2022 -- H 7164

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LC003848

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS BOARD

(SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Craven, Hawkins, McNamara, Corvese, Serpa,
McEntee, Biah, Slater, and Ranglin-Vassell

     Date Introduced: January 26, 2022

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-11.4-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11.4 entitled "Rhode

Island Certification Standards Board [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of

Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     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.

     (c) Beginning no 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.

     (d) 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.

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

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

     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and

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

this section.

     (f) By the beginning of the 2023-2024 2025-2026 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.

     (g) All teachers who begin employment in the 2023-2024 2025-2026 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.

     (h) 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 scientific reading instruction and structured

literacy instruction.

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

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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.

     (j) 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.

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

     (l) The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section no

later than August 1, 2022.

     (1) The rules and regulations adopted by the department shall recognize that teachers shall

have met the requirement of demonstrating awareness in knowledge and practices of scientific

reading and structured literacy instruction by attending six (6) hours of training in scientific reading

and structured literacy instruction.

     (2) The rules and regulations adopted by the department shall recognize that teachers shall

have met the requirement of demonstrating proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific

reading and structured literacy instruction by one of the following:

     (i) Possessing a Master’s degree in reading or a related academic discipline;

     (ii) Possessing a reading specialist and/or consultant certificate;

     (iii) Attending twenty-four (24) hours of training in scientific reading and structured

literacy instruction;

     (iv) Providing proof of completion of a course or training program in scientific reading

instruction;

     (v) Passing a test in scientific reading and structured literacy instruction adopted by the

department; or

     (vi) Having at least fifteen (15) years of experience teaching reading at the elementary

level.

     (m) 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,

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

     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 -- RHODE ISLAND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS BOARD

(SEE TITLE 16 CHAPTER 97 - THE RHODE ISLAND BOARD OF EDUCATION ACT)

***

     This act would extend the time period from the school year 2023-2024 until 2025-2026 to

require all teachers to demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and practices of scientific reading and

structured literacy instruction. This act would further extend the time period from the school year

2023-2024 until 2025-2026 requiring all new hires for a teaching position to demonstrate an

awareness in knowledge and practices of the scientific reading instruction credential and a

structured literacy instruction credential as a condition of hire, or within one year of hire, if already

licensed. A teacher may demonstrate such knowledge and practice by: (1) Possessing a Master’s

degree in reading; (2) Possessing a reading specialist and/or consultant certificate; (3) Attending

twenty-four (24) hours or more of training in scientific reading and structured literacy instruction;

(4) Providing proof of completion of a course or training program in scientific reading instruction;

(5) Passing a test in scientific readings and structured literacy instruction; or (6) Having a least

fifteen (15) years of teaching experience at the elementary school level. The department shall issue

rules and regulations in regards to this act no later than August 1, 2022.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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