Chapter
151
2008 -- H 7009
Enacted 07/01/08
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION
-- PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT INVESTMENT INITIATIVE
Introduced By: Representatives Costantino, Fox, Shanley, Kilmartin, and Jackson
Date Introduced: January
01, 2008
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. The title of Chapter 16-7.1 of the General Laws entitled "The Rhode
Island
Student
Investment Initiative" is hereby amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 16-7.1
The Rhode Island Student Investment Initiative
CHAPTER 16-7.1
THE PAUL W. CROWLEY RHODE ISLAND STUDENT INVESTMENT
INITIATIVE
Sections
16-7.1-1, 16-7.1-2, 16-7.1-3, 16-7.1-4, 16-7.1-5, 16-7.1-6, 16-7.1-7, 16-7.1-8,
16-7.1-9, 16-7.1-10, 16-7.1-11, 16-7.1-11.1, 16-7.1-12, 16-7.1-13, 16-7.1-14,
16-7.1-15, 16-7.1-16, 16-7.1-17, 16-7.1-18 and 16-7.1-19 of the General Laws in
Chapter 16-7.1 entitled "The Rhode Island Student Investment
Initiative" are included herein as follows:
16-7.1-1.
Legislative findings. -- (a) Legislative intent. - (1) The intent of
this legislation
is to
enact a comprehensive state education aid funding program which addresses four
(4)
fundamental
principles:
(i) Closing the inequitable resource gaps among school districts and schools;
(ii) Closing inequitable gaps in performance and achievement among different
groups of
students,
especially those correlated with poverty, gender, and language background;
(iii) Targeting investments to improve student and school performance; and
(iv) Establishing a predictable method of distributing state education aid in a
manner that
addresses
the over-reliance on the property tax to finance education.
(2) This legislation is further designed to accelerate the implementation of
the State
Comprehensive
Education Strategy. The strategy is an action plan for ensuring that all
children
achieve
at high levels and become lifelong learners, productive workers, and
responsible citizens.
The
standard for expected student achievement is currently being set at a high
level both by the
board of
regents and in Rhode Island's districts and schools. High standards must be
supported
and
these expectations must now be reached by all our students. All the state's
children must
enjoy
the success that comes with proficiency in skill and knowledge.
(b) Evaluation of success. Improved student and school performance is the key
measure
of the success of Rhode Island's schools. This success cannot occur without
investment
based on
the four (4) fundamental principles as stated in subsection (a) of this
section. The
success
of these investments shall be evaluated based on: accountability for student
and school
performance;
accountability in terms of whether the state's investment is sufficiently
adequate
and
equitable to support improvement in performance; and on accountability for
district and
school
expenditures.
16-7.1-2.
Accountability for student performance. -- (a) The board of regents
shall
adopt
and publish statewide standards of performance and performance benchmarks in
core
subject
areas to include writing and mathematics (grades four (4), eight (8), and ten
(10)). These
standards
and performance benchmarks shall be ratified by the board and implemented, and
performance
standards and performance benchmarks for reading in two (2) grades shall be
added.
(b) Districts and schools need to be held accountable for student performance
results.
Therefore,
every school district receiving state education aid under this title shall
develop a
district
strategic plan. The district strategic plan shall: (1) be based on high
academic standards
for
student performance consistent with the statewide standards and benchmarks; (2)
be the
product
of a shared community wide process which defines a vision of what students
should
know and
be able to do; (3) address the needs of each school in the district; (4) encourage
the
development
of school-based improvement planning and implementation; (5) include a process
for
mentoring of new teachers; (6) be designed to improve student achievement with
emphasis on
closing
the performance gaps among groups of students such as the performance gaps
correlated
with
poverty, gender, language background, and disability; (7) include establishment
of student
intervention
teams to address the instructional needs of diverse learners, include high
standards of
student
behavior designed to create an orderly educational environment with due regard
for the
rights
of students, and an asset protection plan; and (8) be consistent with Rhode
Island's
comprehensive
education strategy. In order to assure the most efficient use of resources
implementing
strategic plans, districts and schools are encouraged to work together as
consortia
and as
part of the regional collaboratives.
