2019 -- H 5008

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LC000222

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT AND STANDARDS FOR

ALL STUDENTS

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Casimiro, Ackerman, Amore, and Lyle

     Date Introduced: January 03, 2019

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-22 of the General Laws entitled "Curriculum [See Title 16

Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto

the following sections:

     16-22-30. Statewide academic standards.

     (a) The council on elementary and secondary education (the "council") shall direct the

commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the "commissioner") to institute a process

to review, develop, and revise statewide academic standards for the core subjects of mathematics,

science and technology, history and social science, English, foreign languages and the arts. The

commissioner shall ensure that the standards cover grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12)

and shall clearly set forth the skills, competencies and knowledge expected to be possessed by all

students at the conclusion of individual grades or clusters of grades. The standards shall be

formulated so as to set high expectations of student performance and to provide clear and specific

examples that embody and reflect these high expectations, and shall be constructed with due

regard to the work and recommendations of national organizations, to the best of similar efforts in

other states, and to the level of skills, competencies and knowledge possessed by typical students

in the most educationally advanced nations. The skills, competencies and knowledge set forth in

the standards shall be expressed in terms which lend themselves to objective measurement, define

the performance outcomes expected of both students directly entering the workforce and of

students pursuing higher education, and facilitate comparisons with students of other states and

other nations.

     (b) This section does not require the abandonment of any standards already in place, so

long as the commissioner determines that the standards meet the statewide goals set forth herein.

     16-22-31. Curriculum alignment.

     (a)(1) The council on elementary and secondary education (the "council") shall direct the

commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the "commissioner") to institute a process

for reviewing, developing, and revising all curriculum frameworks for the core subjects covered

by the academic standards provided in §16-22-30. The curriculum frameworks shall present

broad pedagogical approaches and strategies for assisting students in the development of the

skills, competencies and knowledge called for by these standards. The process for drawing up and

revising the frameworks shall be open and consultative, and may include, but need not be limited

to, classroom teachers, parents, faculty of schools of education, and leading college and

university figures in both subject matter disciplines and pedagogy. In drawing up curriculum

frameworks, those involved shall look to curriculum frameworks, model curricula, content

standards, attainment targets, courses of study and instruction materials in existence or in the

process of being developed in the United States and throughout the world, and shall actively

explore collaborative development efforts with other projects. The curriculum frameworks shall

provide sufficient detail to guide and inform processes for the education, professional

development, certification and evaluation of both active and aspiring teachers. They shall provide

sufficient detail to guide the promulgation of student assessment instruments. They shall be

constructed to guide and assist teachers, administrators, publishers, software developers and other

interested parties in the development and selection of curricula, textbooks, technology and other

instructional materials, and in the design of pedagogical approaches and techniques for

elementary, secondary and vocational-technical schools. The council may review and recommend

instructional materials which it judges to be compatible with the curriculum frameworks.

     (2) The commissioner shall ensure that the curriculum frameworks are aligned to the

statewide standardized tests being implemented in Rhode Island, which as of 2019 includes the

Rhode Island comprehensive assessment system (RICAS).

     (3) This section does not require the abandonment of any curriculum frameworks already

in place, so long as the commissioner determines that the frameworks meet the statewide goals set

forth herein.

     (b) The department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") is

authorized to develop and write model curricula for use by public schools.

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     (c) By January 1, 2020, the department shall identify several examples of curricula which

utilize best practices and are closely aligned with the state's curriculum frameworks, the state

standards, and the RICAS or any other test which is adopted as a statewide-standardized test. The

department shall publish these models and make them available to school districts.

     (d) On or before February 1, 2020, and annually thereafter on or before February 1, the

commissioner shall submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of

the senate, on its progress in developing state standards and curriculum, frameworks pursuant to

this section and § 16-22-30.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT AND STANDARDS FOR

ALL STUDENTS

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     This act would provide for the review of existing and the development of new statewide

academic standards by the commissioner of education. The act would also require that all

curriculum frameworks be aligned with these standards as well as with the standardized state tests

being implemented in the state, including the current Rhode Island comprehensive assessment

system. The act would also direct the commissioner of education to annually submit a report to

the governor and the general assembly on the progress in developing standards and curriculum

frameworks.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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