2014 -- S 2738 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC005098/SUB A

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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

     

     Introduced By: Senator Maryellen Goodwin

     Date Introduced: March 06, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-12 of the General Laws entitled "Rights and Duties of Teachers

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Generally" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     16-12-11. Educator evaluations. – (a) Any board of education-approved educator

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evaluation system for tenured teachers shall include, but not be limited to, the following

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provisions:

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     (1) Any teacher who obtains or earns a rating of "highly effective," or a number "4," or

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any equivalent thereof shall, subsequent to such evaluation, be evaluated not more than once

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every three (3) years thereafter.

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     (2) Any teacher who obtains or earns a rating of "effective," or a number "3," or any

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equivalent thereof shall, subsequent to such evaluation, be evaluated not more than once every

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two (2) years thereafter.

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     (3) An annual conference shall be required for any "highly effective" or "effective"

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teacher included in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) herein. Said conference shall be in accordance

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with a process and scope determined by each school district's educator evaluation committee.

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     (b) The provisions of this section shall not prohibit annual evaluations in circumstances

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including, but not limited to:

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     (1) Any teacher who may request an annual evaluation; or

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     (2) Any teacher during his or her first year teaching under a new teaching certificate.

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     (c) Any non-tenured teacher shall be evaluated annually.

 

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     (d) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (a), principals may observe a

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teacher's classroom and classroom instruction at any time.

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     (e) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (a), nothing herein shall

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preclude more frequent educator evaluations if they are included in a local school district's

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negotiated collective bargaining agreement entered into after July 1, 2014.

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     (f) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in subsection (a), any concerns about a

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teacher's performance that arise at anytime shall be handled in accordance with local school

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district personnel policies and negotiated collective bargaining agreements.

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     (g) Any regulations of the department of education providing for the evaluation of

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teachers shall be modified to conform with the provisions and schedule set forth herein; provided,

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however, that nothing herein shall be construed to direct the department of education to act so as

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to jeopardize any current funding from a race to the top grant received by the state.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on August 14, 2014.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

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     This act would provide that teachers who obtain a rating of "highly effective" or the

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equivalent thereof would be evaluated not more than once every three (3) years, and that teachers

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who obtain a rating of "effective" or the equivalent thereof would be evaluated not more than

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once every two (2) years. This act would not preclude more frequent evaluations to comply with

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local school district negotiated collective bargaining agreements.

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     This act would take effect on August 14, 2014.

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