2024 -- S 2365

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LC004496

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- PAUL W. CROWLEY STUDENT INVESTMENT

INITIATIVE

     

     Introduced By: Senators Murray, DiPalma, Cano, Sosnowski, Acosta, and Gallo

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Paul

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W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode

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

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     16-7.1-10. Professional development investment fund.

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

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

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frameworks and state assessments, and to implement district professional development plans

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required by certification regulations, the general assembly establishes a Professional Development

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Investment Fund. The general assembly shall annually appropriate some sum and distribute it based

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on a pupil-teacher ratio per pupil basis that shall be adjusted annually by the commissioner of

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elementary and secondary education. School districts, including collaboratives established pursuant

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to chapter 3.1 of this title, may use funds received under this category of education aid to replace

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up to, but no more than, fifty percent (50%) of the amount the school district spent for professional

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development programs in the previous fiscal year. The expenditure of these funds shall be

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

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selected by the teaching staff of the school, and two (2) parents of students attending the school.

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Schools that enroll students in the early grades (kindergarten through grade three (3)) must expend

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these funds on the development of scientific research based, as described in the No Child Left

 

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Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part B, Section 1208 [20 U.S.C. § 6368], reading instruction to

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improve students reading performance.

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

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

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

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mathematics, writing, or reading to improve student performance.

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

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

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

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

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including, but not limited to:

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     (1) Supporting mentoring systems;

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

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

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

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

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to assume leadership roles or ultimately prepare for administrator;

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

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

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community involvement and creation of governance structures;

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

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

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coordination and support of school based teacher professional development; and

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

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performance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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professional development programs approved by the department of elementary and secondary

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

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regulations. Collaborative programs between school districts are permissible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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development activities determined by the school-level committees.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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     (g) Commencing in FY 2025, the sum of two hundred dollars ($200) per student shall be

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

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     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

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

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

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

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($200) per student for fiscal year 2025.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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