Resources Relative to Antisemitism and Societal Bias

• The Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Executive Office of Education, and DESE released updated Guidance on Schools' Legal Obligations to Prevent and Address Hate and Bias Incidents in September 2024. This guidance includes links to additional resources and is accompanied by a Q&A for schools (in English and Spanish ) and a quick guide for families and students (in English and Spanish ).

• The U.S. Department of Education (USED) Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance for schools on their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. The federal guidance includes:
  • A Dear Colleague Letter (May 7, 2024) on protecting students from discrimination, such as harassment, based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. The letter makes clear that Title VI protections extend to students and school community members who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, Hindu, Palestinian, or any other faith or ancestry.
  • A Fact Sheet (July 2, 2024) on harassment based on race, color, or national origin on school campuses. The Fact Sheet includes questions and answers, examples and scenarios, and other information. Page 7 of the Fact Sheet provides links to additional resources and guidance documents that USED's Office for Civil Rights has issued on Title VI.
  
  

• The National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, a technical assistance center funded by USED, provides a collection of specialized resources for schools, Promoting Safe and Inclusive Environments for Students of All Religious, Secular, and Spiritual Identities. These tools are designed to help educators, students, parents, and community members prevent and address antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of discrimination and foster a safe, inclusive learning environment for all students.

• U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona hosted a webinar in December 2023 on how PK–12 schools (remarks and video) can support students and foster a safe, inclusive learning environment. The webinar presented resources to help respond to the rise in reports of antisemitism, anti-Arab hate, and other forms of discrimination.

• USED's Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has online resources for preventing and addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools.

• Addressing Hate in School Sports is a collaborative project among the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, DESE, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, and the Massachusetts School Administrators' Association to provide training and support to school and athletic officials across Massachusetts.

• The Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes: 2019 Education Recommendations is a resource to help schools establish and reinforce a positive climate for all students, families, and staff, and deal with incidents of hate and bias promptly and effectively.

• DESE's violence prevention webpage includes information and resources about hate crime prevention and intervention, with links to evidence-based curricula and best practices to create and sustain safe and supportive schools for all.

• Through Coordinated Program Reviews, DESE assesses school districts' compliance with education requirements, including selected federal and state civil rights requirements. Resources for districts include the Civil Rights Tool Kit: LEA Equity Activity Guide and CR 24/25 Toolkit from the Office of Public School Monitoring. These resources can help district and school staff deepen their understanding of bias and how to counteract it, promote cultural competency for staff, and foster a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students.

The Massachusetts curriculum frameworks provide teachers, students, and families with clear and shared expectations for what all students should know and be able to do at the end of each year. They represent a promise of equitable education for all students in formalizing the expectation that all students in the Commonwealth have access to the same academic content that will lead to positive outcomes in college and career.

History and Social Science Curriculum Framework

The 2018 History and Social Science (HSS) Framework sets the foundational expectation that all Massachusetts students will be educated in the histories of the Commonwealth, the United States, and the world. Students will be prepared to make informed civic choices and assume their responsibility for strengthening equality, justice, and liberty in and beyond the United States (p.9). The Framework is rooted in 10 Guiding Principles. Guiding Principle 2 states:

• An effective history and social science education incorporates diverse perspectives and acknowledges that perceptions of events are affected by race, ethnicity, culture, religion, education, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and personal experience. The traditional motto of the United States is "E pluribus unum" — out of many, one. A history and social science education that does justice to the remarkable diversity of our country must tell the histories of individuals and groups, and honor a plurality of life stories while acknowledging our ongoing struggle to achieve a more perfect union. Teaching how the concepts of freedom, equality, the rule of law, and human rights have influenced United States and world history necessarily involves discussions of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. Effective instruction challenges students to value their own heritage while embracing our common ideals and shared experiences as they develop their own rigorous thinking about accounts of events. Effective instruction celebrates the progress the United States has made in embracing diversity, while at the same time encouraging honest and informed academic discussions about prejudice, racism, and bigotry in the past and present. Race and racism are part of America's complicated history, and a complete history and social science education must include an honest examination of prejudice, bigotry, and oppression in the past and present. (Massachusetts 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, page 13).

