2021 -- S 0637

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LC001871

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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 -- PAUL W. CROWLEY STUDENT INVESTMENT

INITIATIVE

     Introduced By: Senators Murray, Euer, Kallman, and Cano

     Date Introduced: March 18, 2021

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-10 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:

     16-7.1-10. Professional development investment fund.

     (a) In order to continue developing the skills of Rhode Island's teachers, administrators and

staff, to facilitate the dissemination of curriculum materials aligned with curriculum frameworks

and state assessments, and to implement district professional development plans required by

certification regulations, the general assembly establishes a Professional Development Investment

Fund. The general assembly shall annually appropriate some sum and distribute it based on a pupil-

teacher ratio per pupil basis that shall be adjusted annually by the commissioner of elementary and

secondary education. School districts, including collaboratives established pursuant to chapter 3.1

of this title, may use funds received under this category of education aid to replace up to, but no

more than, fifty percent (50%) of the amount the school district spent for professional development

programs in the previous fiscal year. The expenditure of these funds shall be determined by a

committee at each school consisting of the school principal, two (2) teachers selected by the

teaching staff of the school, and two (2) parents of students attending the school. Schools that enroll

students in the early grades (kindergarten through grade three (3)) must expend these funds on the

development of scientific research based, as described in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,

Title 1, Part B, Section 1208 [20 U.S.C. § 6368], reading instruction to improve students reading

performance.

     Schools that have met their performance targets in reading for the current academic year

and are not designated as a school in need of improvement, may expend their Professional

Development Investment Funds on professional development in the core academic subjects of

mathematics, writing, or reading to improve student performance.

     Collaborative programs between schools are encouraged. These resources shall be used to

close student performance gaps in accordance with the school's and district's strategic plan pursuant

to § 16-7.1-2. Additional funds shall be allocated to the department of elementary and secondary

education to support teacher and administrator professional development in all districts, including,

but not limited to:

     (1) Supporting mentoring systems;

     (2) Providing school districts with program support to assist teachers in local school

districts to improve reading instruction and enhance the integration of reading throughout the

curriculum with the goal of improving student performance to high standards;

     (3) Support for the design and implementation of leadership development for the teacher

to assume leadership roles or ultimately prepare for administrator;

     (4) Development of a plan for formal training of school leaders in standards based

instruction, school improvement planning, effective use of data in the decision-making process,

community involvement and creation of governance structures;

     (5) Support for national board certification of teachers, application fees for a certificate of

clinical competence issued by the American speech-language hearing association, and grants for

coordination and support of school based teacher professional development; and

     (6) The practice of scientific research based reading instruction to improve reading

performance.

     (b) In FY 2003, the additional funds allocated to the department of elementary and

secondary education pursuant to this section shall be used only to support the activities described

in subdivisions (a)(2) and (a)(5) of this section.

     (c) Out of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for professional development in

subsection (a) of this section, twenty-five percent (25%) shall be set aside for district-wide

professional development activities. The expenditure of this district-wide professional development

set-aside the professional development investment funds in each school district shall be determined

by a committee in each district consisting of the superintendent or his or her designee, three (3)

teachers appointed by the collective bargaining agent, and one member of the Rhode Island

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department of elementary and secondary education field service team servicing that school district

designated by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education appointed by the

superintendent. The expenditure must be aligned with the district strategic plan as well as ongoing

professional development programs approved by the department of elementary and secondary

education the LEA professional learning plan required by the department of education certification

regulations. Collaborative programs between school districts are permissible.

     (d) Beginning in FY 2006, professional development funds shall only be spent with the

prior approval of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education upon submission of a

district level plan which incorporates the school level plans and which details the use of the funds.

These plans shall to the extent possible call for professional development activities that are

embedded or do not otherwise encroach upon student instruction time. The requirements of this

paragraph shall apply to both district-wide professional development activities and professional

development activities determined by the school-level committees.

     (e) In FY 2009 payments from the professional development investment fund are hereby

suspended through June 30, 2009. Notwithstanding, school districts may continue to maintain

professional development programs and may reduce other education programs to achieve savings.

     (f) In FY 2010 payments from the professional development investment fund are hereby

suspended through June 30, 2010. Notwithstanding, school districts may continue to maintain

professional development programs and may reduce other education programs to achieve savings.

     (g) Commencing in FY 2022, the sum of two hundred dollars ($200) per student shall be

allocated to each school district to the professional development investment fund.

     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 -- PAUL W. CROWLEY STUDENT INVESTMENT

INITIATIVE

***

     This act would restructure the professional development investment fund to assume duties

of dissemination of curriculum materials aligned with curriculum frameworks, state assessments,

and implement district professional development plans with an allocation of two hundred dollars

($200) per student.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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