2022 -- H 7757

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LC004870

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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 - ARIANNA'S SPEECH FLUENCY ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives Quattrocchi, Nardone, Price, and Filippi

     Date Introduced: March 02, 2022

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 67.3

ARIANNA'S SPEECH FLUENCY ACT

     16-67.3-1. Legislative findings and declarations.

     The general assembly finds and declares:

     (1) This chapter shall be known as "Arianna's Speech Fluency Act" in recognition of

Arianna Maggiacomo, a child from the State of Rhode Island with speech fluency issues.

     (2) The Rhode Island economy shall benefit from a workforce which can read at grade

level.

     (3) All students shall benefit from teachers who are trained in a language-based,

multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive and flexible reading program, such as

the Orton-Gillingham classroom education program.

     (4) There are many teachers throughout the state who have expressed interest in learning a

language-based, multisensory, structured, sequential, cumulative, cognitive and flexible reading

program, such as Orton-Gillingham, but they, and the school districts, lack the funds to take the

course.

     16-67.3-2. 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 student speech fluency.

     (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.

     16-67.3-3. Teacher professional development and training.

     No later than September 1, 2023, the department 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 student speech fluency pathology; and

     (2) Evidence-based interventions and accommodations for student speech fluency

pathology.

     16-67.3-4. Appropriation for teacher training.

     For fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 and for each year thereafter, the general assembly

shall appropriate a minimum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) to establish a revolving fund for

teacher training in the Orton-Gillingham classroom educator program or similar program as

designated by the department of education.

     16-67.3-5. Rules and regulations.

     The department shall promulgate rules, regulations, and procedures for teachers and/or

school districts to seek funding and/or reimbursement for funds expended for training in the Orton-

Gillingham classroom educator program. Funding and/or reimbursement shall be provided in

compliance with the rules, regulations and procedures promulgated by the department of education

for courses consisting of at least five (5) days of training up to a maximum of ten (10) days of

training in the Orton-Gillingham classroom educator program.

     16-67.3-6. Training for administrators.

     Commencing in the 2023-2024 school year, all elementary school and middle school

principals and vice principals shall have to complete professional development through the

completion of the twelve (12) hour phonological awareness Orton-Gillingham training. The costs

for these trainings shall be paid from the revolving fund authorized by this chapter

     16-67.3-7. Tracking program.

     The department shall create a system to track applications, approvals, and disbursements

from the revolving fund established by this chapter, and shall provide a report on this tracking by

July 30 of every year, commencing on July 30, 2023, to the governor, the speaker of the house of

representatives, the president of the senate, and the chairs of the house education committee and

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the senate education committee.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - ARIANNA'S SPEECH FLUENCY ACT

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     This act would establish "Arianna's Speech Fluency Act" to promote teacher training in

language-based programs such as the Orton-Gillingham method. This act would also provide that

the general assembly would appropriate $50,000 annually to support a revolving fund for teacher

training in an Orton-Gillingham classroom educator program. This act would also provide that the

department of elementary and secondary education would disseminate various practices and

materials regarding the best practices to be used to recognize characteristics of speech fluency

pathology and on evidence-based interventions and accommodations for student speech fluency

pathology.

     This act would take effect on July 1, 2022.

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