2023 -- S 0187

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LC001863

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CURRICULUM

     Introduced By: Senators E Morgan, Rogers, de la Cruz, DeLuca, Paolino, Raptakis,
Ciccone, and F. Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 16, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-22-30, 16-22-31, 16-22-32 and 16-22-33 of the General Laws in

Chapter 16-22 entitled "Curriculum [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — the Rhode Island Board of

Education Act]" are hereby repealed.

     16-22-30. Statewide academic standards.

     (a) The council on elementary and secondary education (the “council”) shall direct the

commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the “commissioner”) to institute a process

to develop statewide academic standards for the core subjects of mathematics, English language

arts, science and technology, history and social studies, world languages, and the arts. This process

shall:

     (1) Be open and consultative;

     (2) Include, but need not be limited to, a culturally and racially diverse group of classroom

teachers and students; and

     (3) Include, but need not be limited to, reviewing and revising current standards, as well as

adopting new ones, if deemed appropriate.

     (b) The commissioner shall develop the statewide academic standards pursuant to this

section by no later than December 31, 2019, and again as required by the council’s procedures set

forth in subsection (f) of this section. The standards shall:

     (1) Cover grades prekindergarten through grade twelve (PK-12);

     (2) Clearly set forth the skills, competencies, and knowledge expected to be demonstrated

by all students at the conclusion of individual grades or grade spans;

     (3) Be formulated so as to set high expectations for student performance;

     (4) Provide clear and specific examples that embody and reflect these high expectations;

     (5) Be constructed with due regard to the established research and recommendations of

national organizations, to the best of similar efforts in other states, and to the level of skills,

competencies, and knowledge possessed by typical students in the most educationally-advanced

nations. The skills, competencies, and knowledge set forth in the standards shall define the

performance outcomes expected of both students directly entering the workforce and of students

pursuing higher education. In addition, the skills, competencies, and knowledge set forth in the

standards shall inform the design and implementation of the Rhode Island comprehensive

assessment system (“RICAS”) in mathematics, English language arts, and science and technology.

The RICAS shall align with federal law, be in place for no fewer than ten (10) years, and facilitate

comparisons of students of other states and nations;

     (6) Be designed to instill respect for the cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity of this state,

and for the contributions made by diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial groups to the life of this state;

     (7) Be designed to avoid perpetuating gender, cultural, ethnic, or racial stereotypes;

     (8) Reflect sensitivity to different learning styles;

     (9) Reflect sensitivity to impediments to learning, which may include issues related to, but

not limited to, cultural, financial, emotional, health, and social factors; and

     (10) Be in a form readily comprehensible by the general public.

     (c) This section shall not require the abandonment of any standards already in place, so

long as the commissioner determines that these standards meet the statewide goals contained

herein.

     (d) The commissioner shall submit a copy of the standards to the council for approval at

least sixty (60) days prior to the standards taking effect.

     (e) Upon approval, the council shall make the standards available to the public.

     (f) The council shall develop procedures for updating, improving, or refining standards

pursuant to this section by no later than September 1, 2021. The procedures shall include a

requirement that the council review and evaluate the standards regularly to ensure that the high

quality of the standards is maintained. The review cycle shall begin in 2025, with subsequent

reviews taking place in 2029, 2033, and every four (4) years thereafter.

     (g) On or before December 1, 2020, and annually thereafter on or before December 1, the

commissioner shall report to the governor, president of the senate, and the speaker of the house,

regarding the standards developed and reviewed pursuant to this section.

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     16-22-31. Curriculum frameworks.

     (a)(1) The council on elementary and secondary education (the “council”) shall direct the

commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the “commissioner”) to institute a process

to develop curriculum frameworks for mathematics, English language arts, science and technology,

history and social studies, world languages, and the arts. This process shall:

     (i) Be open and consultative;

     (ii) Include, but need not be limited to, a culturally and racially diverse group of classroom

teachers and students; and

     (iii) Include, but need not be limited to, reviewing and revising current frameworks, as well

as developing new ones, if deemed appropriate.

     (2) The process may include, but need not be limited to, community groups, cultural

organizations, parents, teacher preparation programs, and leading college and university figures in

both subject matter disciplines and pedagogy.

