SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative" is hereby amended to read as follows:

16-7.1-10. Professional development investment fund. -- (a) In order to continue developing the skills of Rhode Island's teachers and staff, the general assembly establishes a Professional Development Investment Fund. The general assembly shall annually appropriate some sum and distribute it based on a pupil-teacher ratio that shall be adjusted annually by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. School districts may use funds received under this category of education aid to replace up to, but no more than, fifty percent (50%) of the amount the school district spent for professional development programs in the previous fiscal year. The expenditure of these funds shall be determined by a committee at each school consisting of the school principal, two (2) teachers selected by the teaching staff of the school, and two (2) parents of students attending the school. Collaborative programs between schools are encouraged. These resources shall be used to close student performance gaps in accordance with the school's and district's strategic plan pursuant to section 16-7.1-2. Of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for professional development five hundred fifty five thousand dollars ($555,000), representing fourteen and three-tenths of one percent (14.3%) of the amount allocated to each district in this investment fund, shall be retained by the department of elementary and secondary education to support teacher professional development in all districts, including, but not limited to:

(1) Supporting mentoring systems;

(2) Providing school districts with program support to assist teachers in local school districts to improve reading instruction and enhance the integration of reading throughout the curriculum with the goal of improving student performance to high standards;

(3) Support for the design and implementation of a system for the training of school leaders; and

(4) Support for national board certification of teachers and grants for coordination and support of school based teacher professional development.

(b) Out of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for professional development in paragraph (a), twenty-five percent (25%) shall be set aside for district-wide professional development activities. The expenditure of this district-wide professional development set-aside shall be determined by a committee in each district consisting of the superintendent or his/her designee, three (3) teachers appointed by the collective bargaining agent, and one member of the Rhode Island department of education field service team servicing that school district designated by the commissioner of education. Collaborative programs between school districts are permissible.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.