2018 -- H 7040

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, O'Brien, Solomon, Casimiro, and Lancia

     Date Introduced: January 03, 2018

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-19 of the General Laws entitled "Compulsory Attendance [See

Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding

thereto the following sections:

     16-19-11. Attendance review teams.

     (a) As used in this section and in §16-19-12:

     (1) "Absence" means an excused absence, unexcused absence or disciplinary absence, or

an in-school suspension that is greater than or equal to one-half (1/2) of a school day;

     (2) "Chronically absent child" means a child who is enrolled in a school under the

jurisdiction of a municipal or regional school board or committee and whose total number of

absences at any time during a school year is equal to or greater than ten percent (10%) of the total

number of days that the student has been enrolled at the school during that school year;

     (3) "District chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent

children under the jurisdiction of a local or regional board of education in the previous school

year divided by the total number of children under the jurisdiction of the board for that school

year; and

     (4) "School chronic absenteeism rate" means the total number of chronically absent

children for a school in the previous school year divided by the total number of children enrolled

in the school for that school year.

     (b)(1) Each municipal or regional school board or committee that:

     (i) Has a district chronic absenteeism rate of ten percent (10%) or higher shall establish

an attendance review team for the school district;

     (ii) Has a school under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a school chronic

absenteeism rate of fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance review team at

such school;

     (iii) Has more than one school under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a

school chronic absenteeism rate of fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance

review team for the school district or at each such school; or

     (iv) Has a district chronic absenteeism rate of ten percent (10%) or higher and one or

more schools under the jurisdiction of the board or committee with a school chronic absenteeism

rate of fifteen percent (15%) or higher shall establish an attendance review team for the school

district or at each such school. Attendance review teams shall be established to address chronic

absenteeism in the school district or at the school or schools.

     (2) Any attendance review team established under this section may consist of school

administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers and/or representatives from

community-based programs who address issues related to student attendance by providing

programs and services to truants, and chronically absent children and their parents or guardians.

Each attendance review team shall be responsible for reviewing the cases of truants and

chronically absent children, discussing school interventions and community referrals for truants

and chronically absent children and making any additional recommendations for such truants and

chronically absent children, and their parents or guardians. Each attendance review team shall

meet at least monthly.

     16-19-12. Chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan.

     (a) Not later than January 1, 2019, the Rhode Island department of elementary and

secondary education shall develop a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan for use

by municipal and regional school boards and committees of education to reduce chronic

absenteeism in the school district.

     (b)(1) The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan shall include, but need

not be limited to, the following information that describes:

     (i) Chronic absenteeism, including, but not limited to, the definition of a chronically

absent child under §16-19-11, and the causes of chronic absenteeism, such as poverty, violence,

poor health and lack of access to transportation;

     (ii) The effect of chronic absenteeism on a student's academic performance;

     (iii) How family and school partnerships with community resources, including, but not

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limited to, family resource centers and youth service bureaus, can reduce chronic absenteeism and

improve student attendance;

     (iv) A means of collecting and analyzing data relating to student attendance, truancy and

chronic absenteeism for the purpose of:

     (A) Disaggregating such data by school district, school, grade and subgroups, such as

race, ethnicity, gender, eligibility for free or reduced priced lunches and students whose primary

language is not English; and

     (B) Assisting local and regional boards of education in:

     (I) Tracking chronic absenteeism over multiple years and for the current school year;

     (II) Developing indicators to identify students who are at risk of being chronically absent

children;

     (III) Monitoring students' attendance over time; and

     (IV) Making adjustments to interventions as they are being implemented.

     (2) The chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan may include, but need not

be limited to:

     (i) A research-based and data-driven mentorship model that addresses and attempts to

reduce chronic absenteeism through the use of mentors, such as students, teachers, administrators,

intramural and interscholastic athletic coaches, school resource officers and community partners;

and

     (ii) Incentives and rewards that recognize schools and students that improve attendance

and reduce the school chronic absenteeism rate.

     (c) The council on elementary and secondary education shall include the applicable

district’s chronic absenteeism rate of each school district within the report on school discipline

presented annually to the general assembly pursuant to the provisions of §16-60-4. The council

shall also incorporate and include the applicable school or district’s chronic absenteeism rate in

any report card or evaluation of the effectiveness of a school or district.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE

***

     This act would direct school districts experiencing high rates of student absenteeism to

establish attendance review teams to address this absenteeism. The act would also direct the state

department of education to establish a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan by

January 1, 2019. The act would also direct the council on elementary and secondary education to

include each school district's absenteeism rate within the report on school discipline presented

annually to the general assembly, and to include the school or district's absenteeism rate in any

report card or evaluation of the effectiveness of a school or district.

     This act would take effect on July 1, 2018.

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