2024 -- S 2039

========

LC003757

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- INNOVATION ZONE SCHOOLS

     Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Rogers, E Morgan, Paolino, DeLuca, and Zurier

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 114

INNOVATION ZONE SCHOOLS

     16-114-1. Definitions.

     As used in this chapter:

     (1) "Innovation school" means a school in which a local school board implements an

innovation plan pursuant to § 16-114-2, with the approval of the state board.

     (2) "Innovation school zone" means a group of schools of a school district or multiple

school districts that share common interests, such as geographical location or educational focus, or

that sequentially serve classes of students as they progress through elementary and secondary

education and in which a local school board implements a plan for creating an innovation school

zone with the approval of the state board.

     (3) "State board" means the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary

education (RIDE).

     16-114-2. Local planning and approval.

     (a)(1) A public school of a school district may submit to its local school board an innovation

plan pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. A group of public schools of a school district or in

multiple districts that share common interests, such as geographical location or educational focus,

or that sequentially serve classes of students as they progress through elementary and secondary

education may jointly submit to their local school board or boards a plan to create an innovation

school zone pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.

     (2) The local school board shall hold a public hearing on the plan.

     (3) The local school board shall either approve or reject the innovation plan within sixty

(60) days after receiving the plan.

     (4) If the local school board rejects the plan, it shall provide to the public school or group

of public schools that submitted the plan a written explanation of the basis for its decision. A public

school or group of public schools may resubmit an amended innovation plan or amended plan for

creating an innovation school zone at any time after denial.

     (5) If the local school board approves the plan, it may proceed to seek designation of the

school as an innovation school or innovation school zone.

     (b) A local school board may initiate and collaborate with one or more public schools of

the school district or other districts to create one or more innovation plans, under subsection (c) of

this section, or one or more plans to create innovation school zones, under subsection (d) of this

section. In creating an innovation plan, each public school that would be affected by the plan shall

have the opportunity to participate in creation of the plan. A local school board may approve or

create a plan to create an innovation school zone that includes all of the public schools of the school

district.

     (c) Each innovation plan may include the following information:

     (1) A statement of the public school's mission and why designation as an innovation school

would enhance the school's ability to achieve its mission;

     (2) A description of the innovations the public school would implement, which may

include, but not be limited to, innovations in school staffing, curriculum and assessment, class

scheduling, use of financial and other resources, and faculty recruitment, employment, evaluation,

and compensation;

     (3) A listing of department of education's administrative rules from which the schools are

requesting a waiver and rationale for the waiver request including how and why the waiver is

needed to implement its identified innovations;

     (4) A listing of the programs, policies, or operational documents within the public school

that would be affected by the public school's identified innovations and the manner in which they

would be affected. The programs, policies, or operational documents may include, but need not be

limited to:

     (i) The research-based educational program the public school would implement;

LC003757 - Page 2 of 7

     (ii) The length of school day and school year at the public school;

     (iii) The student promotion and graduation policies to be implemented at the public school;

     (iv) The public school's assessment plan;

     (v) The proposed budget for the public school; and

     (vi) The proposed staffing plan for the public school;

     (5) An identification of the improvements in academic performance that the public school

expects to achieve by implementing the innovations;

     (6) An estimate of the cost savings or increased efficiencies, or both, if any, the public

school expects to achieve by implementing its identified innovations;

     (7) A statement of the level of support for designation as an innovation school or school

zone demonstrated by students and parents of students enrolled in the public school, and the

community surrounding the public school;

     (8) A description of any provision of the collective bargaining agreement in effect for the

personnel at the public school that would need to be waived or modified for the public school to

implement its identified innovations; and

     (9) Any additional information required by the local school board of the school district in

which the innovation plan would be implemented;

     (d) Each plan for creating an innovation school zone submitted by a local school board

through collaboration with a group of public schools, may include the information specified in

subsection (c) of this section for each public school that would be included in the innovation school

zone. A plan for creating an innovation school zone may also include the following additional

information:

     (1) A description of how innovations in the public schools in the school innovation zone

would be integrated to achieve results that would be less likely to be accomplished by each public

school working alone;

     (2) An estimate of any economies of scale that would be achieved by innovations

implemented jointly by the public schools within the innovation school zone; and

     (3) A statement of the level of support for designation as an innovation school

demonstrated by students and parents of students enrolled in the public school, and the community

surrounding the public school based upon the public hearing.

