2021 -- H 6315

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LC002802

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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 -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

BOARD--RIGHT TO READ ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Noret, Corvese, Costantino, Hawkins, Craven,
Phillips, Amore, Caldwell, and Williams

     Date Introduced: May 07, 2021

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-11.4-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11.4 entitled "Rhode

Island Certification Standards Board [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of

Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-11.4-6. Right to read act.

     (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Right to Read Act."

     (b) No later than 2025 2026, the following shall have proficient knowledge and skills to

teach reading consistent with the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured

literacy instruction:

     (1) A person who completes a state-approved educator preparation program; and

     (2) A person seeking teacher licensure by reciprocity or by adding an endorsement.

     In addition, no later than 2025 2026, a person who completes a state-approved educator

preparation program, other than a teacher of elementary education program, shall demonstrate an

awareness of the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

     (c) Beginning no later than the 2024-2025 2025-2026 school year, each state-approved

educator preparation program shall post on its website information describing its program to

prepare teachers to teach reading with scientific reading instruction and structured literacy

instruction; aligned with, but not limited to, the content measured by the stand-alone reading

assessment adopted by the Rhode Island board of education act.

     (d) Beginning with the 2020-2021 2025-2026 school year, a public school district and an

open-enrollment public charter school shall provide the following professional development in

scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction:

     (1) For teachers licensed at the elementary level, professional development for one of the

prescribed pathways to obtaining a proficiency credential in knowledge and practices in scientific

reading instruction and structured literacy instruction; and

     (2) For teachers licensed at a level other than the elementary level, professional

development for one of the prescribed pathways to obtaining an awareness credential in knowledge

and practices in scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

     (e) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, a public school that does not provide the

professional development pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) shall:

     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and

     (2) Provide notice to parents that the public school district has not met the requirements of

this section.

     (f) By the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year:

     (1) All teachers employed in a teaching position that requires an elementary education (K-

6) license or (K-12) license shall demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific

reading and structured literacy instruction; and

     (2) All other teachers shall demonstrate awareness in knowledge and practices of scientific

reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

     (g) All teachers who begin employment in the 2023-2024 school year and each school year

thereafter shall demonstrate proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices in scientific

reading instruction and structured literacy instruction as is applicable to their teaching position by

completing the prescribed proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices of the scientific

reading instruction credential and a structured literacy instruction credential either:

     (1) As a condition of licensure; or

     (2) Within one year if the teacher is:

     (i) Already licensed; or

     (ii) Employed under a waiver from licensure.

     (h) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program shall include in its annual

report to the department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") a description

of program to prepare educators to teach reading using scientific reading instruction and structured

literacy instruction.

     (i) A public school district that employs an educator in violation of this section or that does

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not provide the professional development as required under this section shall be in violation of the

standards for accreditation of the Rhode Island board of education act, and the school district may

be placed on probationary status by the department. A public school district placed on probationary

status pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall send written notification to the parents of

the students in the public school district of the reason for being placed on probationary status.

     (j) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program that does not comply with

the requirements of this section may be subject to penalties up to and including having the

provider's approval status revoked.

     (k) The department is vested with the authority to, and shall enforce, this section.

     (l) The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.

     (m) As used in this section:

     (1) The term "scientific reading instruction" means instruction that is instructional

centered, empirically based, and further based on the study of the relationship between cognitive

science and educational outcomes; and

     (2) The term "structured literacy instruction" means an approach by which licensed

personnel teach reading, which includes syllables, morphology, sound-symbol correspondence,

semantics, and syntax, in an explicit, systematic, and diagnostic manner.

     SECTION 2. Sections 16-67.2-4 and 16-67.2-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-67.2

entitled "Education of Children with Dyslexia and Related Disorders" are hereby amended to read

as follows:

     16-67.2-4. Dyslexia and related disorder education in teacher preparation programs.

     No later than the 2021-2022 2022-2023 school year, the department of elementary and

secondary education (the "department") shall collaborate with the board of education to require that

all department-approved undergraduate educator preparation programs for licensure as a teacher of

elementary education and as a reading specialist/consultant include instruction in:

     (1) Dyslexia professional awareness of the characteristics of dyslexia and related disorders;

     (2) Evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia and related disorders;

and

     (3) Completion of a classroom educator program providing instruction in the use of specific

dyslexia- and related disorder-targeted methods of teaching.

     16-67.2-5. Research commission.

     (a) No later than January 1, 2020 2022, the general assembly shall form a joint study

research commission (the "commission") consisting of nine (9) members to be appointed as

follows: one with expertise in educating students with learning disabilities to be appointed by the

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speaker of the house; one with expertise in educating students with learning disabilities to be

appointed by the president of the senate; one with expertise in educating students with learning

disabilities to be appointed by the governor; one member of the house of representatives, who shall

be appointed by the speaker of the house; one member of the senate, who shall be appointed by the

president of the senate; three (3) teachers with expertise in dyslexia to be appointed jointly by the

speaker of the house and the president of the senate; and one parent of a student with dyslexia, who

shall be appointed by the speaker of the house.

     (b) The purpose of the commission shall be to study the possibility and feasibility of

establishing two (2) schools, to be located on the university of Rhode Island and Rhode Island

college campuses, that would be dedicated to the instruction of dyslexic children and the

development of instructional techniques and professional development programs used to improve

the instruction and identification of dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

     (c) The commission shall be funded by the general assembly, and shall visit no fewer than

four (4) schools dedicated to the education of dyslexic children, provided that if a school selected

for visitation is greater than forty (40) miles away from the state of Rhode Island's capitol building,

the visit may be conducted virtually.

     (d) The commission shall render a report to the governor and to the general assembly prior

to the commencement of the 2021 2022 legislative session on the ways in which the department

can enforce realistic goals pertaining to the increased availability of quality instruction for:

     (1) Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities; and

     (2) Instructors, administrators, and special educators regarding dyslexia and other learning

disabilities.

     SECTION 3. 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 -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

BOARD--RIGHT TO READ ACT

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     This act extends the dates for the creation of a program to prepare teachers to teach reading

with scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction and various reporting periods,

as well as teacher awareness of the characteristics of dyslexia and related disorders, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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