) (officially called the Advisory Council on Education but known by the longer name) was created to recommend policies that would improve the performance of public education systems in the Commonwealth (St 1965, c 572, s 2). The council was required to make recommendations and to submit plans, based on study findings, to the Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, and the governor, and to submit to the General Court an annual report documenting its activities and expenses. The council was also charged with submitting to the governor names of qualified citizens to be considered for appointment to the Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, and the Board of Trustees of State Colleges.

The council was to consist of nine persons to be appointed by the governor, including a member of a labor organization affiliated with the Massachusetts State Labor Council AFL-CIO, for terms of five years. No member of the council could be employed by any educational institution or school system in the Commonwealth or be a member of a board of any public institution of higher education or of any state board of education. A chairman was to be elected annually from among the members. In addition a director of research was to be appointed who would serve as executive secretary of the council. St 1966, c 251 made the chancellor of the Board of Higher Education and the commissioner of education members ex officiis.

To carry out its primary function of recommending educational policies to improve public education, MACE was authorized to use the expertise of individuals and organizations both inside and outside state government, and to plan, analyze, and evaluate the programs and systems used by all agencies for public education in the Commonwealth. Through its director of research, MACE sponsored and commissioned studies covering all levels and aspects of public education in Massachusetts, including vocational and secondary education, higher education, special education, adult education, governance and organization, school facilities, teacher certification, and the teaching of elementary science. In 1973 the council was authorized to seek, accept, and administer grants from private foundations and federal agencies to help subsidize its studies (St 1973, c 404).

Results of studies, published in MACE reports and in book format, were widely distributed and had a direct impact on legislation and educational agencies. For example, the passage of the first performance-based teacher certification legislation in the country (St 1973, c 847) was the result of a MACE study on teacher education and certification; and the council's study of the internal organization and operation of the Department of Education led to changes in its organizational structure and functioning.

MACE ceased to function when its employees were terminated in November 1975 because of a lack of funding. Although none has been provided since FY 1976, the council has not been statutorily abolished by the General Court (Report on the examination of the accounts of the Advisory Council on Education, January 29, 1979 to April 1980, Audit report no. 80-10-5-56).