2019 -- S 1036

========

LC002944

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

____________

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:

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

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

amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-11.4-6. Right to read act.

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

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

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

instruction:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

adopted by the Rhode Island board of education act.

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

enrollment public charter school shall provide the following professional development in

scientific reading instruction and structured literacy instruction:

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

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

reading instruction and structured literacy instruction; and

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

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

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

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

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

     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and

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

of this section.

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

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

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

scientific reading and structured literacy instruction; and

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

scientific reading instruction, and structured literacy instruction.

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

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

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

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

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

     (1) As a condition of licensure; or

     (2) Within one year if the teacher is:

     (i) Already licensed; or

     (ii) Employed under a waiver from licensure.

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

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

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

instruction and structured literacy instruction.

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

LC002944 - Page 2 of 6

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

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

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

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

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

probationary status.

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

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

provider's approval status revoked.

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

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

     (n) As used in this section:

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

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

science and educational outcomes; and

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

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

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

     SECTION 2. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended

by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 67.2

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA AND RELATED DISORDERS

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

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

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

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

professional awareness of best practices on:

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

dysgraphia; and

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

dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

     16-67.2-2. Learning laboratory.

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

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

LC002944 - Page 3 of 6

parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers in:

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

dysgraphia; and

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

dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

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

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

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

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

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

instruction, and accommodations as needed.

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

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

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

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

development system of teachers in regard to dyslexia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

disorders;

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

and

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

specific dyslexia and related disorder-targeted methods of teaching.

     16-67.2-5. Research commission.

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

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

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

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

LC002944 - Page 4 of 6

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

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

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

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

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

which shall be appointed by the speaker of the house.

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

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

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

development of instructional techniques and professional development programs used to improve

the instruction and identification of dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

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

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

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

capitol building, the visit may be conducted virtually.

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

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

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

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

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

learning disabilities.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC002944

========

LC002944 - Page 5 of 6

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]

***

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

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

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

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

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC002944

========

LC002944 - Page 6 of 6