2012 -- S 2274

=======

LC00752

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE STUDENT

INVESTMENT INITIATIVE - NOTICE PROVISIONS

     

     

     Introduced By: Senators Metts, Jabour, Pichardo, Crowley, and Picard

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Education

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Paul

1-2

W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative" is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     16-7.1-13. State leadership in conducting annual assessments of student

1-4

performance. – (a) Setting high standards for student performance must be paired with related

1-5

assessments that will determine what progress the state is making toward bringing all children to

1-6

high levels of achievement. A state assessment program shall be continued and expanded in core

1-7

areas (mathematics, reading, writing and health). The program shall include performance

1-8

standards and an annual report that disaggregates performance by race, poverty, native language

1-9

and gender. The general assembly shall annually appropriate funds to support the programs, and

1-10

the amount shall be recalculated annually. The commissioner of education shall implement the

1-11

state assessment program.

1-12

     (b) No state assessment conducted pursuant to this chapter, and no other standardized

1-13

testing program or assessment, shall be used to determine a student’s eligibility to graduate from

1-14

high school. Any such assessments shall instead be used to promote school and district

1-15

accountability and improvement and to target early and intensive remediation to individual

1-16

students and to at-risk student subgroups.

1-17

     (c) Any student identified as “significantly below proficient” on any state assessment in

1-18

Rhode Island shall be provided intervention assistance that is research-based and offered with

1-19

sufficient intensity to close the gap between the student’s performance and the proficiency level

2-1

as quickly as feasible. The parent or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing (in the

2-2

native language of the parent or guardian) as follows:

2-3

     (1) That the student is significantly below proficiency;

2-4

     (2) What intervention(s) are being provided;

2-5

     (3) On at least a quarterly basis, what progress towards closing the gap is being made as a

2-6

result of such intervention(s); and

2-7

     (4) What changes to the nature or intensity of intervention will be provided if the

2-8

progress within a quarter is not achieving sufficient results.

2-9

     SECTION 2. Section 16-54-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-54 entitled "Education

2-10

of Limited English Proficient Students" is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-11

     16-54-3. Regulation of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

2-12

-- It shall be the duty of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education to establish

2-13

and promulgate regulations for the purpose of carrying out the intent of this chapter. These

2-14

regulations shall include, but are not limited to:

2-15

      (1) Criteria for the identification, assessment, placement, and exiting of eligible students,

2-16

including, but not limited to, compliance with the requirements of section 16-7.1-13;

2-17

      (2) Criteria for an appropriate educational program or service;

2-18

      (3) Criteria for the monitoring and evaluation of educational programs;

2-19

      (4) Administrative procedures for state reimbursement of approved programs and

2-20

services;

2-21

      (5) Definitions of responsibilities of the local school committees and the department of

2-22

elementary and secondary education;

2-23

      (6) Criteria for parent involvement;

2-24

      (7) Time line for phasing in services and programs to assure that the process begins and

2-25

that all eligible children are served.

2-26

     SECTION 3. Section 16-67-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-67 entitled "Rhode

2-27

Island Literacy and Dropout Prevention Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-28

     16-67-3. Coordination with programs for special populations. -- It is required that

2-29

programs serving special population students be coordinated with the requirements of this

2-30

chapter. All these programs shall focus on literacy objectives to the extent appropriate for each

2-31

special population. All coordinating efforts shall not absolve participating school districts from

2-32

meeting all requirements of state and/or federal laws, regulations, and mandates. In particular,

2-33

programs for supplementary literacy instruction for educationally disadvantaged students in

2-34

kindergarten through grade twelve (12) shall meet the following criteria which shall be included

3-1

in a plan submitted annually and reviewed and approved by the department of elementary and

3-2

secondary education:

3-3

      (1) Services shall be based on an annual assessment of need;

3-4

      (2) Programs shall have performance objectives evaluated annually;

3-5

      (3) Programs must provide supplementary services;

3-6

      (4) Programs must be monitored by the department of elementary and secondary

3-7

education; and

3-8

      (5) School districts must keep records on the above and afford access to the records by

3-9

the department of elementary and secondary education.; and

3-10

     (6) Information demonstrating compliance with the requirements of section 16-7.1-13.

3-11

     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

=======

LC00752

========

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE STUDENT

INVESTMENT INITIATIVE - NOTICE PROVISIONS

***

4-1

     This act would provide for certain notifications that would need to be provided to parents

4-2

or guardians of students identified as performing “significantly below proficient” on any state

4-3

assessment. This act would also provide that no state assessment or standardized testing would be

4-4

used to determine a student’s eligibility to graduate from high school.

4-5

     This act would take effect upon passage.

     

=======

LC00752

=======

S2274