2022 -- H 7167

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LC004210

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Shallcross Smith, Donovan, Diaz, and Noret

     Date Introduced: January 26, 2022

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-19 of the General Laws entitled "Compulsory Attendance [See

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Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding

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thereto the following sections:

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     16-19-11. Attendance review teams.

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     (a) As used in this section and in § 16-19-12:

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     (1) "Absence" means an excused absence, unexcused absence or disciplinary absence, or

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an in-school suspension that is greater than or equal to one-half (1/2) of a school day;

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     (2) "Chronically absent child" means a child who is enrolled in a school under the

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jurisdiction of a municipal or regional school board or committee and whose total number of

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absences at any time during a school year is equal to or greater than ten percent (10%) of the total

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number of days that the student has been enrolled at the school during that school year;

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     (3) "District chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent

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children under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education in the previous school year

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divided by the total number of children under the jurisdiction of the board for that school year; and

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     (4) "School chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent

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children for a school in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled

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in the school for that school year.

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     (b)(1) Each municipal or regional school board or committee that:

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     (i) Has a district chronic absenteeism rate of ten percent (10%) or higher shall establish an

 

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attendance review team for the school district;

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     (ii) Has a school under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a school chronic

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absenteeism rate of fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance review team at

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such school;

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     (iii) Has more than one school under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a

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school chronic absenteeism rate of fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance

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review team for the school district or at each such school; or

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     (iv) Has a district chronic absenteeism rate of ten percent (10%) or higher and one or more

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schools under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a school chronic absenteeism rate of

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fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance review team for the school district or

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at each such school. Attendance review teams shall be established to address chronic absenteeism

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in the school district or at the school or schools.

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     (2) Any attendance review team established under this section may consist of school

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administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers and/or representatives from

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community-based programs who address issues related to student attendance by providing

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programs and services to truants, and chronically absent children and their parents or guardians.

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Each attendance review team shall be responsible for reviewing the cases of truants and chronically

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absent children, discussing school interventions and community referrals for truants and

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chronically absent children and making any additional recommendations for such truants and

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chronically absent children, and their parents or guardians. Each attendance review team shall meet

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at least monthly.

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     16-19-12. Chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan.

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     (a) Not later than January 1, 2023, the Rhode Island department of elementary and

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secondary education shall develop a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan for use

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by municipal and regional school boards and committees of education to reduce chronic

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absenteeism in the school district.

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     (b)(1) The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan shall include, but need

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not be limited to, the following information that describes:

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     (i) Chronic absenteeism, including, but not limited to, the definition of a chronically absent

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child under § 16-19-11, and the causes of chronic absenteeism, such as poverty, violence, poor

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health and lack of access to transportation;

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     (ii) The effect of chronic absenteeism on a student's academic performance;

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     (iii) How family and school partnerships with community resources, including, but not

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limited to, family resource centers and youth service bureaus, can reduce chronic absenteeism and

 

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improve student attendance;

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     (iv) A means of collecting and analyzing data relating to student attendance, truancy and

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chronic absenteeism for the purpose of:

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     (A) Disaggregating such data by school district, school, grade and subgroups, such as race,

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ethnicity, gender, eligibility for free or reduced priced lunches and students whose primary

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language is not English; and

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     (B) Assisting local and regional boards of education in:

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     (I) Tracking chronic absenteeism over multiple years and for the current school year;

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     (II) Developing indicators to identify students who are at risk of being chronically absent

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children;

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     (III) Monitoring students' attendance over time; and

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     (IV) Making adjustments to interventions as they are being implemented.

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     (2) The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan may include, but need not

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be limited to:

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     (i) A research-based and data-driven mentorship model that addresses and attempts to

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reduce chronic absenteeism through the use of mentors, such as students, teachers, administrators,

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intramural and interscholastic athletic coaches, school resource officers and community partners;

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and

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     (ii) Incentives and rewards that recognize schools and students that improve attendance

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and reduce the school chronic absenteeism rate.

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     (c) The council on elementary and secondary education shall include the applicable

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district’s chronic absenteeism rate of each school district within the report on school discipline

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presented annually to the general assembly pursuant to the provisions of § 16-60-4. The council

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shall also incorporate and include the applicable school or district’s chronic absenteeism rate in any

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report card or evaluation of the effectiveness of a school or district.

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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 -- COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE

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     This act would direct school districts experiencing high rates of student absenteeism to

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establish attendance review teams to address this absenteeism. The act would also direct the state

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department of education to establish a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan by

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January 1, 2023. The act would also direct the council on elementary and secondary education to

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include each school district's absenteeism rate within the report on school discipline presented

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annually to the general assembly, and to include the school or district's absenteeism rate in any

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report card or evaluation of the effectiveness of a school or district.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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