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APPENDIX <br /> Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C (as added by <br /> Section 53 of Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1993 . ) <br /> At each public elementary, secondary and independent vocational school in the <br /> commonwealth there shall be a school council consisting of the schoo: <br /> principal, who shall co-chair the council; parents of students attending the <br /> school who shall be selected by the parents of students attending such schoo: <br /> who will be chosen in elections held by. the local recognized parent teacher <br /> organization under the direction of the principal, or if none exists, chosen <br /> by a representative process approved by the school committee. Said parents <br /> shall have parity with professional personnel on the school councils; <br /> teachers who shall be selected by the teachers in such school; othe3 <br /> persons, not parents or teachers of students at the school, drawn from suck <br /> groups or entities as municipal government, business and labor organizations, <br /> institutions of higher education, human services agencies or other interestec <br /> groups; and for schools containing any of the grades nine to twelve, at <br /> least one such student; provided, however, that not more than fifty percent <br /> of the council shall be non-school members. The principal, except as <br /> otherwise provided herein, shall have the responsibility for defining the <br /> composition of and forming the group pursuant 'to a representative process <br /> approved by the superintendent and school committee and for convening the <br /> first meeting no later than forty days after the first day of school, at <br /> which meeting a co-chairman shall be selected. School councils should be <br /> broadly representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of the school <br /> building and community. For purposes of this paragraph the term "non-school <br /> members" shall mean those members of the council, other than parents, <br /> teachers, students and staff of the school . <br /> Nothing contained in this section shall require a new school council to be <br /> formed if an existing school council fulfills the intent of this section, the <br /> parent and teacher members thereof were selected in a manner consistent with <br /> the provisions of this section and the membership thereof complies with the <br /> aforesaid fifty percent requirement . <br /> Meetings of the school council shall be subject to the provisions of sections <br /> twenty-three A, twenty-three B, and twenty-three C of chapter thirty-nine. <br /> The school council shall meet regularly with the principal of the school and <br /> shall assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students <br /> attending the school, in the review of the annual school budget, -and in the <br /> formulation of a school improvement. plan, as provided below. <br /> The principal of each school, in consultation with the school council <br /> established pursuant to this section shall adopt educational goals for the <br /> schools consistent with the goals and standards including the student <br /> performance standards, adopted by the board pursuant to section one D of <br /> chapter sixty-nine, and consistent with any educational policies established <br /> for the district, shall assess the needs of the school in light of those <br /> goals, and shall formulate a school improvement plan to advance such goals, <br /> to address such needs and to improve student performance. The plan shall <br /> 21 <br />