2017 -- H 5453 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ALL STUDENTS COUNT ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Slater, Williams, Casey, and Morin

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2017

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended

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by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 107

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ALL STUDENTS COUNT ACT

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     16-107-1. Short title.

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     This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "All Students Count Act".

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     16-107-2. Definitions.

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     The following words and phrases, as used in this chapter shall have the following

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meanings:

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     (1) "Entity" means the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education,

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its subagencies and state agency(s) and local municipalities from which it collects demographic

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data.

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     (2) "Southeast Asian" means individuals who identify with one or more ethnic groups

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originating from the countries in the Southeast Asian region, including Cambodia, the

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Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries.

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     16-107-3. Data transparency.

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     (a) Whenever the department of elementary and secondary education collects

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demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origins of students for a report that includes

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educational proficiencies, graduation rates, attendance rates, and access to educational resources,

 

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the entity shall use separate collection categories and tabulations in accordance with the

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following:

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     (1) No later than twelve (12) months after a decennial United States Census is released to

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the public, each entity shall use the collection and tabulation categories for the Asian population

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groups as they are reported by the United States Census Bureau as well as people with disabilities

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and English language learners.

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     (2) The categories used by each entity for Asian population, to the extent not already

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required pursuant to this section shall always include, but not be limited to, the following Asian

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ethnic groups:

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     (i) Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian ethnic

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groups.

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     (3) Until the release of the next decennial United States Census following the enactment

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of this chapter, each entity shall use the enhanced data collection and tabulation categories that

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the entity was previously required to use.

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     (4) Each entity shall comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, (20

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U.S.C. ยง1232g, 34 CFR Part 99) and shall observe criteria for ensuring statistical significance of

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data collected and published.

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     (i) Districts reporting data with a student group that has too few students, as defined by a

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minimum size of ten (10), for evaluation must be notated.

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     (5) Each entity shall cross-tabulate data of student outcome by gender, disability and

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English proficiency for all students.

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     (6) Each entity shall make the demographic data publicly available, except for personal

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identifying information, which shall be deemed confidential, by posting the data on the applicable

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entity's website by July 1, 2018 and shall update the data annually thereafter. This subsection

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shall not be construed to prevent any other state agency from posting data collected on the state

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agency's website, in a matter prescribed by this section.

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     (b) This chapter shall only apply to the collection of data for students in the public

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elementary and secondary education system. It does not apply to the demographic data of

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students participating in postsecondary education.

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     (c) If the state determines that this chapter contains costs mandated by the state,

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reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made.

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     SECTION 2. 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 -- ALL STUDENTS COUNT ACT

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     This act would create the "All Students Count Act" and would require the department of

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elementary and secondary education to use separate collection categories and tabulations for

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specified Asian ethnic groups in every demographic report on ancestry or ethnic origins of

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residents.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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