Chapter 456

2004 -- H 7298 SUBSTITUTE A

Enacted 07/07/04

A N A C T

RELATING TO THE RHODE ISLAND STUDENT INVESTMENT INITIATIVE

Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Giannini, Cerra, and Aubin

Date Introduced: January 21, 2004

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     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, administrators 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, including

collaboratives established pursuant to chapter 16-3.1, 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. Schools that enroll students in the early grades (kindergarten

through grade three (3)) must expend these funds on the development of scientific research based,

as described in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part B, Section 1208 [20 U.S.C.

section 6368] reading instruction to improve students reading performance.

Schools that have met their performance targets in reading for the current academic year

and are not designated as a school in need of improvement, may expend their Professional

Development Investment Funds on professional development in the core academic subjects of

mathematics, writing, or reading to improve student performance.

     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. Additional funds shall be allocated to the department of elementary

and secondary education to support teacher and administrator 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 leadership development for the teacher

to assume leadership roles or ultimately prepare for administrator;

      (4) Development of a plan for formal training of school leaders in standards based

instruction, school improvement planning, effective use of data in the decision-making process,

community involvement and creation of governance structures;

      (5) Support for national board certification of teachers, application fees for a certificate

of clinical competence issued by the American speech-language hearing association, and grants

for coordination and support of school based teacher professional development; and

      (6) The practice of scientific research based reading instruction to improve reading

performance.

      (b) In FY 2003, the additional funds allocated to the department of elementary and

secondary education pursuant to this section shall be used only to support the activities described

in subdivisions (a)(2) and (a)(5) of this section.

      (c) Out of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for professional development

in subsection (a) of this section, 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 or her designee, three (3) teachers appointed by the collective bargaining

agent, and one member of the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education

field service team servicing that school district designated by the commissioner of elementary and

secondary education. The expenditure must be aligned with the district strategic plan as well as

ongoing professional development programs approved by the department of elementary and

secondary education. Collaborative programs between school districts are permissible.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC00284/SUB A

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