     (b) The commissioner shall develop the curriculum frameworks pursuant to this section by

no later than September 1, 2021, and again as required by the council’s procedures set forth in

subsection (e) of this section. The curriculum frameworks developed by the commissioner shall:

     (1) Present broad, research-based pedagogical approaches and strategies to assist students

develop the skills, competencies, and knowledge called for by the statewide standards provided in

§ 16-22-30;

     (2) Provide sufficient detail to guide and inform processes for the education, professional

development, certification, and evaluation of both active and aspiring teachers and administrators;

     (3) Provide sufficient detail to guide the implementation of student assessment instruments;

     (4) Be constructed to guide and assist teachers, administrators, publishers, software

developers, and other interested parties in the development and selection of curricula, textbooks,

technology, and other instructional materials, and in the design of pedagogical approaches and

strategies for use in elementary, secondary, and career and technical schools;

     (5) Be aligned with the state’s commitment to college and career readiness;

     (6) Encourage demanding real-world application, multidisciplinary problem solving,

integration of academic and career and technical education curriculum, project-based learning,

performance assessment, team teaching, and alignment of classroom instruction with work-based

learning opportunities;

     (7) Promote better alignment with postsecondary curriculum and instruction, including, but

not limited to, the expansion and/or use of dual enrollment and dual credit opportunities for high

school students that help them with the postsecondary transition, persistence, and attainment of a

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credential;

     (8) Encourage capstone projects and associated performance assessments that provide

students the opportunity to demonstrate holistic proficiency with respect to research, cross-

disciplinary problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and oral defense;

     (9) Present specific, pedagogical approaches and strategies to meet the academic and

nonacademic needs of English learner, economically disadvantaged, special education, and

academically advanced students;

     (10) Be designed to avoid perpetuating gender, cultural, ethnic, or racial stereotypes;

     (11) Reflect sensitivity to different learning styles;

     (12) Reflect sensitivity to impediments to learning, which may include issues related to,

but not limited to, cultural, financial, emotional, health, and social factors; and

     (13) Be in a form readily comprehensible by the general public.

     (c) The commissioner shall submit a copy of the frameworks to the council for approval at

least sixty (60) days prior to the frameworks taking effect.

     (d) Upon approval, the council shall make the frameworks available to the public.

     (e) The council shall develop procedures for updating, improving, or refining curriculum

frameworks pursuant to this section by no later than September 1, 2021. The procedures shall

include a requirement that the council review and evaluate the frameworks regularly to ensure that

the high quality of the frameworks is maintained. The review cycle shall begin in 2025, with

subsequent reviews taking place in 2029, 2033, and every four (4) years thereafter.

     (f) On or before December 1, 2020, and annually thereafter on or before December 1, the

commissioner shall report to the governor, president of the senate, and the speaker of the house,

regarding the curriculum frameworks developed and reviewed pursuant to this section.

     16-22-32. High quality curriculum and materials.

     (a)(1) The council on elementary and secondary education (the “council”) shall direct the

commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the “commissioner”) to institute a process

for reviewing and identifying curriculum and materials for mathematics, English language arts, and

science and technology that meet the following requirements:

     (i) Is aligned with the academic standards provided in § 16-22-30;

     (ii) Is aligned with the curriculum frameworks provided in § 16-22-31;

     (iii) Is aligned with the RICAS, or any other test that is adopted as a statewide standardized

test; and

     (iv) Is of high quality.

     (2) The commissioner shall identify at least five (5) examples each of curricula for

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mathematics and English language arts pursuant to this section by no later than January 1, 2021,

for science and technology pursuant to this section by no later than January 1, 2024, and again as

required by the council’s procedures set forth in subsection (a)(8) of this section. Once identified,

the curricula shall be made available to the public, subject to copyright considerations.

     (3) The commissioner shall direct all local education agencies (“LEAs”) to select one of

the identified high-quality curricula and materials by the time of their next adoption cycle, but in

any case, no later than June 30, 2023, for mathematics and English language arts, and no later than

June 30, 2025, for science and technology. LEAs shall select curriculum and materials that are

responsive to the LEA’s cultural and linguistic needs, and support culturally responsive practices.

LEAs shall implement the high-quality curricula and materials at the start of the school year that

immediately follows the selection. If an LEA is unable to implement the high-quality curricula and

materials fully due to financial hardship, the commissioner may grant the LEA an extension of

time, provided that the LEA demonstrates continued efforts to complete the implementation.

     (4) The commissioner shall institute a waiver process for LEAs that would like to use a

curriculum other than any identified by the commissioner pursuant to this section. Part of that

process may include, but is not limited to, asking the LEA to:

     (i) Develop local curriculum goals;

     (ii) Communicate the rationale for selecting the proposed curriculum over any of the

curricula identified by the commissioner; and

     (iii) Engage a third-party reviewer that has a proven track record of curriculum audits to

review the proposed curriculum to ensure it aligns with state standards, establishes the scope and

sequence of instruction, is of high quality, is culturally relevant, and to discuss any other strengths

and weaknesses.

