2014 -- H 7220

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Ferri, Azzinaro, Corvese, and Diaz

     Date Introduced: January 29, 2014

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Legislative findings and direction. The general assembly hereby finds and

declares as follows:

     (1) The Rhode Island general assembly recognizes that progress has been made in

helping students transfer credits between and across the three (3) state public post-secondary

institutions of higher education, including the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island

College, and the University of Rhode Island; and

     (2) The general assembly also recognizes that the website "Rhode Island Transfers"

forms at www.ritransfers.org further illustrates that many programs and course transfer and

articulation agreements are already in place; and

     (3) The general assembly directs the office of higher education to develop and implement

a promotional campaign designed to make the information and tools available at the Rhode Island

Transfers website known to high school students, guidance counselors, college students, college

personnel, families and interested citizens and continue to develop Rhode Island Transfers with

additional tools that will enable students to have the information needed for planning to meet

their educational goals through transfer.

     (3)(4) The board of education and/or the board of governors for higher education,

whichever is in existence or if both are inexistence, then working jointly, shall identify existing

barriers to transferring courses between and amongst the three (3) public post-secondary

institutions of higher education in the state and remove such barriers when and where possible so

as to increase the number of transferrable courses and credits and to facilitate greater ease for

students in transferring credits between and across the said state public post-secondary

institutions of higher education. The board of education and/or the board of governors for higher

education, shall first report the progress of this initiative to the speaker of the house and the

president of the senate on or before March 1, 2014, and continuing annually thereafter on or

before March 1.

     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-97 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode Island Board of

Education Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

     16-97-8. Best practice replication. -- The board shall require all two (2) and four (4)

year public higher education institutions to replicate best practices in remediation and to identify

and reduce the use of methods which have been found to be ineffective in preparing or retaining

students or which have been found to delay students from enrollment in college-level courses.

     In identifying and establishing the best practices in remediation to ensure that all students

complete post-secondary higher education level work that will lead to a post-secondary credential

of value, the board shall consider and be guided by the following principles:

     (1) Completion of a set of gateway courses for a program of study is a critical measure of

success toward post-secondary higher education completion;

     (2) The content in required gateway courses should align with a student’s academic

program of study, particularly, but not limited to, the area of mathematics;

     (3) Enrollment in a gateway college-level course should be the default placement for

many more students than is current practice;

     (4) Additional academic support should be integrated with a gateway college-level course

content as a co-requisite, and not as a prerequisite;

     (5) Students who are significantly underprepared for college-level academic work require

accelerated routes into programs of study;

     (6) Multiple measures should be used to provide guidance in the placement of students in

gateway courses and programs of study;

     (7) Students should enter a meta-major (a meta-major consists of a group of academic

classes and sequence structures designed to introduce students to a broad range of career options,

while meeting the academic requirements across multiple areas of study) when they enroll in a

public post-secondary institution of higher education and start a program of study in their first

year, in order to maximize their prospects of earning a degree from a public post-secondary

institution of higher education; and

     (8) Provided, that the general assembly recognizes the value of academic freedom,

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classroom creativity, and the need for flexibility in working with students. Nothing herein shall

be construed to prevent or impair teachers from exercising such academic freedom, classroom

creativity, or flexibility in their work with students.

     16-97-9. Progress reporting. -- The board shall include in its annual report to the

governor and general assembly all campus-level data on student persistence and progress toward

implementing revised remediation, transfer, and retention practices, and the feasibility of

establishing a transferable general education program or a common educational program for all

public post-secondary institutions of higher education.

     SECTION 3. 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 RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT

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     This act would require the Rhode Island board of education to implement practices

designed to improve coordination between the state's institutions of higher learning. The act

would set forth principles for best practices to be followed, with regard to the transfer of students.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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