     (e) In considering or creating an innovation plan or a plan for creating an innovation school

zone, each local school board may consider innovations in the following areas:

     (1) Curriculum and academic standards and assessments;

     (2) Accountability measures, including, but not limited to, expanding the use of a variety

LC003757 - Page 3 of 7

of accountability measures to more accurately present a complete measure of student learning and

accomplishment;

     (3) Provision of services, including, but not limited to, special education services, services

for gifted and talented students, services for students for whom English is not the dominant

language, educational services for students at risk of academic failure, expulsion, or dropping out,

and support services provided by the department of health and human services or county social

services agencies;

     (4) Teacher recruitment, training, preparation, and professional development;

     (5) Teacher employment;

     (6) Performance expectations and evaluation procedures for teachers and principals;

     (7) School governance and the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of principals in

innovation schools or schools within an innovation school zone; and

     (8) Preparation and counseling of students for transition to higher education or the work

force.

     (f) Each public school and each local school board may seek and accept public and private

gifts, grants, and donations to offset the costs of developing and implementing innovation plans

and plans for creating innovation school zones.

     16-114-3. State approval.

     (a) A local school board may seek an innovation school or school zone designation by the

state board.

     (b) A local school board that seeks designation of an innovation school or school zone shall

submit one or more innovation plans to the department for review and comment.

     (c) Within forty-five (45) days after receiving a local school board's plan, the department

of education shall respond to the local school board with any suggested changes or additions to the

plan, including, but not limited to, suggestions for further innovations or for measures to increase

the likelihood that the innovations will result in greater academic achievement and growth within

the innovation schools or innovation school zones. Based on the department's comments, the local

school board may choose to withdraw and resubmit its innovation plan or plan for creating an

innovation school zone.

     (d) The local school board shall forward the innovation plan to the state board for review.

     (e) The state board shall hold a public hearing on the plan. A representative of the

department of education and a representative of the proposing local board shall be present at the

hearing.

     (f) Within sixty (60) days after receiving a local school board's innovation plan or plan for

LC003757 - Page 4 of 7

creating an innovation school or school zone, the state board shall either approve or reject the

innovation plan using reasonable discretion in the assessment of the elements set forth in this

chapter and provide written explanation of the decision to the local board.

     (g) If the innovation plan is rejected, the local board may resubmit an amended innovation

plan to the department at any time after rejection.

     16-114-4. Innovation plans and waiver of regulatory requirements.

     (a) Upon the designation of an innovation school or school zone, the state board shall waive

compliance with any administrative rules specified in the local district plan.

     (b) Each local district shall continue to be subject to all laws and rules that are not waived

by the state board under this chapter.

     (c) The local board may submit a revised innovation plan pursuant to the provisions of this

chapter at any time if it is determined that additional waivers are required.

     (d) Each local district and schools not specified in the innovation plan shall continue to be

subject to all rules that are not waived by the state board.

     16-114-5. Innovation school and school zone reviews.

     (a) Two (2) years after state board approval of the innovation plan and every two (2) years

thereafter, the local board shall review the plan and the progress toward the plan objectives

including improvements in academic performance and any cost savings or increased efficiencies,

or both.

     (b) The results of the local board review shall be provided to the department of education.

     (c) If a local school board finds that the academic performance of students enrolled in the

innovation school is not improving at a sufficient rate or that the plan is not achieving the planned

results, the local school board may notify the department and state board that they wish to revoke

the innovation status.

     16-114-6. Department of education review.

     (a) The department shall review the results of each local board innovation plan review and

analyze the results based upon data available to the department.

     (b) The department may at any time conduct its own review of the innovation school or

school zone performance.

     (c) If the department finds that innovation plan performance is not satisfactory, it shall

notify the local board and the state board. The local board may respond or provide a revised

innovation plan pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

     16-114-7. Reporting.

     The department of education shall provide an annual report on innovation schools and

LC003757 - Page 5 of 7

school zones to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives,

the chairpersons of the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over education, and the state

board of education.

     (b) The report shall include:

     (1) The number of school districts with innovation schools or school zones and the total

number in the state;

     (2) The number of innovation schools and the number of schools within each innovation

school zone;

     (3) The number of students in each innovation school or innovation school zone and a

percentage of students in the local district;

     (4) An overview of innovations implemented;

     (5) An overview of the academic performance of the students served in innovation schools

and innovation school zones, including a comparison between the students' academic performance

before and after implementation of the innovations, and a comparison with the academic

performance of similar schools; and

     (6) A list of administrative rules waived.

     16-114-8. Rulemaking.

     The state board of education shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to chapter 35 of

title 42, relative to innovation schools and innovation zones.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC003757

========

LC003757 - Page 6 of 7

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- INNOVATION ZONE SCHOOLS

***

     This act would allow for a public school or a group of public schools to implement an

innovation plan through the local school board, as approved by the state board. Each plan would

be subject to review every two (2) years by the local school board, as well as the department of

elementary and secondary education.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC003757

========

LC003757 - Page 7 of 7