| Chapter 031 |
| 2021 -- H 5491 Enacted 06/01/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FINANCIAL LITERACY |
Introduced By: Representatives Ackerman, McNamara, Biah, Serpa, Giraldo, and Filippi |
| Date Introduced: February 11, 2021 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-22-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-22 entitled "Curriculum |
| [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read |
| as follows: |
| 16-22-13. Consumer education. |
| (a) The council on elementary and secondary education (the “council”), in consultation |
| with the Rhode Island department of education (the “department”), shall develop and approve |
| statewide academic standards for the instruction of consumer education in public high schools by |
| no later than December 31, 2021, and again as required by the procedures set forth in subsections |
| (e) and (f) of this section. |
| (b) By the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the The school committees of the several |
| cities, towns, and school districts local education agencies (“LEAs”) shall provide for pupils in the |
| ensure that public high schools in grades eight (8) through twelve (12) to be taught and be required |
| to study courses which offer a course that include includes instruction in consumer education, |
| which that is aligned with the statewide standards. |
| (c) The standards shall may include, but not necessarily be limited to, installment |
| purchasing, budgeting, comparison of prices, credit and the law, employment and income, rights |
| and responsibilities in the marketplace, money management, maintaining credit, saving, investing, |
| protecting and insuring assets, and other personal finance or consumer economic topics of study |
| approved by the department of elementary and secondary education. |
| (d) The standards shall: |
| (1) Clearly set forth the skills, competencies, and knowledge expected to be demonstrated |
| by all students at the conclusion of individual grades or grade spans; |
| (2) Reflect sensitivity to different learning styles; and |
| (3) Be in a form readily comprehensible by the public. |
| (e) The council shall review the consumer education standards regularly, making changes |
| if appropriate, to ensure that the standards continue to outline the knowledge and skills students are |
| expected to demonstrate regarding the responsible and informed use of financial services. The |
| review cycle shall begin in 2026, with subsequent reviews taking place in 2031, 2036, and every |
| five (5) years thereafter. |
| (f) Any recommended changes or updates to existing standards shall be approved by the |
| council at least sixty (60) days prior to the changes taking effect. |
| (g) Beginning with the graduating class of 2024, all students shall demonstrate proficiency |
| in consumer education prior to graduating high school. LEAs shall have the discretion to allow |
| students the ability to demonstrate proficiency by one or more of the following: |
| (1) Successful completion of a consumer education course of study aligned with the |
| standards developed and approved by the council; |
| (2) Successful completion of a project aligned with the standards developed and approved |
| by the council, under the supervision of a certified educator; |
| (3) Successful completion of a consumer education assessment that is aligned with the |
| standards developed and approved by the council and taken in a controlled testing environment; or |
| (4) Another demonstration of proficiency approved by the council. |
| (h) Schools shall be permitted to make exceptions and accommodations to the requirements |
| of this section for students with disabilities, as provided in chapter 24 of this title 16, in those cases |
| wherein the student cannot be reasonably expected to demonstrate proficiency to council standards. |
| (i) The council, in consultation with the department, shall compile and publish the |
| following by April 1, 2022: |
| (1) A list of micro-credentialing programs that train educators in the skills necessary to |
| deliver consumer education lessons in accordance with statewide standards; and |
| (2) Resources and instructional materials including, but not limited to, lesson plans, |
| assessments, and activities that align with the consumer education standards adopted by the council. |
| (j) The council shall review the list of micro-credentialing programs and resources and |
| instructional materials compiled in subsection (i) of this section regularly, making changes if |
| appropriate. The review cycle shall begin in 2026, with subsequent reviews taking place in 2031, |
| 2036, and every five (5) years thereafter. |
| (k) By August 1, 2024, and annually by August 1 thereafter, the department shall publish |
| a report on the consumer education instruction in Rhode Island schools. The report shall include, |
| but need not be limited to, the following: |
| (1) The number of high school students at each grade level who have completed a high- |
| school level course of study in consumer education that is aligned with the standards developed |
| and approved by the council; and |
| (2) A list of the middle schools and elementary schools that have incorporated consumer |
| education into their curricula. |
| (l) This section shall not apply to private schools. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
| ======== |
| LC000925 |
| ======== |