COSCAP Handbook

Updated October 2021
The following is the index to the handbook of the Massachusetts Council of School Committee Administrative Personnel. Download this as a Word document here.

1. Massachusetts COSCAP Bylaws
   • COSCAP By-Laws (approved November 8, 2019
2. Open Meeting Law
   • Open Meeting Law Guide and Educational Materials
   • Open Meeting Law Guide
   • Executive Session Quick Guide
3. Local Documents Meetings / Schedules / Calendars
   • Superintendents Checklist
   • Public Comment Rules (Word)
4. School Committee Member Forms / Courses (Current & New)
   • New Member Form
   • Charting the Course (must take class within 1st year)
   • Member Update Form
5. Resource Publications (MASC Members)
   • Resource Publications
   • A Handbook for School Committee Members
   • The Roles and Responsibilities of School Committee Members
   • Quick Reference Guide to Executive Sessions under the Open Meeting Law
   • Superintendent Evaluation Guides – A series of documents to assist members in the process of conducting Superintendent Evaluations
   • School Committee Operations: Norms & Protocols – A guide to assist School Committees in the establishment of Operating Norms and Protocols
6. MASC Ethics Commission / Conflict of Interest Law
   • Create an Account for the Online Conflict of Interest Training and Certificate (complete every 2 years)
7. Education Laws & Regulations
   • Massachusetts DESE – Education Laws
   • Massachusetts DESE – Education Regulations
     Note: MASC publishes a book annually and sends copies to each school district for their school committee members. This is the very best resource: “Selected Massachusetts General Laws 2021 for School committees and School Personal”. If you have not seen this publication, contact MASC.
8. Parliamentary Procedure Roberts Rules
   • Parliamentary Procedure
9. Postings / Agendas / Minutes
   • Postings
     • School Committee Meeting
     • School Committee Sub Committee Meeting
     • Public Hearing Budget (must be posted no less than 7 days but at least 14 days before meeting date)
   • Agendas
     • School Committee Meeting
     • Executive Session (posting and agenda are usually one in the same)
   • Minutes
     • School Committee Meeting
10. Public Records
    • Municipal Records Retention Schedule (July 2021) (Note: see Records in Common pgs. 1-39; and Executive Office of Education / All Schools pgs. 97 – 105)
    • Records Retention On-line search
    • Guide to MA Public Records Law
11. CORI / Fingerprinting
    • CORI
      • Massachusetts Criminal offender record information – CORI
      • Basic Guidelines
      • iCORI Batch Upload Specification
    • Fingerprinting
      • Statewide Applicant Fingerprint Identification (SAFIS-R)
12. State Reporting (EPIMS/SIMS and more)
    • Data Collection Terminology and Application Information
13. MASC Policy Reference Documents
    • MASC Policy Reference Manual
    • Good Cause v. Just Cause (Word)
14. Work Permits
    • Work Permits (Youth)
15. Acronyms
    • Navigating the Acronyms of Massachusetts and other School Related Acronyms
16. COSCAP Mentor Program
    • EASP Mentor Program
17. Assistance from MASCsec and MASC
    • Subscribe to the MASCsec List
      The very active “MASCsec” Listserv email discussion forum is an invaluable tool to those who use it. It enables Massachusetts school committee secretaries and administrative assistants who sign up to seek guidance, share information and exchange ideas and resources with one another. Subscribe to the MASCsec List or see the MASCsec List Archives.
    • FAQ’s with answers from MASC Mike Gilbert

Revised September 2021
COSCAP Members