Guiding Principle 2 of the framework states that effective history and social science instruction encourage "honest and informed academic discussions about prejudice, racism, and bigotry in the past and present." To this end, the framework's content standards address oppression and prejudice, including antisemitism, in age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate ways. These standards also address the way in which diversity has been and continues to be a strength of our nation. Some representative examples of content related to prejudice, racism, and bigotry at a national and international level include (indicated by the grade/course, major topic, and standard number):

• USII.T2.4: Important policies, institutions, trends, and personalities of the Depression era; includes antisemitism in the United States
• WHI.T2: Development and diffusion of religions and systems of belief, c. 500 BCE–1200 CE
• WHII.T4: The Great Wars, 1914–1945; includes the rise of antisemitism and racist ideologies in Europe and the history of the Holocaust
• WHII.T5: The Cold War Era, 1945–1991; includes background for the establishment of the modern state of Israel such as antisemitism and the Holocaust and various topics related to religious diversity
• WHII.T7: The politics of difference among people; includes topics related to the causes of genocide and mass atrocities

Accurately understanding different cultures and religions is critical in order to combat antisemitism and social bias. A number of content standards help students build this foundational knowledge and combat potential misconceptions or stereotypes:

• K.T3.2: Traditions and celebrations of peoples with diverse cultural backgrounds
• 6.T3e-f: History of ancient Israel and the ancient Arabian Peninsula; historical relationships between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity; belief systems of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• 6.T4b: Islam in sub-Saharan Africa, 100–1000 CE
• 7.T1b.2: The evolution and central principles of Hinduism; the teachings of Gautama Buddha in the 6^th to 4^th centuries BCE

Additionally, the framework urges history and social science teachers of all grade levels to include discussions of current events, which may include issues of bias, oppression, and hate, as part of their instruction. As emphasized in Guiding Principle 8, history and social science teachers "have a unique responsibility to help students consider events—including current events—in a broad historical, geographical, social, or economic context."

The Department provides resources to support the implementation of the framework, including the supplement to the 2018 framework, which contains resources for facilitating classroom conversations about race, identity, and oppression and other discussions that might be politically charged. Additional resources include Race, Racism, and Culturally Responsive Teaching in History and Social Science in Massachusetts: Frequently Asked Questions and an FAQ on Genocide Education in Massachusetts .

Genocide Education

An Act Concerning Genocide Education (Acts of 2021, c. 98) was signed into law in December 2021. M.G.L. c. 71, s. 98 (added by Acts of 2021, c. 98, s. 4) defines "genocide" for purposes of the statute and directs every school district, for the purpose of educating middle and high school students, to provide instruction on the history of genocide, consistent with the history and social science curriculum framework, to:

1. promote the teaching of human rights issues in all public schools and school districts, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide;
2. address the history and patterns of genocide that demonstrate how hatred against national, ethnic, racial or religious groups impacts nations and societies; and
3. reject the targeting of a specific population and other forms of prejudice that can lead to violence and genocide.

The law requires all middle and high schools to provide instruction related to genocide. The study of genocide includes exploration of societal conditions that can enable violence against certain groups, such as societal bias, oppression, and dehumanization. The Department has allocated $1.3 million for FY24 and FY25 to enhance instruction related to genocide. Schools are using these funds to purchase curricular materials, professional development, and/or enrichment activities (e.g., museum visits) for students.

An FAQ is available from the Department that includes a list of organizations that have well-developed pedagogical guidance and/or instructional resources that can support planning and implementation of genocide education. These materials address topics such as societal bias, racism, antisemitism, prejudice, and the roots of societal violence.

