2021 -- H 5350

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LC000208

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES FOR

ALL STUDENTS ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Alzate, Messier, Williams, Barros, Fogarty, and
Biah

     Date Introduced: February 05, 2021

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 16-98-2, 16-98-4 and 16-98-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

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98 entitled "Access to Advanced Placement Courses for All Students Act [See Title 16 Chapter 97

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- The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-98-2. Definitions.

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     The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the following

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meanings given to them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

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     (1) "Advanced placement" means a college-level class taught at the high school level

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preparatory course for a college advanced placement that provides students the opportunity to earn

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college credit upon passage of an exam that:

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     (i) Incorporates all topics specified by the college board College Board on its standards

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syllabus for a given subject area; and

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     (ii) Is authorized by the college board College Board.

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     (2) "Board of regents" means the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

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     (3) "College board Board " means the non-profit examination board in the United States

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comprised of over four thousand five hundred (4,500) institutions of higher learning and known for

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managing standardized tests such as the advanced placement or "AP" tests and refers to the

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nonprofit organization that develops and administers standardized tests and curricula used by

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kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and post-secondary education institutions to promote

 

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college readiness.

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     (4) "Department" means the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary

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education.

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     (5) "Eligible teacher" means a professional employee that is certified in the subject area of

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the advanced placement course that he or she will be teaching.

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     (6) “Examination” or “exam” means the test provided by the College Board to measure a

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student’s mastery of the advanced placement subject matter.

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     (6)(7) "Four core academic areas" means advanced placement courses in English,

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mathematics, science and social science.

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     (7)(8) "Poverty level" means the percentage of students in a school district eligible for free

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and reduced lunch.

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     (8)(9) "Program" means furtherance of the advanced placement classes in the public

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schools and includes teacher training program and increased student participation.

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     (9)(10) "School district" means any public school district, school unit, area-vocational-

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technical school, or charter school or mayoral academy that composes a school district; the term

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also encompasses a single high school or multiple high schools within a school district where

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applicable.

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     (10)(11) "Teacher training entities" means institutions of higher education, intermediate

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units or organizations approved/certified by the college board College Board to train teachers to

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teach advanced placement courses.

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     (11)(12) "Virtual learning instruction" means providing academic courses to students via

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the Internet and/or the use of technology in providing instruction to students.

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     16-98-4. Powers and duties of department.

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     (a) Guidelines. The department shall promulgate rules, regulations and procedures

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necessary for the implementation of this chapter including, but not limited to, the following:

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     (1) In consultation with the college board College Board, certify those teacher-training

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entities that are qualified to provide training of teachers to teach advanced placement courses in the

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four (4) core academic areas;

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     (2) In certifying teacher-training entities for this program, the department shall ensure that

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the training times and locations will be geographically accessible for teachers from eligible school

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entities to attend;

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     (3) The department, in consultation with the college board College Board, shall ensure that

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training provided by those teacher-training entities must provide teachers of advanced placement

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courses with the necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to prepare students for

 

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success in advanced placement courses and examinations; and

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     (4) Starting at the end of the first year of the program, and every year thereafter, the

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department shall issue a report to the general assembly on the advanced placement teacher-training

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program that shall include, but not be limited to:

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     (i) The number of teachers receiving training in advanced placement instructions in school

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entities, school districts and high schools in each of the four (4) core academic areas.

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     (ii) The number of students taking advanced placement courses at school entities in each

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of the four (4) core academic areas.

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     (iii) The number of students scoring a three (3) or more on an advanced placement

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examination at school entities in each of the four (4) core academic areas.

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     (iv) The remaining unmet need for trained teachers in school entities that do not offer

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advanced placement courses.

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     (v) The number of students taking advanced placement courses who do not take the

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advanced placement examination.

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     (vi) The number of students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses.

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     (vii) The number of students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses

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and do not take the advanced placement examination; and.

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     (5) In consultation with local education authorities, ensure that the opportunity to

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participate in the advanced placement program and gain college credit is available to the greatest

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amount of students as practicable.

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     (b) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the board of education, through the department,

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from expanding the program to include other nationally accepted courses of study that provide

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students an opportunity to gain college credits from classes taken in high school.

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     16-98-6. Program funding.

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     (a) Funding for this program is subject to appropriation by the general assembly to the

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department for that purpose.

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     (b) In the event that insufficient moneys are appropriated in any fiscal year to provide

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funding for all eligible school entities applying to the program, the department shall prioritize

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funding of eligible school entities based on the poverty level of the school districts that high school

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students who will be taking the advanced placement courses reside in.

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     (c) Notwithstanding any general law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the department shall

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include as part of its annual budget the amount necessary to pay the exam costs for all students

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below the poverty level who take advanced courses.

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     (1) In support of the Rhode Island promise scholarship act (the “scholarship”), chapter 107

 

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of title 16, the board of education shall remit to each school district, from the funds allocated for

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the scholarship or other similar program, the amounts necessary to pay for the exam costs for all

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students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses.

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     (2) Funds allocated for the purpose of paying the cost of the examinations may be used

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only to pay those costs and may be carried over into the next fiscal year for the same purpose.

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     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 -- ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES FOR

ALL STUDENTS ACT

***

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     This act would change the definition of advance placement to mean a college level class

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taught at the high school level that provides students the opportunity to earn college credit upon

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passage of an exam. This act also expands the reach of access to advanced placement courses to

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ensure that the opportunity to participate in the advanced placement program and gain college credit

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is available to the greatest amount of students as practicable.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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