(c) (1) The strategic plan shall include strategies to improve the performance
of students
in
mathematics, reading, and writing. Each plan must describe a scientific
research based, as
described
in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part B, Section 1208 [20
U.S.C.
section
6368] reading instruction to improve the reading skills of all students in the
early grades
(kindergarten
through grade five (5)) that is aligned with the board of regents reading
policy. The
district
must develop, implement and evaluate a Personal Literacy Program for each
student in
these
grades who is performing below grade level. These strategies shall be based on
the adequate
yearly
progress expected for students and schools. Annual performance targets for
determining
whether
schools and districts have made adequate yearly progress will be set by the
commissioner
of
elementary and secondary education. The general assembly expects these district
strategies to
increase
the number of fourth grade students performing at or above the proficient
standard in
mathematics,
reading, and writing in each district and school. The increase shall be
established
annually
in accordance with section 16-7.1-4.
(2) The general assembly recognizes the contribution of school counselors to
positive
educational
change, to the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and to
the
success
of students in three (3) developmental domains: academic, career, and
personal/social. It
endorses
the National Standards for School Counseling Programs as developed by the
American
School
Counselor Association (ASCA). Further, the general assembly encourages every
district
to
implement a K-12 standards-based comprehensive, developmental school counseling
program.
(d) Each strategic plan must indicate the manner in which self-studies will be
completed
at the
school level in accordance with guidelines established by the commissioner.
Funds shall be
appropriated
to the department of elementary and secondary education to assist districts
with on-
site
reviews. Schools to be visited shall be determined by the commissioner.
(e) Each strategic plan must indicate the method in which school administrators
and staff
shall
achieve and maintain an orderly educational environment in accordance with due
process
and with
due regard for the rights of students.
(f) Each strategic plan shall include the development of inter-agency
agreements for the
coordination
of services among state and local agencies responsible for service to children
and
families.
These agreements shall address the identification and provision of services to
pre-school
children
with disabilities and children and youth with behavioral health care needs.
(g) All district strategic plans and annual updates shall be submitted to the
commissioner
of
elementary and secondary education no later than May 1, of each year.
(h) All strategic plans shall include strategies to decrease obesity and
improve the health
and
wellness of students and employees through nutrition, physical activity, health
education, and
physical
education. Said strategies shall be submitted by May 1st of each year to the
Rhode Island
department
of elementary and secondary education and the Rhode Island department of
health.
16-7.1-3.
Accountability for district and school expenditures. -- All school
districts
shall
implement a uniform program to track educational expenditures and investments.
All school
districts
shall prepare annual reports of its programs which shall be submitted to the
department
of
elementary and secondary education by July 31 of each year. The business office
in each
school
district shall annually declare that the facts and figures presented in the
district expenditure
report
are accurate to the best of their knowledge. In the event that a report is not
submitted
within
thirty days of July 31, state educational aid to the school district may be
withheld. In
addition,
each school committee shall annually ratify the district expenditure report and
transmit
the
report to the commissioner of elementary and secondary education no later than
September 30
of each
year. Furthermore, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education in
conjunction
with the Rhode Island Association of School Business Officials shall determine
the
feasibility
of and implement when appropriate a standard chart of accounts for all school
districts.
If
implemented, the municipalities shall integrate use of this chart of accounts
with municipal
accounts
as appropriate.
16-7.1-4.
Annual report by Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.
-- On or before March 31 of each year, the commissioner
of elementary and secondary education
shall
annually publish a report detailing school district and individual school
performance
consistent
with section 16-60-4(22). This report shall also set annual performance
benchmarks.
Also,
the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall report to the
house of
representatives
and the senate, sitting as the grand committee, no later than March 31 of each
year,
the status of district and school performance, status of the level of the
state's investment in
education,
and the status of district and school expenditures.
16-7.1-5.
Intervention and support for failing schools. -- (a) The board of
regents shall
adopt a
series of progressive support and intervention strategies consistent with the
Comprehensive
Education Strategy and the principles of the "School Accountability for
Learning
and
Teaching" (SALT) of the board of regents for those schools and school
districts that continue
to fall
short of performance goals outlined in the district strategic plans. These
strategies shall
initially
focus on: (1) technical assistance in improvement planning, curriculum
alignment,
student
assessment, instruction, and family and community involvement; (2) policy
support; (3)
resource
oversight to assess and recommend that each school has adequate resources
necessary to
meet
performance goal; and (4) creating supportive partnerships with education
institutions,
business,
governmental, or other appropriate nonprofit agencies. If after a three (3)
year period of
support
there has not been improvement in the education of students as determined by
objective
criteria
to be developed by the board of regents, then there shall be progressive levels
of control
by the
department of elementary and secondary education over the school and/or
district budget,
program,
and/or personnel. This control by the department of elementary and secondary
education
may be exercised in collaboration with the school district and the
municipality. If
further
needed, the school shall be reconstituted. Reconstitution responsibility is
delegated to the
board of
regents and may range from restructuring the school's governance, budget,
program,
personnel,
and/or may include decisions regarding the continued operation of the school.