     (5) Waiver determinations made pursuant to subsection (a)(4) of this section shall be

appealable to the board of education.

     (6) Any LEA that has at least seventy-five percent (75%) of its students meeting

expectations on state assessments and also has no student subgroup identified for targeted

assistance under Rhode Island’s accountability process may select and use curricula and materials

other than any identified by the commissioner pursuant to this section for that subject area, only;

provided, however, that if the LEA no longer has at least seventy-five percent (75%) of its students

meeting expectations on state assessments, or if any student subgroup is identified for targeted

assistance under Rhode Island’s accountability process, the LEA must select and implement one of

the curricula identified by the commissioner pursuant to this section.

     (7) LEAs shall develop and execute a curriculum implementation plan that includes

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professional development to ensure that all teachers and administrators are prepared to implement

the new curriculum with the necessary skill and knowledge.

     (8) The council shall develop procedures for updating the identification of curricula and

materials pursuant to this section by no later than September 1, 2021. The procedures shall include

a requirement that the council review and evaluate the identified curricula and materials regularly

to ensure that the high quality of the curricula and materials is maintained. The review cycle shall

begin in 2025, with subsequent reviews taking place in 2029, 2033, and every four (4) years

thereafter.

     (b) On or before December 1, 2020, and annually thereafter on or before December 1, the

commissioner shall report to the governor, president of the senate, and the speaker of the house,

regarding the progress toward fulfilling the requirements of this section, including, but not limited

to, the high-quality curricula and materials identified, selected, and implemented by LEAs pursuant

to this section.

     (c) The state shall establish a professional development fund to provide professional

learning to LEAs that elect to use prioritized curricula and materials in mathematics and English

language arts as identified by the commissioner.

     (d) For the purposes of this section, “local education agencies” (“LEAs”) shall include all

of the following within the state of Rhode Island:

     (1) Public school districts;

     (2) Regional school districts;

     (3) State-operated schools;

     (4) Regional collaborative schools; and

     (5) Charter schools.

     16-22-33. Curriculum implementation accountability.

     (a) Once local education agencies (“LEAs”) select high-quality curriculum and materials

pursuant to § 16-22-32, the department of elementary and secondary education (the “department”)

shall identify an LEA assistance partner from within the department to provide any and all support

requested by the LEA or individual schools within the LEA regarding access to, implementation

of, and professional development for the curriculum and materials.

     (b) The LEA assistance partner shall meet with teachers, principals, administrators, or other

school officials of the LEA to which they are assigned at a school within the LEA on a regular

basis, which shall be no less frequently than every three (3) months, to discuss the progress toward

implementing the curriculum and materials effectively. Areas of discussion may include, but are

not limited to:

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     (1) Barriers to learning and plans to eliminate said barriers;

     (2) Best practices regarding pedagogical techniques given the diversity of the student

population being served;

     (3) Where to locate additional professional development resources; and

     (4) Implementation strategies that have been successful to share with other LEAs that are

using the same curriculum and materials.

     (c) The LEA assistance partner shall tour all schools within its assigned LEA with at least

one teacher and the principal or assistant principal:

     (1) To observe challenges teachers are facing while implementing the curriculum and

materials;

     (2) To discuss with the teacher and principal or assistant principal ideas to help resolve

those challenges; and

     (3) To answer any questions regarding the curriculum or implementation thereof.

     (d) The LEA assistance partner shall have follow-up meetings at schools within their

assigned LEA as often as requested by an individual school or the entire LEA to ensure all educators

are comfortable implementing the curriculum effectively.

     (e) The LEA assistance partner shall report to the department no less frequently than every

three (3) months regarding the status of curriculum implementation at the schools within their

assigned LEA.

     (f) The commissioner is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary

to implement the provisions of this section.

     (g) For the purposes of this section, “local education agencies” (“LEAs”) shall include all

of the following within the state of Rhode Island:

     (1) Public school districts;

     (2) Regional school districts;

     (3) State-operated schools;

     (4) Regional collaborative schools; and

     (5) Charter schools.

     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 -- CURRICULUM

***

     This act would repeal in their entirety sections 16-22-30, 16-22-31, 16-22-32 and 16-22-

33, all of which relate to the establishment of statewide academic standards in mathematics, English

language arts, science and technology, history, social studies, world languages and the arts and their

implementation into the curriculum of all public schools.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001863

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