2014 -- H 8363

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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 Amore, O'Brien, Marshall, Edwards, and O`Grady

     Date Introduced: June 19, 2014

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Preamble

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island is the only state that uses the New England Common

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Assessment Program ("NECAP") as a requirement for graduation. The other states that

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administer the NECAP (New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine) use the test as a means of

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measuring schools' and systems' performance, not individual student's diploma readiness.

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     WHEREAS, The results of the NECAP testing for the Rhode Island graduating class of

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2014 reveal that students with special needs and English language learners are disproportionately

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disadvantaged. The NECAP may not be the most appropriate test to assess the knowledge of

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students with special needs or English language learners.

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     WHEREAS, A design flaw of the NECAP is that it is administered in the fall of the

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junior year, which adversely affects students who are poor, English language learners and special

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needs students as they suffer from the biggest "summer learning loss."

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     WHEREAS, The NECAP is not aligned with the Common Core educational standards

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which are being implemented at this time. As such, the NECAP is not measuring what the

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educators believe is essential in the common core for students to learn.

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     WHEREAS, As the Commonwealth of Massachusetts reports that a key to their success

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in implementing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System ("MCAS"), was utilizing

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a test that was aligned to a curriculum that was coordinated with the appropriate professional

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development for their teachers. After about ten years with that curriculum, the MCAS was used

 

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as a graduation requirement. The test alone, did not improve Massachusetts' student outcomes.

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     WHEREAS, If Rhode Island is to experience the student achievement outcomes of

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Massachusetts, the Common Core standards need to fully be in place for students in the lower

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grades as they advance. These younger learners will then be tested on their progress through the

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years. As those students reach high school, the expectation of a common core-aligned test as a

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graduation requirement would more closely follow the path of Massachusetts.

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     SECTION 2. 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 repealed.

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

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performance. -- 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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     SECTION 3. Chapter 16-97 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode Island Board of

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

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     16-97-8. Assessment of student performance. -- (a) The commissioner of elementary

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and secondary education shall implement the state assessment program. The program shall

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include performance standards and an annual report that disaggregates performance by race,

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poverty, native language and gender. The general assembly shall annually appropriate funds to

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support the programs, and the amount shall be recalculated annually.

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     (b) Prior to the graduating class of 2017, no state assessment conducted pursuant to this

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chapter, and no other standardized testing program or assessment, shall be used to determine a

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student's eligibility to graduate from high school. Any such assessments implemented prior to the

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graduating class of 2017, shall be used to promote school improvement and to target remediation

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programs to individual students and groups of students.

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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 RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT

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     This act would amend the method by which the state assessment program would be

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implemented in public schools. The act would provide that no state assessment conducted

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pursuant to chapter 16-97 and prior to the graduating class of 2017, would be used to determine a

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student's eligibility to graduate from high school.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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