2014 -- H 7672

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LC004634

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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 PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT

INVESTMENT INITIATIVE - NOTICE PROVISIONS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Naughton, McLaughlin, Cimini, Ferri, and Amore

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2014

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-7.1-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Paul

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W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-7.1-13. State leadership in conducting annual assessments of student

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performance. – (a) Setting high standards for student performance must be paired with related

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assessments that will determine what progress the state is making toward bringing all children to

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high levels of achievement. A state assessment program shall be continued and expanded in core

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areas (mathematics, reading, writing and health). The program shall include performance

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standards and an annual report that disaggregates performance by race, poverty, native language

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and gender. The general assembly shall annually appropriate funds to support the programs, and

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the amount shall be recalculated annually. The commissioner of education shall implement the

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state assessment program.

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     (b) No state assessment conducted pursuant to this chapter, and no other standardized

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testing program or assessment, shall be used to determine a student’s eligibility to graduate from

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high school. Any such assessments shall instead be used to promote school and district

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accountability and improvement and to target early and intensive remediation to individual

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students and to at-risk student subgroups.

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     (c) Any student identified as “significantly below proficient” on any state assessment in

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Rhode Island shall be provided intervention assistance that is research-based and offered with

 

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sufficient intensity to close the gap between the student’s performance and the proficiency level

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as quickly as feasible. The parent or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing (in the

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native language of the parent or guardian) as follows:

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     (1) That the student is significantly below proficiency;

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     (2) What intervention(s) are being provided;

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     (3) On at least a quarterly basis, what progress towards closing the gap is being made as a

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result of such intervention(s); and

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     (4) What changes to the nature or intensity of intervention will be provided if the

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progress within a quarter is not achieving sufficient results.

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     SECTION 2. Section 16-54-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-54 entitled "Education

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of Limited English Proficient Students" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-54-3. Regulation of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education.

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-- It shall be the duty of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education to establish

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and promulgate regulations for the purpose of carrying out the intent of this chapter. These

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regulations shall include, but are not limited to:

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      (1) Criteria for the identification, assessment, placement, and exiting of eligible students,

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including, but not limited to, compliance with the requirements of § 16-7.1-13;

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      (2) Criteria for an appropriate educational program or service;

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      (3) Criteria for the monitoring and evaluation of educational programs;

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      (4) Administrative procedures for state reimbursement of approved programs and

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services;

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      (5) Definitions of responsibilities of the local school committees and the department of

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elementary and secondary education;

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      (6) Criteria for parent involvement;

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      (7) Time line for phasing in services and programs to assure that the process begins and

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that all eligible children are served.

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     SECTION 3. Section 16-67-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-67 entitled "Rhode

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Island Literacy and Dropout Prevention Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-67-3. Coordination with programs for special populations. -- It is required that

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programs serving special population students be coordinated with the requirements of this

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chapter. All these programs shall focus on literacy objectives to the extent appropriate for each

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special population. All coordinating efforts shall not absolve participating school districts from

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meeting all requirements of state and/or federal laws, regulations, and mandates. In particular,

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programs for supplementary literacy instruction for educationally disadvantaged students in

 

LC004634 - Page 2 of 4

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kindergarten through grade twelve (12) shall meet the following criteria which shall be included

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in a plan submitted annually and reviewed and approved by the department of elementary and

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secondary education:

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      (1) Services shall be based on an annual assessment of need;

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      (2) Programs shall have performance objectives evaluated annually;

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      (3) Programs must provide supplementary services;

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      (4) Programs must be monitored by the department of elementary and secondary

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education; and

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      (5) School districts must keep records on the above and afford access to the records by

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the department of elementary and secondary education.; and

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     (6) Information demonstrating compliance with the requirements of § 16-7.1-13.

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     SECTION 4. 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 - NOTICE PROVISIONS

***

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     This act would provide that no state assessment or standardized testing would be used to

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determine a student's eligibility to graduate from high school. This act would also provide that

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any student identified as significantly below proficient on any state assessment would be given

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intervention assistance, and would require that the parent or guardian of the student be provided

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with notifications from the school regarding his or her proficiency.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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