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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

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

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

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

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PK-12"; and

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

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

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

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term economic health and prosperity"; and

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

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

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growing opportunities for world language learning; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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Rhode Island Roadmap to Language Excellence; and

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

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

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

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share their native language; and

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

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

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

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reading in both English and in their native language; and

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     WHEREAS, Students from all backgrounds, including monolingual English speaking

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

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language; and

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

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

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

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

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and

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

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

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

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

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

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Ken Wong included the following:

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     • A core instructional cost for each student;

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

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backgrounds;

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     • State and local funding that follows the student;

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

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poverty;

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     • A gradual phase-in process; and

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

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

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

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district's promoted mainstreaming ELL students; and

 

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

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

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

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performing ELLs in the nation"; and

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

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

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

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should be acknowledged; now, therefore be it

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

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

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whom shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from urban, suburb, and rural parts of

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the state, early childhood education, elementary, middle, and high school district or public charter

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schools, higher education, teachers, students, parents, and professionals with knowledge and

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expertise in world language learning, to be appointed by the President of the Senate.

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

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

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

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

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Excellence.

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

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

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be seven (7) members. No quorum is necessary for the presentation of information to the

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commission or other nonvoting matters.

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

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

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

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

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desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution; and be it further

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

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

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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 commission to be known as "The

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Ocean State World Language Learning Commission" whose purpose it would be to study the

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

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the General Assembly no later than January 28, 2016, and whose life shall expire on March 25,

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2016.           

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