2021 -- H 5350

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LC000208

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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 -- ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES FOR

ALL STUDENTS ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Alzate, Messier, Williams, Barros, Fogarty, and
Biah

     Date Introduced: February 05, 2021

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-98-2, 16-98-4 and 16-98-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

98 entitled "Access to Advanced Placement Courses for All Students Act [See Title 16 Chapter 97

- The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-98-2. Definitions.

     The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the following

meanings given to them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

     (1) "Advanced placement" means a college-level class taught at the high school level

preparatory course for a college advanced placement that provides students the opportunity to earn

college credit upon passage of an exam that:

     (i) Incorporates all topics specified by the college board College Board on its standards

syllabus for a given subject area; and

     (ii) Is authorized by the college board College Board.

     (2) "Board of regents" means the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

     (3) "College board Board " means the non-profit examination board in the United States

comprised of over four thousand five hundred (4,500) institutions of higher learning and known for

managing standardized tests such as the advanced placement or "AP" tests and refers to the

nonprofit organization that develops and administers standardized tests and curricula used by

kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and post-secondary education institutions to promote

college readiness.

     (4) "Department" means the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary

education.

     (5) "Eligible teacher" means a professional employee that is certified in the subject area of

the advanced placement course that he or she will be teaching.

     (6) “Examination” or “exam” means the test provided by the College Board to measure a

student’s mastery of the advanced placement subject matter.

     (6)(7) "Four core academic areas" means advanced placement courses in English,

mathematics, science and social science.

     (7)(8) "Poverty level" means the percentage of students in a school district eligible for free

and reduced lunch.

     (8)(9) "Program" means furtherance of the advanced placement classes in the public

schools and includes teacher training program and increased student participation.

     (9)(10) "School district" means any public school district, school unit, area-vocational-

technical school, or charter school or mayoral academy that composes a school district; the term

also encompasses a single high school or multiple high schools within a school district where

applicable.

     (10)(11) "Teacher training entities" means institutions of higher education, intermediate

units or organizations approved/certified by the college board College Board to train teachers to

teach advanced placement courses.

     (11)(12) "Virtual learning instruction" means providing academic courses to students via

the Internet and/or the use of technology in providing instruction to students.

     16-98-4. Powers and duties of department.

     (a) Guidelines. The department shall promulgate rules, regulations and procedures

necessary for the implementation of this chapter including, but not limited to, the following:

     (1) In consultation with the college board College Board, certify those teacher-training

entities that are qualified to provide training of teachers to teach advanced placement courses in the

four (4) core academic areas;

     (2) In certifying teacher-training entities for this program, the department shall ensure that

the training times and locations will be geographically accessible for teachers from eligible school

entities to attend;

     (3) The department, in consultation with the college board College Board, shall ensure that

training provided by those teacher-training entities must provide teachers of advanced placement

courses with the necessary content knowledge and instructional skills to prepare students for

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success in advanced placement courses and examinations; and

     (4) Starting at the end of the first year of the program, and every year thereafter, the

department shall issue a report to the general assembly on the advanced placement teacher-training

program that shall include, but not be limited to:

     (i) The number of teachers receiving training in advanced placement instructions in school

entities, school districts and high schools in each of the four (4) core academic areas.

     (ii) The number of students taking advanced placement courses at school entities in each

of the four (4) core academic areas.

     (iii) The number of students scoring a three (3) or more on an advanced placement

examination at school entities in each of the four (4) core academic areas.

     (iv) The remaining unmet need for trained teachers in school entities that do not offer

advanced placement courses.

     (v) The number of students taking advanced placement courses who do not take the

advanced placement examination.

     (vi) The number of students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses.

     (vii) The number of students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses

and do not take the advanced placement examination; and.

     (5) In consultation with local education authorities, ensure that the opportunity to

participate in the advanced placement program and gain college credit is available to the greatest

amount of students as practicable.

     (b) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the board of education, through the department,

from expanding the program to include other nationally accepted courses of study that provide

students an opportunity to gain college credits from classes taken in high school.

     16-98-6. Program funding.

     (a) Funding for this program is subject to appropriation by the general assembly to the

department for that purpose.

     (b) In the event that insufficient moneys are appropriated in any fiscal year to provide

funding for all eligible school entities applying to the program, the department shall prioritize

funding of eligible school entities based on the poverty level of the school districts that high school

students who will be taking the advanced placement courses reside in.

     (c) Notwithstanding any general law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the department shall

include as part of its annual budget the amount necessary to pay the exam costs for all students

below the poverty level who take advanced courses.

     (1) In support of the Rhode Island promise scholarship act (the “scholarship”), chapter 107

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of title 16, the board of education shall remit to each school district, from the funds allocated for

the scholarship or other similar program, the amounts necessary to pay for the exam costs for all

students below the poverty level who take advanced placement courses.

     (2) Funds allocated for the purpose of paying the cost of the examinations may be used

only to pay those costs and may be carried over into the next fiscal year for the same purpose.

     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 -- ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES FOR

ALL STUDENTS ACT

***

     This act would change the definition of advance placement to mean a college level class

taught at the high school level that provides students the opportunity to earn college credit upon

passage of an exam. This act also expands the reach of access to advanced placement courses to

ensure that the opportunity to participate in the advanced placement program and gain college credit

is available to the greatest amount of students as practicable.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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