2019 -- S 1036

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATIONS STANDARDS BOARD

[SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT]

     

     Introduced By: Senators Valverde, Goldin, and Pearson

     Date Introduced: June 28, 2019

     Referred To: Placed on Senate Calendar

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-11.4 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Certification

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Standards Board [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     16-11.4-6. Right to read act.

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     (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Right to Read Act".

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     (b) No later than 2025, the following shall have proficient knowledge and skills to teach

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reading consistent with the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured literacy

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instruction:

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     (1) A person who completes a state-approved educator preparation program; and

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     (2) A person seeking teacher licensure by reciprocity or by adding an endorsement.

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     In addition, no later than 2025, a person who completes a state-approved educator

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preparation program, other than a teacher of elementary education program, shall demonstrate an

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awareness of the best practices of scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (d) Beginning later than the 2024-2025 school year, each state-approved educator

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preparation program shall post on its website information describing its program to prepare

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teachers to teach reading with scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction;

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aligned with, but not limited to, the content measured by the stand-alone reading assessment

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adopted by the Rhode Island board of education act.

 

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     (e) Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, a public school district and an open-

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enrollment public charter school shall provide the following professional development in

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scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction:

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     (1) For teachers licensed at the elementary level, professional development for one of the

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prescribed pathways to obtaining a proficiency credential in knowledge and practices in scientific

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reading instruction and structured literacy instruction; and

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     (2) For teachers licensed at a level other than the elementary level, professional

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development for one of the prescribed pathways to obtaining an awareness credential in

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knowledge and practices in scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (f) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, a public school that does not provide the

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professional development pursuant to the provisions of subsection (d) of this section shall:

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     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and

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     (3) Provide notice to parents that the public school district has not met the requirements

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of this section.

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     (g) By the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year:

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     (1) All teachers employed in a teaching position that requires an elementary education

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(K-6) license, or (K-12) license, shall demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of

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scientific reading and structured literacy instruction; and

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     (2) All other teachers shall demonstrate awareness in knowledge and practices of

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scientific reading instruction, and structured literacy instruction.

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     (h) All teachers who begin employment in the 2023-2024 school year and each school

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year thereafter shall demonstrate proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices in

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scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction as is applicable to their teaching

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position by completing the prescribed proficiency or awareness in knowledge and practices of the

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scientific reading instruction credential and a structured literacy instruction credential either:

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     (1) As a condition of licensure; or

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     (2) Within one year if the teacher is:

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     (i) Already licensed; or

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     (ii) Employed under a waiver from licensure.

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     (i) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program shall include in its

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annual report to the department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") a

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description of program to prepare educators to teach reading using with scientific reading

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instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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     (j) A public school district that employs an educator in violation of this section or that

 

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does not provide the professional development as required under this section shall be in violation

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of the standards for accreditation of the Rhode Island board of education act, and the school

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district may be placed on probationary status by the department. A public school district placed

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on probationary status pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall send written notification

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to the parents of the students in the public school district of the reason for being placed on

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probationary status.

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     (k) A provider of a state-approved educator preparation program that does not comply

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with the requirements of this section may be subject to penalties up to and including having the

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provider's approval status revoked.

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     (l) The department is vested with the authority to, and shall enforce, this section.

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     (m) The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.

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     (n) As used in this section:

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     (1) The term "scientific reading instruction" means instruction that is instructional

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centered, empirically based, and further based on the study of the relationship between cognitive

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science and educational outcomes; and

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     (2) The term "structured literacy instruction" means an approach by which licensed

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personnel teach reading, which includes syllables, morphology, sound-symbol correspondence,

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semantics, and syntax in an explicit, systematic, and diagnostic manner.

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     SECTION 2. 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 67.2

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EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA AND RELATED DISORDERS

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     16-67.2-1. Teacher professional development and training.

