2022 -- S 2169

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LC004118

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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 -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS BOARD

(SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lawson, Seveney, Coyne, Quezada, Euer, Cano, and DiPalma

     Date Introduced: February 08, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-11.4-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11.4 entitled "Rhode

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Island Certification Standards Board [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of

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Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-11.4-6. Right to read act.

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     (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Right to Read Act."

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     (b) No later than 2025, the following shall have proficient knowledge and skills to teach

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reading consistent with the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured literacy

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instruction:

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     (1) A person who completes a state-approved educator preparation program; and

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     (2) A person seeking teacher licensure by reciprocity or by adding an endorsement.

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     In addition, no later than 2025, a person who completes a state-approved educator

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preparation program, other than a teacher of elementary education program, shall demonstrate an

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awareness of the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (c) Beginning no later than the 2024-2025 school year, each state-approved educator

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preparation program shall post on its website information describing its program to prepare teachers

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to teach reading with scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction; aligned with,

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but not limited to, the content measured by the stand-alone reading assessment adopted by the

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Rhode Island board of education act.

 

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     (d) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, a public school district and an open-

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enrollment public charter school shall provide the following professional development in scientific

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reading instruction and structured literacy instruction:

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     (1) For teachers licensed at the elementary level, professional development for one of the

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prescribed pathways to obtaining a proficiency credential in knowledge and practices in scientific

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reading instruction and structured literacy instruction; and

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     (2) For teachers licensed at a level other than the elementary level, professional

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development for one of the prescribed pathways to obtaining an awareness credential in knowledge

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and practices in scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (e) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, a public school that does not provide the

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professional development pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) shall:

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     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and

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     (2) Provide notice to parents that the public school district has not met the requirements of

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this section.

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     (f) By the beginning of the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year:

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     (1) All teachers employed in a teaching position that requires an elementary education (K-

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6) license or (K-12) license shall demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific

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reading and structured literacy instruction; and

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     (2) All other teachers shall demonstrate awareness in knowledge and practices of scientific

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reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (g) All teachers who begin employment in the 2023-2024 2025-2026 school year and each

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school year thereafter shall demonstrate proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices in

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scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction as is applicable to their teaching

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position by completing the prescribed proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices of the

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scientific reading instruction credential and a structured literacy instruction credential either:

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     (1) As a condition of licensure; or

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     (2) Within one year if the teacher is:

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     (i) Already licensed; or

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     (ii) Employed under a waiver from licensure.

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     (h) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program shall include in its annual

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report to the department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") a description

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of program to prepare educators to teach reading using scientific reading instruction and structured

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literacy instruction.

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     (i) A public school district that employs an educator in violation of this section or that does

 

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not provide the professional development as required under this section shall be in violation of the

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standards for accreditation of the Rhode Island board of education act, and the school district may

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be placed on probationary status by the department. A public school district placed on probationary

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status pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall send written notification to the parents of

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the students in the public school district of the reason for being placed on probationary status.

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     (j) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program that does not comply with

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the requirements of this section may be subject to penalties up to and including having the

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provider's approval status revoked.

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     (k) The department is vested with the authority to, and shall enforce, this section.

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     (l) The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section no

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later than August 1, 2022.

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     (1) The rules and regulations adopted by the department shall recognize that teachers shall

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have met the requirement of demonstrating awareness in knowledge and practices of scientific

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reading and structured literacy instruction by attending six (6) hours of training in scientific reading

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and structured literacy instruction.

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     (2) The rules and regulations adopted by the department shall recognize that teachers shall

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have met the requirement of demonstrating proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific

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reading and structured literacy instruction by one of the following:

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     (i) Possessing a Master’s degree in reading or a related academic discipline;

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     (ii) Possessing a reading specialist and/or consultant certificate;

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     (iii) Attending twenty-four (24) hours of training in scientific reading and structured

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literacy instruction;

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     (iv) Providing proof of completion of a course or training program in scientific reading

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instruction;

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     (v) Passing a test in scientific reading and structured literacy instruction adopted by the

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department; or

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     (vi) Having at least fifteen (15) years of experience teaching reading at the elementary

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level.

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     (m) As used in this section:

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     (1) The term "scientific reading instruction" means instruction that is instructional

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centered, empirically based, and further based on the study of the relationship between cognitive

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science and educational outcomes; and

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     (2) The term "structured literacy instruction" means an approach by which licensed

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personnel teach reading, which includes syllables, morphology, sound-symbol correspondence,

 

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semantics, and syntax, in an explicit, systematic, and diagnostic manner.

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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 -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS BOARD

(SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

***

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     This act would extend the time period from the school year 2023-2024 until 2025-2026 to

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require all teachers to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific reading and

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structured literacy instruction. This act would further extend the time period from the school year

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2023-2024 until 2025-2026 requiring all new hires for a teaching position to demonstrate an

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awareness in knowledge and practices of the scientific reading instruction credential and a

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structured literacy instruction credential as a condition of hire, or within one year of hire, if already

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licensed. A teacher may demonstrate such knowledge and practice by: (1) Possessing a Master’s

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degree in reading; (2) Possessing a reading specialist and/or consultant certificate; (3) Attending

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twenty-four (24) hours or more of training in scientific reading and structured literacy instruction;

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(4) Providing proof of completion of a course or training program in scientific reading instruction;

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(5) Passing a test in scientific readings and structured literacy instruction; or (6) Having a least

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fifteen (15) years of teaching experience at the elementary school level. The department shall issue

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rules and regulations in regards to this act no later than August 1, 2022.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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