2024 -- S 2860

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LC004286

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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 -- THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT

INVESTMENT INITIATIVE

     Introduced By: Senators Bissaillon, Zurier, Ciccone, DiPalma, Mack, and Bell

     Date Introduced: March 22, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-5 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:

     16-7.1-5. Intervention and support for failing schools.

     (a) The board of regents shall adopt a series of progressive support and intervention

strategies consistent with the Comprehensive Education Strategy and the principles of the “School

Accountability for Learning and Teaching” (SALT) of the board of regents for those schools and

school districts that continue to fall short of performance goals outlined in the district strategic

plans. These strategies shall initially focus on: (1) technical assistance in improvement planning,

curriculum alignment, student assessment, instruction, and family and community involvement; (2)

policy support; (3) resource oversight to assess and recommend that each school has adequate

resources necessary to meet performance goal; and (4) creating supportive partnerships with

education institutions, business, governmental, or other appropriate nonprofit agencies. If after a

three (3) year period of support there has not been improvement in the education of students as

determined by objective criteria to be developed by the board of regents, then there shall be

progressive levels of control by the department of elementary and secondary education over the

school and/or district budget, program, and/or personnel. This control by the department of

elementary and secondary education may be exercised in collaboration with the school district and

the municipality. If further needed, the school shall be reconstituted. Reconstitution responsibility

is delegated to the board of regents and may range from restructuring the school’s governance,

budget, program, personnel, and/or may include decisions regarding the continued operation of the

school. The board of regents shall assess the district’s capacity and may recommend the provision

of additional district, municipal and/or state resources. If a school or school district is under the

board of regents’ control as a result of actions taken by the board pursuant to this section, the local

school committee shall be responsible for funding that school or school district. Such funding shall

be either at the same level as in the prior academic year increased by the same percentage as the

state total of school aid is increased or funded consistent with § 16-7-23(a) increased by the same

percentage of the state increase to the school or school district.

     (b) For FY 2007, the department shall dedicate one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)

from funds appropriated to support progressive support and intervention and SALT visits to support

the Rhode Island Consortium for Instructional Leadership and Training. This consortium is

engaged in training school leaders to be more effective instructional leaders in the standards based

instruction environment.

     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 -- THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT

INVESTMENT INITIATIVE

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     This act would permit a school to calculate its maintenance of effort on a per-pupil basis

and to deduct any nonrecurring expenditure from its maintenance of effort.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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