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     No later than September 1, 2021, the department of elementary and secondary education

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shall develop and make available on its website resources to assist school districts in developing a

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program to ensure all teachers and school administrators have access to materials to support

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professional awareness of best practices on:

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     (1) Recognition of the characteristics of dyslexia, related disorders, dyscalculia and

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dysgraphia; and

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     (2) Evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia, related disorders,

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dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

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     16-67.2-2. Learning laboratory.

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     (a) The department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") shall

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develop a collaborative learning laboratory (the "laboratory") to assist and promote training for

 

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parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers in:

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     (1) Recognition of the characteristics of dyslexia, related disorders, dyscalculia and

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dysgraphia; and

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     (2) Evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia, related disorders,

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dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

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     (b) In developing the laboratory, the department shall work with professionals and

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experts who have proven, data-driven models of success in teaching students with dyslexia. The

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department shall seek to foster partnerships among educators and practitioners from both the

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public and private teaching sectors, with the goal of ensuring that every student in this state who

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has dyslexia shall be appropriately and adequately screened, diagnosed, and provided therapy,

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instruction, and accommodations as needed.

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     16-67.2-3. Department of elementary and secondary education responsibilities.

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     (a) The department of elementary and secondary education (the "department") shall

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disseminate, using web-based technology, research-based best practice methods by which the

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state and district school boards and committees shall evaluate and improve the professional

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development system of teachers in regard to dyslexia.

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     (b) The department shall also disseminate, using web-based technology, professional

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development in the use of integrated digital instruction at schools that include middle grades.

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     16-67.2-4. Dyslexia and related disorder education in teacher preparation programs.

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     No later than the 2021-2022 school year, the department of elementary and secondary

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education (the "department") shall collaborate with the board of education to require that all

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department approved undergraduate educator preparation programs for licensure as a teacher of

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elementary education and as a reading specialist/consultant include instruction in:

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     (1) Dyslexia professional awareness of the characteristics of dyslexia and related

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disorders;

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     (2) Evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia and related disorders;

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and

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     (3) Completion of a classroom educator program providing instruction in the use of

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specific dyslexia and related disorder-targeted methods of teaching.

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     16-67.2-5. Research commission.

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     (a) No later than January 1, 2020, the general assembly shall form a joint study research

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commission (the "commission") consisting of nine (9) members to be appointed as follows: one

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with expertise in educating students with learning disabilities to be appointed by the speaker of

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the house; one with expertise in educating students with learning disabilities to be appointed by

 

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the president of the senate; one with expertise in educating students with learning disabilities to

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be appointed by the governor; one member of the house of representatives, which shall be

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appointed by the speaker of the house; one member of the senate, which shall be appointed by the

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president of the senate; three (3) teachers with expertise in dyslexia to be appointed jointly by the

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speaker of the house and the president of the senate; and one parent of a student with dyslexia,

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which shall be appointed by the speaker of the house.

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     (b) The purpose of the commission shall be to study the possibility and feasibility of

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establishing two (2) schools, to be located on the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island

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College campuses, which would be dedicated to the instruction of dyslexic children and the

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development of instructional techniques and professional development programs used to improve

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the instruction and identification of dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

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     (c) The commission shall be funded by the general assembly, and shall visit no fewer

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than four (4) schools dedicated to the education of dyslexic children, provided that if a school

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selected for visitation is greater than forty (40) miles away from the state of Rhode Island’s

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capitol building, the visit may be conducted virtually.

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     (d) The commission shall render a report to the governor and to the general assembly

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prior to the commencement of the 2021 legislative session on the ways in which the department

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can enforce realistic goals pertaining to the increased availability of quality instruction for:

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     (1) Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities; and

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     (2) Instructors, administrators, and special educators regarding dyslexia and other

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learning disabilities.

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     SECTION 3. 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 - RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATIONS STANDARDS BOARD

[SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT]

***

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     This act would create the Right to Read Act to require certain licensed teachers to be

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proficient in scientific reading instruction and further require all other licensed teachers to have a

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cursory knowledge of scientific and structured literacy reading instruction. This act would also

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establish a new chapter addressing the education of children with dyslexia and related disorders.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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