2014 -- S 2059

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LC003407

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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: Senators Satchell, Metts, Sheehan, Pichardo, and Miller

     Date Introduced: January 21, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Education

     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W. Crowley Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative" is hereby repealed.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 2. 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 education

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shall implement the state assessment program. The program shall include performance standards

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

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

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amount shall be recalculated annually.

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     (b) Prior to July 1, 2019, no state assessment conducted pursuant to this chapter, and no

 

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other standardized testing program or assessment, shall be used to determine a student's eligibility

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to graduate from high school. Any such assessments implemented prior to July 1, 2019, shall be

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used to promote school improvement and to target remediation programs to individual students

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and groups of students.

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     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 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 July 1, 2019, would be used to determine a student's

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eligibility to graduate from high school.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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