2015 -- S 0404

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LC001389

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING "THE OCEAN STATE WORLD LANGUAGE LEARNING COMMISSION" TO

STUDY THE IMPACT OF THE STATE'S SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA ON LANGUAGE

LEARNERS

     Introduced By: Senators Pichardo, Jabour, Metts, Nesselbush, and DaPonte

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Education

     WHEREAS, The Basic Education Program (BEP) is the overarching set of regulations

for the Rhode Island public education system and it states that "Every public school student will

have equal access to a high quality, rigorous, and equitable array of education opportunities from

PK-12"; and

     WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island Commerce Corporation has as its mission "to

work with public, private and nonprofit partners to create the conditions for businesses in all

sectors to thrive and to improve the quality of life for our citizens by promoting the state's long-

term economic health and prosperity"; and

     WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island can expand its competitive edge by positioning

itself as an economic development engine in international settings by supporting, expanding and

growing opportunities for world language learning; and

     WHEREAS, It has been comprehensively documented that only having taken a foreign

language as a high school requirement is no longer acceptable when graduates will need to

compete in a global market. Government leaders and business leaders want individuals who can

speak multiple languages for both national security and global market competition; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island can capitalize on a resource that exists in its midst, one that

can be nurtured and grown, to develop a citizenry that is capable of speaking multiple languages.

A multi-lingual citizenry can help position Rhode Island as a national leader in language learning

and position the state as an economic leader and compete in a global society as outlined in the

Rhode Island Roadmap to Language Excellence; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island schools have a significant percentage of students who speak a

language other than English in their homes. This capacity can be harnessed and further developed

to ensure that while these students are learning English they are able to maintain and develop and

share their native language; and

     WHEREAS, Research has demonstrated that English Language Learners (ELL) can all

learn the English language and acquire mastery of academic content at a rate that is superior to

their peers in English-only programs when they have access to core subjects like math and

reading in both English and in their native language; and

     WHEREAS, Students from all backgrounds, including monolingual English speaking

students, gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace with the acquisition of a second

language; and

     WHEREAS, Learning multiple languages should be part of a comprehensive viable and

guaranteed curriculum beyond meeting only a minimum requirement as a prerequisite to

graduation. Rhode Island can develop global citizens by supporting dual language programs and

world language learning in its K-12 educational system and in its higher education institutions;

and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island's funding formula and categorical funding mechanisms can

serve as tools to help further promote these goals of becoming a global leader by investing in

multi-lingual programs and a structure at the state level, to support these investments; and

     WHEREAS, In June 2010, the State of Rhode Island signed into law legislation that

created a school funding formula that according to the law’s author, Brown University Professor

Ken Wong included the following:

     • A core instructional cost for each student;

     • A "student success factor" to support students who come from low-income, high-needs

backgrounds;

     • State and local funding that follows the student;

     • Determinants of state aid to districts based on local fiscal capacity and concentrated

poverty;

     • A gradual phase-in process; and

     • A system that connects resource allocation with educational accountability; and

     WHEREAS, The formula did not assign additional weights for English language learners,

as to avoid what some called "the perverse incentive of over identification" and to ensure that

district's promoted mainstreaming ELL students; and

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     WHEREAS, According to the Latino policy Institute at Roger Williams University

"Rhode Island is facing a crisis in English Language Learner education. English Language

Learners (ELLs) in Rhode Island – 75% of which are Latino – are among some of the lowest

performing ELLs in the nation"; and

     WHEREAS, The benefits that can be achieved by Rhode Island's citizenry, most of all its

young populace, when the state makes investments to create dual language, multi-lingual,

culturally responsive programs and opportunities in our K-12 and higher education institutions

should be acknowledged; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission, known as "The Ocean State World

Languages Learning Commission," is hereby created consisting of nineteen (19) members;

nineteen (19) of whom shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from urban, suburb,

and rural parts of the state, early childhood education, elementary, middle, and high school

district or public charter schools, higher education, teachers, students, parents, and professionals

with knowledge and expertise in world language learning, to be appointed by the President of the

Senate.

     The purpose of said commission shall include, but not be limited to, studying the impact

of the state school funding formula on English Language Learners, Dual Language Learners and

multi-language learners, and to make recommendations on how to position Rhode Island as a

national leader in language learning as outlined in the Rhode Island Roadmap to Language

Excellence.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the President of the Senate and organize and shall select a chairperson.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide

suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

General Assembly no later than January 28, 2016, and said commission shall expire on March 25,

2016.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING "THE OCEAN STATE WORLD LANGUAGE LEARNING COMMISSION" TO

STUDY THE IMPACT OF THE STATE'S SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA ON LANGUAGE

LEARNERS

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     This resolution would create a nineteen (19) member special legislative commission to be

known as "The Ocean State World Language Learning Commission" whose purpose it would be

to study the impact of the state's school funding formula on language learners, and who would

report back to the General Assembly no later than January 28, 2016, and whose life shall expire

on March 25, 2016.           

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