Chapter 251
2011 -- S 0720 SUBSTITUTE A AS
AMENDED
Enacted 07/09/11
A N A C T
RELATING TO
EDUCATION - FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
Introduced By: Senators DeVall, Tassoni, Gallo, and Picard
Date Introduced: March 23, 2011
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled
"EDUCATION" is hereby amended
by adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER
94
THE
16-94-1. Short title.
– This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Rhode
16-94-2. Definitions.
- The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall
have the following meaning given to them unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) "Board of
regents" means the board of regents for elementary and secondary
education.
(2) “Department”
means the
education.
(3) “Public schools”
means all public schools of any city or town in the state. The term
also includes all public charter and/or vocational
schools.
(4) "School
district” means any public school district, school unit, area-vocational-
technical school, or charter school that composes a school
district; the term also encompasses a
single high school or multiple high schools within a school
district where applicable.
16-94-3. Findings of fact.
- (a) Research supports a positive correlation between family
engagement with a student's school or school district and the
performance of the student, school,
and district. Students whose parents are involved in
their education have better school attendance,
earn higher grades and higher test scores, are subject to
fewer disciplinary problems, and have a
greater long-term success following graduation from high
school.
(b) The benefits of
greater family engagement also extend to families and teachers.
Parents develop more confidence in the school and in themselves as parents. Teachers
experience
improved morale and receive more support from families.
(c) It is often
difficult to obtain a comprehensive amount of feedback from all
stakeholders across the educational spectrum when making
educational policy. Well-intentioned
education-related initiatives which are introduced or produced without
sufficient feedback or
input from families/guardians of students involved often
produces negative feedback from these
families/guardians, which results in potentially effective initiatives
being interrupted or
abandoned altogether.
(d) The creation of a
state-wide family engagement advisory council would help to
streamline this process and promote the implementation of
strong, positive educational initiatives.
16-94-4. Family engagement advisory
council established. - (a) Creation.
There is
hereby established a state-wide family engagement advisory
council. The purpose of the council
shall be to serve as an advisory body to the governor, the
department of education, the board of
regents, and to school districts. The council shall consist
of twenty-one (21) members to be
appointed by the governor, to be selected as follows: one of
whom shall be a member from the
Island State PTA; one of whom shall be a member from
the Child Opportunity Zone Network;
one of whom shall be a representative from the
Community, Family Health and Equity; one of whom shall
be a representative from an agency or
association with experience and expertise in family engagement;
four (4) of whom shall be
current educators from within
administrator, a principal, a teacher, and a school committee
member; one of whom shall be a
representative from the department of education; and eleven (11) of
whom shall be parents and/or
guardians of children currently enrolled in a
agencies, and associations with expertise in family engagement
shall be solicited for proposed
nominations and recommendations for the parent/guardian members.
(b) Terms. All the
members shall serve for a term of three (3) years and/or until their
successors are appointed and qualified. A member shall be
eligible to succeed himself or herself.
A vacancy other than by expiration shall be filled in
the same manner as an original appointment
but only for the unexpired portion of the term.
(c) Officers. The
officers of the council shall be a chairperson, who shall be a
representative of the family/guardian members, and vice chairperson
and a secretary, who shall
be elected from the membership. Officers shall be
elected annually by a majority vote of the
council members; a majority of the appointed members shall
constitute a quorum; the council is
authorized to obtain or to contract for any services that may be
necessary to enable it to carry out
its duties. A majority vote of those present shall be
required for action.
(d) Expenses of members. The members of the
council shall serve without compensation.
(e) Gifts, grants, or donations. The council
is authorized to receive any gifts, grants, or
donations made for any of the purposes of its program, and to
disburse and administer the gifts,
grants, or donations in accordance with the terms of it.
16-94-5. Duties of the
council. - (a) The duties
of the family engagement advisory
council shall include the following:
(1) The council shall
research and generate a series of recommendations on how to
develop family engagement policies and practices that meet
the following principles and
standards for family-school partnerships:
(i)
Welcome all families to be active participants in the life of the school, so
that they feel
valued, connected to each other, to school staff, and to
what students are learning in class;
(ii) Communicate
effectively by ensuring regular two-way, meaningful communication
between family members and local educational agency and
school staff in a manner, language,
and mode of technology that family members can understand
and access;
(iii) Support student
success by fostering continuous collaboration between family
members and local educational agency and school staff to
support student learning and healthy
development at school and at home;
(iv)
Speak up for every child and empower family members to be
advocates for all
students within the school;
(v) Share power and
assure that family members, local educational agencies, and school
staff are equal partners in family engagement decision
making;
(vi)
Collaborate with community and partner with community
organizations and groups
to turn the school into a hub of community life;
(vii) Create a
continuum of family engagement in student learning and development from
cradle to career;
(viii) Train and
support superintendents, principals, and teachers to fully engage families
in the education of their children;
(ix) Participate in
evaluating the effectiveness of family engagement strategies and
policies; and
(x) Participate in developing
recommendations for creating a positive school climate and
safe and healthy schools.
All such
recommendations shall be forwarded to the board of regents, governor's office,
department of education, and local school districts.
(2) Provide
assistance and advice to the board of regents, governor's office, department of
education, and local school districts on family engagement in
impact on student achievement, communication, partnerships
with community and other groups,
and school family engagement practices and strategies.
(3) To identify best
practices in family engagement in Rhode
well as in other states, and to develop recommendations on
how to incorporate, implement, or
adopt such practices in
(4) Make
recommendations to the board of regents, governor's office, department
of
education, and local school districts, on state resources and
materials which could promote and
improve family engagement in
(b) The council shall
submit an annual report to the board of regents, the governor, the
department of education, and local school districts summarizing
the council's activities during the
year.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02180/SUB A
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