The
board of
regents shall assess the district's capacity and may recommend the provision of
additional
district, municipal and/or state resources. If a school or school district is
under the
board of
regents' control as a result of actions taken by the board pursuant to this
section, the local
school
committee shall be responsible for funding that school or school district at
the same level
as in
the prior academic year increased by the same percentage as the state total of
school aid is
increased.
(b) For FY 2007, the department shall dedicate one hundred thousand dollars
($100,000)
from
funds appropriated to support progressive support and intervention and SALT
visits to
support
the Rhode island Consortium for Instructional Leadership and Training. This
consortium
is
engaged in training school leaders to be more effective instructional leaders
in the standards
based
instruction environment.
16-7.1-6.
Core instruction equity fund. -- The general assembly recognizes that
Rhode
Island
cities and towns primarily rely on the local property tax to finance education
programs, and
that the
state's highest effective property tax rates are concentrated in the state's
urban
communities.
Therefore, certain communities, because of low tax capacity and high tax
effort, are
unable
to appropriate sufficient funds for the support of core instructional programs.
The general
assembly
also recognizes the need to reduce inequities in resource distribution among
the state's
cities
and towns as well as among the state's districts and schools. Therefore, the
general
assembly
establishes the Core Instructional Equity Fund to improve the capacity of
cities and
towns to
support the core instruction activities that are the basis of daily teaching
and learning in
all
classrooms. The general assembly shall annually appropriate and distribute some
sum to meet
these
needs. The sum shall be distributed based upon the following formula:
(1) Data. - Data used for the following calculations are defined as follows:
(i) Population (state and municipal) shall be included from the most recent
census;
(ii) Equalized weighted assessed valuations (EWAV) from the most recently
completed
and
certified study pursuant to section 16-7-21;
(iii) Most recent tax data certified by the local assessors to the department
of
administration,
and core instructional per pupil cost as determined by the commissioner of
elementary
and secondary education;
(iv) Most recent resident average daily membership (ADM) pursuant to section
16-7-22;
(2) Methodology.
(i) Community Property Tax Capacity Index Calculation
Calculate statewide tax rate:
Step 1: total statewide property tax yield/total statewide property tax base
(EWAV) =
state
average tax rate
Step 2: calculate statewide yield per capita:
Total statewide property tax yield/state population (most recent census) =
state property
tax
yield per capita
Step 3: calculate municipal property tax yield per capita:
Municipal property tax yield/population = municipal property tax yield per
capita
Step 4: calculate municipal property tax capacity:
(Municipal property tax yield per capita/state property tax yield per capita) *
100 =
Community
property tax capacity index
(ii) Total Tax Capacity Index Calculation:
Step 5: calculate community hypothetical property tax yield per capita:
(Statewide tax rate * municipal property tax base (EWAV))/community population
=
Hypothetical
community property tax yield per capita
Step 6: calculate total tax capacity index:
(Hypothetical municipal yield per capita/state average property tax yield per
capita) *
100 =
total tax capacity index
(iii) Tax Effort Index Calculation:
Calculate property tax effort calculation:
Step 7: (Municipal property tax yield per capita/hypothetical municipal
property tax
yield
per capita) * 100 = Property Tax Effort Index
(iv) Capacity/Effort Index
Calculation of the equity index:
Step 8: (Property tax capacity index/tax effort index = Equity index
(v) Instructional Cost Per Pupil
Calculate the instructional cost per ADM:
Step 9: core instructional district cost degrees istrict ADM = per pupil core
instructional
district
cost
Step 10: select the statewide average per pupil instructional cost
Step 11: state average per pupil core instructional cost s district per pupil
core
instructional
cost = core gap
Step 12: core gap * ADM = weighted difference.
(3) Eligibility to receive funds. - Only those districts which have a gap in
instructional
core
funding and which have capacity of less than 0.50 per the equity index are
eligible to receive
funds
under this provision.
(4) For FY 2003, districts shall receive the greater of the dollar amount
received in FY
2002 or
the dollar amount calculated as the FY 2003 entitlement. For FY 2003, ten
percent (10%)
of these
funds shall, in addition to the purposes enumerated above, be used to increase
student
and
school performance, and shall be only spent with the prior approval of the
commissioner of
elementary
and secondary education.
16-7.1-7.
[Repealed.] –
16-7.1-8.
Student equity investment fund. -- The general assembly recognizes the
need
to
improve fourth grade performances in mathematics, reading, and writing.