In addition, a guide to K-12 social studies curricular materials, developed in collaboration with the Rennie Center, is available on DESE's webpage. One part of this guide lists highlighted supplemental curricular resources for middle and high schools, including recommended resources that specifically address antisemitism and the Holocaust.

Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Curriculum Framework

The 2023 MA Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (CHPE) Curriculum Framework promotes comprehensive health literacy for all Massachusetts students, articulates social and emotional competencies, emphasizes the importance of media literacy as a component of health and well-being, and includes a trauma-sensitive perspective that supports and encourages students in their learning while recognizing that students bring individual and unique needs to the classroom.

Anti-bullying and discrimination guidance can be found in:

• Guiding Principle 3: Effective Comprehensive Health and Physical Education programs incorporate diverse perspectives and acknowledge that attainment of equity and optimal health are individualized, contextual, and affected by intersections of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, education, economic condition, gender identity, sexual orientation, dis/ability, personal experience, and many other factors. and in

• Practice 3: Social Awareness, Relationship, and Communication Skills:
  Under this practice, the Framework outlines the topics of Healthy Relationships, Mental and Emotional Health, Physical Activity and Fitness, Sexual Health, and Substance Use and Misuse. The focus of this practice is on promoting understanding, empathy, and respectful behavior in various social situations. The standards cover areas such as defining and differentiating bullying and teasing, identifying characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships, understanding boundaries, and addressing conflicts effectively. Additionally, it emphasizes acknowledging diversity, demonstrating empathy, and recognizing the impact of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and injustice. The goal is to equip individuals with the skills to navigate social interactions positively and contribute to healthy relationship dynamics.

Below are some examples of relevant standards (indicated by the grade band, practice number, topic, and standard number):

• 2.3.HR.1: Define bullying and teasing, explain similarities and differences and how both can be harmful.
• 2.3.HR.8: Acknowledge diversity, including (but not limited to) racial, ethnic, religious, dis/ability and cultural differences and traditions, demonstrate respect for others, and demonstrate empathy and ways to treat all people with dignity and respect.
• 5.3.HR.4: Differentiate between conflict and bullying and articulate the importance of the difference to avoid escalating conflicts into bullying or violence.
• 5.3.HR.11: Describe ways that stereotypes, perceived stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, inequality, and injustice can impact relationships and demonstrate strategies to address these factors.
• 5.7.CE.7: Demonstrate ways to treat people - including other students, their family members, and members of the school community - with dignity, respect, and empathy without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or personal characteristics such as body shape or weight.
• 8.3.HR.10: Describe potential impacts of power and privilege (such as those associated with age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, immigration status, ability, position of authority) within a variety of relationships and in various settings.
• 8.7.MH.7: Evaluate strategies for opposing, reducing, or eliminating stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, and injustice.
• 8.7.MH.8: Encourage others to refrain from teasing or bullying others based on personal characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, disability, body shape or weight) or personal values and beliefs.
• 12.3.HR.1: Explain why it is harmful to disrespect others who have differing views and beliefs and demonstrate positive ways to express understanding of differing perspectives.
• 12.3.HR.7: Demonstrate empathy (e.g., active listening, withholding judgement, compassion) toward others.

The Safe and Supportive Schools (SaSS) Framework and Self-Reflection Tool (Tool) was created by DESE in consultation with the Safe and Supportive Schools Commission, per the Safe and Supportive Schools Framework Law (M.G.L. c. 69, s. 1P). The framework and tool are optional resources that can help school-based teams create plans to build a safer and more supportive school climate and culture based on their student needs and opportunities, school operations, personnel, processes, policies, family connections, and community partnerships. Essential Elements include helping all students feel safe — physically, socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically — as well as valuing students' identities and dismantling implicit biases and systemic inequalities. The Department offers a Safe and Supportive Schools grant program and associated professional development to help local communities make their schools safer and more supportive.