| Chapter 121 |
| 2023 -- H 5168 Enacted 06/19/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS |
Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Biah, Donovan, and Noret |
| Date Introduced: January 19, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-11-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11 entitled "Certification |
| of Teachers [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby |
| amended to read as follows: |
| 16-11-9. Fast-track principal certification program. |
| (a) The department of elementary and secondary education (the “department”) shall |
| establish a fast-track principal certification program. |
| (b) The fast-track principal certification program shall include, but need not be limited to, |
| the following courses: |
| (1) School finance; |
| (2) School law; and |
| (3) Program evaluation, including data analysis Supervision of school personnel. |
| (c) Participants will earn a principal certification after successful completion of the courses, |
| from a program approved by the department, required in subsection (b) of this section, and |
| successful completion of the following three (3) requirements: |
| (1) A year-long internship shadowing a principal in the district where the participant is |
| currently employed; |
| (2) Leading a districtwide or schoolwide initiative; and |
| (3) Successfully passing assessment requirements for Rhode Island principal certification. |
| (d) To be eligible for admission into the fast-track principal certification program, an |
| applicant shall: |
| (1) Have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience as a teacher rated “effective” or “highly |
| effective”; |
| (2) Have a recommendation from the superintendent(s) of the local education agency |
| (LEA) or agencies in which the applicant worked as a teacher previously, or is working currently; |
| (3) Have a record of consistent leadership within an LEA, demonstrated through serving |
| as a facilitator of professional development, a dean, a district coach, a department chair, or in |
| another leadership position within a school or LEA; and |
| (4) Possess a master’s degree or higher. |
| (e) Participants who earn a principal certification pursuant to this section shall complete a |
| department-approved leadership development program to build leadership skills that support |
| teaching and learning within the first renewal cycle of their certification. |
| (f) For the purposes of this section, “local education agencies” shall include all of the |
| following within the state: |
| (1) Public school districts; |
| (2) Regional school districts; |
| (3) State-operated schools; |
| (4) Regional collaborative schools; and |
| (5) Charter schools. |
| (g) Participants who have earned a principal certification by fulfilling all of the |
| requirements of this section and completing courses offered by the RIDE accredited school |
| principal preparation program (internship) shall not be required to complete the department- |
| approved leadership program set forth in subsection (e) of this section but shall instead successfully |
| complete an additional course on program evaluation (including data analysis). |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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