2014 -- S 2185

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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: Senators Metts, Crowley, Pichardo, Jabour, and Satchell

     Date Introduced: January 30, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

state assessment program.

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

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

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

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

students and to at-risk student subgroups.

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

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

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

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

native language of the parent or guardian) as follows:

     (1) That the student is significantly below proficiency;

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

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

result of such intervention(s); and

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

progress within a quarter is not achieving sufficient results.

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

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

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

-- Regulations of the board of education. – It shall be the duty of the board of regents for

elementary and secondary education to establish and promulgate regulations for the purpose of

carrying out the intent of this chapter. These regulations shall include, but are not limited to:

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

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

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

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

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

services;

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

elementary and secondary education;

      (6) Criteria for parent involvement;

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

that all eligible children are served.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

programs for supplementary literacy instruction for educationally disadvantaged students in

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

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

secondary education:

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

      (2) Programs shall have performance objectives evaluated annually;

      (3) Programs must provide supplementary services;

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

education; and

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

the department of elementary and secondary education.; and

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

     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 for certain notifications that would need to be provided to parents

or guardians of students identified as performing “significantly below proficient” on any state

assessment. This act would also provide that no state assessment or standardized testing would be

used to determine a student’s eligibility to graduate from high school. This act would also direct

the board of education to establish and promulgate regulations in compliance with these

requirements.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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