2013 -- S 0511

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LC00970

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - REVERSE TRANSFER CREDITS

     Introduced By: Senators Pichardo, Gallo, Satchell, DiPalma, and Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Education

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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by adding thereto the following chapter:

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     CHAPTER 100

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REVERSE TRANSFER CREDITS

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     16-100-1. Legislative findings. -- (a) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),

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overall people with an associate's degree earned more than do those whose highest level of

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educational attainment is a high-school diploma.

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     (b) According to the BLS, among the fastest growing occupations and occupations with

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plentiful job openings are those often requiring workers with an associate's degree. According to

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some estimates, employment of Americans with an associate’s degree has increased by 578,000

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over the time period of April to October 2012.

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     (c) According to census data, by the year 2020 over fifty percent (50%) of Rhode Island

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jobs will require some form of postsecondary training

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     (d) According to census data among Rhode Islanders without a postsecondary degree,

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nineteen and seven/tenths percent (19.7%) had at least some college but did not receive a degree.

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     (e) By allowing students to transfer more of the credits they have earned towards an

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associate's degree, it would enable those students who have not completed a four (4) year degree

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to obtain an associate’s degree which will better reflects those students’ actual educational

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attainment.

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     16-100-2. Policy implemented. -- (a) The state board of education and/or the board of

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governors for higher education, whichever is in existence at the time, shall prescribe by regulation

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a reverse transfer policy that shall allow students to use credits earned at a four (4) year institution

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for an associate’s degree at a two (2) year institution. The regulations shall address the minimum

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grade of the course to be transferred and any other areas that the board deems appropriate.

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     (b) A student shall be allowed to earn up to eighty percent (80%) of the credits at a four

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(4) year institution that the two (2) year institution requires for the associate's degree program or

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certificate with the remaining credits earned through the two (2) year institution, as well as any

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exit exam required for that program or certificate.

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     16-100-3. Reporting. -- The board shall report the number of associate's degrees and

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certificates awarded where students utilized the reverse transfer option and wherever possible

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whether the student continued to pursue a bachelors degree. The report shall be provided to the

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president of the senate, speaker of the house and the governor annually beginning July 1, 2015.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC00970

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - REVERSE TRANSFER CREDITS

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     This act would direct the state board of education to set forth regulations that would

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provide a policy for the reverse transfer of credits from a four (4) year school to a two (2) year

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school.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC00970

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