| Chapter 359 |
| 2025 -- H 5594 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 07/01/2025 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT INVESTMENT INITIATIVE |
Introduced By: Representatives DeSimone, Biah, Slater, Kazarian, Hull, and O'Brien |
| Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Paul |
| W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode |
| Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 16-7.1-5. Intervention and support for failing schools. Intervention and support for |
| individual schools. |
| (a) The board of regents shall adopt a series of progressive support and intervention |
| strategies consistent with the Comprehensive Education Strategy and the principles of the “School |
| Accountability for Learning and Teaching” (SALT) of the board of regents for those schools and |
| school districts that continue to fall short of performance goals outlined in the district strategic |
| plans. These strategies shall initially focus on: |
| (1) technicalTechnical assistance in improvement planning, curriculum alignment, student |
| assessment, instruction, and family and community involvement; |
| (2) policyPolicy support; |
| (3) resourceResource oversight to assess and recommend that each school has adequate |
| resources necessary to meet performance goal; and |
| (4) creatingCreating supportive partnerships with education institutions, business, |
| governmental, or other appropriate nonprofit agencies. If after a three-(3)year period of support |
| there has not been improvement in the education of students as determined by objective criteria to |
| be developed by the board of regents, then there shall be progressive levels of control by the |
| department of elementary and secondary education over the school and/or district budget, program, |
| and/or personnel. This control by the department of elementary and secondary education may be |
| exercised in collaboration with the school district and the municipality. If further needed, the school |
| shall be reconstituted. Reconstitution responsibility is delegated to the board of regents and may |
| range from restructuring the school’s governance, budget, program, personnel, and/or may include |
| decisions regarding the continued operation of the school. The board of regents shall assess the |
| district’s capacity and may recommend the provision of additional district, municipal and/or state |
| resources. If a school or school district is under the board of regents’ control as a result of actions |
| taken by the board pursuant to this section, the local school committee shall be responsible for |
| funding that school or school district at the same level as in the prior academic year increased by |
| the same percentage as the state total of school aid is increased. |
| (b) For FY 2007, the department shall dedicate one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) |
| from funds appropriated to support progressive support and intervention and SALT visits to support |
| the Rhode Island Consortium for Instructional Leadership and Training. This consortium is |
| engaged in training school leaders to be more effective instructional leaders in the standards based |
| instruction environment. This intervention, support, and control by the department of elementary |
| and secondary education as authorized by this section may only be exercised in up to two (2) |
| schools within one school district at any given time. Provided, the provisions of this subsection |
| shall not apply to any such intervention, support, and control which has been initiated and is in |
| effect prior to or as of July 1, 2025. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. |
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| LC001690/SUB A |
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