2021 -- H 5625

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LC001382

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE CLIMATE LITERACY ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Carson, Ruggiero, Ajello, Kislak, Donovan,
Kazarian, Speakman, Ranglin-Vassell, and McGaw

     Date Introduced: February 19, 2021

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by

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adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 110

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THE CLIMATE LITERACY ACT

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     16-110-1. Short title.

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     This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Climate Literacy Act".

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     16-110-2. Legislative findings.

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     The legislature finds and declares that:

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     (1) The evidence for human-induced climate change is overwhelming and undeniable, and

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the heaviest burden of climate change impacts will fall on the next generation;

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     (2) Nearly ten thousand (10,000) students graduate from Rhode Island high schools each

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year, armed with skills and knowledge about the climate that inform their actions, and the effects

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on the climate, positive or negative, of each of those ten thousand (10,000) students lasts beyond a

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lifetime;

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     (3) Those students need to be prepared to implement changes in professional and personal

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practices, to support and help develop new technology and policy, and to address the coming social

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and economic challenges and opportunities arising from a changing climate;

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     (4) It is thus essential that each of these graduates are climate literate and understand key

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environmental and sustainability principles;

 

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     (5) A study published in Nature demonstrated that children who take a climate education

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curriculum foster climate change concern among their parents;

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     (6) According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications, over seventy-six

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percent (76%) of the people of Rhode Island support teaching students about the causes,

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consequences, and potential solutions to climate change;

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     (7) According to a recent national public radio poll, eighty-six percent (86%) of teachers

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in the United States feel that climate change should be taught in schools;

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     (8) A survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half of

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American teenagers say they have learned either little or nothing about the causes or ways to reduce

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the effects of climate change, and that the number of teenagers who say they are being taught in

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school about how to mitigate climate change appears to be on the decline. Sixty-one percent (61%)

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say the issue of climate change is very or extremely important to them personally;

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     (9) The National Science Teaching Association, the National Association of Geoscience

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Teachers, and the National Association of Biology Teachers, as well as other professional education

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organizations, have all called for greater support for science educators in teaching climate science

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and climate change. In a recent paper in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,

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scientists picked climate education as one of six (6) key societal transformations needed to address

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the climate crisis;

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     (10) The resilient Rhody report recommends that kindergarten through twelve (K-12)

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education be expanded to include education on environmental literacy, including climate-related

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emergency preparedness, by developing resources for school use and identifying how these

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concepts can be incorporated into existing state standards.

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     16-110-3. Purpose.

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     The purpose and intent of this chapter is to ensure that all students attending public schools,

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or other schools managed and controlled by the state, become environmentally and climate literate

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by the time they graduate from twelfth grade.

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     16-110-4. Implementation.

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     The Rhode Island department of education shall:

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     (1) In consultation with a wide representation from the environmental and climate

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education community as well as practicing teachers, principals, and superintendents, develop a set

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of key environmental, climate, and sustainability principles and concepts to be infused into all

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science and civics and social studies courses throughout kindergarten through twelve (K-12), no

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later than August 31, 2023;

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     (2) In consultation with a wide representation from the environmental and climate

 

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education community as well as practicing teachers, principals, and superintendents, identify and

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disseminate lessons, activities, and materials related to the environment, including potential career

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paths, which are based on these key environmental, climate, and sustainability principles and

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concepts while meeting the learning standards and grade span expectations to all Rhode Island

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schools no later than August 31, 2024;

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     (3) Produce and disseminate models and examples of how to incorporate climate change

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into math and English language arts to teachers and schools no later than August 31, 2024;

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     (4) Infuse these key environmental, climate, and sustainability principles and concepts into

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the learning standards in science and the kindergarten through twelve (K-12) Rhode Island grade

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span expectations for social studies where appropriate no later than August 31, 2025;

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     (5) Ensure that all RIDE teacher professional development in science and civics and social

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studies includes these key principles and concepts no later than August 31, 2026; and

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     (6) Establish a "climate smart" award program to recognize high performing schools based

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on the metrics of the US department of education green ribbon schools program and a "green apple"

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award program to recognize kindergarten through twelve (K-12) teachers who develop and

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implement high-quality instruction that addresses these key environmental, climate, and

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sustainability principles and concepts no later than August 31, 2023.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION – THE CLIMATE LITERACY ACT

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     This act would implement literacy of climate change for all students enrolled in public

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schools or other schools managed and controlled by the state in kindergarten through twelve (K-

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12).

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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