Therefore, the
general
assembly establishes the Student Equity Investment Fund to target students
identified as
those
requiring additional educational services. The general assembly shall annually
appropriate
some sum
and distribute it based on each district's proportion of resident children
eligible for
USDA
reimbursable school meals relative to the total number of eligible students
statewide. For
the
purposes of this section, the date as of eligibility for USDA reimbursable
meals shall be
determined
by the June report of the reference year as defined in section 16-7-16. These
resources
shall be
used to close student performance gaps in accordance with the district's
strategic plan
pursuant
to section 16-7.1-2. Beginning in FY 2003, the commissioner of elementary and
secondary
education may require a district to use up to five percent (5%) of the funds
allocated by
this
section to increase student and school performance. The five percent (5%) set
aside funds
shall
only be spent with the prior approval of the commissioner of elementary and
secondary
education.
16-7.1-9.
Student language assistance investment fund. -- The general assembly
recognizes
the strength Rhode Island's growing cultural diversity brings to the overall
economic
and
social health of the state. Therefore, the general assembly establishes the
Student Language
Assistance
Investment Fund to target state resources to assist students who require
additional
language
educational services. The general assembly shall annually appropriate some sum
and
distribute
it based on each district's proportion of limited English proficiency students
statewide
in the
reference year as defined in section 16-7-16. These resources shall be used to
close student
performance
gaps in accordance with the district's strategic plan pursuant to section
16-7.1-2.
16-7.1-10.
Professional development investment fund. -- (a) In order to continue
developing
the skills of Rhode Island's teachers, administrators and staff, the general
assembly
establishes
a Professional Development Investment Fund. The general assembly shall annually
appropriate
some sum and distribute it based on a pupil-teacher ratio that shall be
adjusted
annually
by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. School districts,
including
collaboratives
established pursuant to chapter 3.1 of this title, may use funds received under
this
category
of education aid to replace up to, but no more than, fifty percent (50%) of the
amount
the
school district spent for professional development programs in the previous
fiscal year. The
expenditure
of these funds shall be determined by a committee at each school consisting of
the
school principal,
two (2) teachers selected by the teaching staff of the school, and two (2)
parents
of
students attending the school. Schools that enroll students in the early grades
(kindergarten
through
grade three (3)) must expend these funds on the development of scientific
research based,
as
described in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part B, Section
1208 [20 U.S.C.
section
6368] reading instruction to improve students reading performance.
Schools that have met their performance targets in reading for the current
academic year
and are
not designated as a school in need of improvement, may expend their
Professional
Development
Investment Funds on professional development in the core academic subjects of
mathematics,
writing, or reading to improve student performance.
Collaborative programs between schools are encouraged. These resources shall be
used
to close
student performance gaps in accordance with the school's and district's
strategic plan
pursuant
to section 16-7.1-2. Additional funds shall be allocated to the department of
elementary
and
secondary education to support teacher and administrator professional
development in all
districts,
including, but not limited to:
(1) Supporting mentoring systems;
(2) Providing school districts with program support to assist teachers in local
school
districts
to improve reading instruction and enhance the integration of reading
throughout the
curriculum
with the goal of improving student performance to high standards;
(3) Support for the design and implementation of leadership development for the
teacher
to
assume leadership roles or ultimately prepare for administrator;
(4) Development of a plan for formal training of school leaders in standards
based
instruction,
school improvement planning, effective use of data in the decision-making
process,
community
involvement and creation of governance structures;
(5) Support for national board certification of teachers, application fees for
a certificate
of
clinical competence issued by the American speech-language hearing association,
and grants
for
coordination and support of school based teacher professional development; and
(6) The practice of scientific research based reading instruction to improve
reading
performance.
(b) In FY 2003, the additional funds allocated to the department of elementary
and
secondary
education pursuant to this section shall be used only to support the activities
described
in subdivisions
(a)(2) and (a)(5) of this section.
(c) Out of the funds appropriated by the general assembly for professional
development
in
subsection (a) of this section, twenty-five percent (25%) shall be set aside
for district-wide
professional
development activities. The expenditure of this district-wide professional
development
set-aside shall be determined by a committee in each district consisting of the
superintendent
or his or her designee, three (3) teachers appointed by the collective bargaining
agent,
and one member of the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary
education
field
service team servicing that school district designated by the commissioner of
elementary and
secondary
education. The expenditure must be aligned with the district strategic plan as
well as
ongoing
professional development programs approved by the department of elementary and
secondary
education. Collaborative programs between school districts are permissible.
(d) Beginning in FY 2006, professional development funds shall only be spent
with the
prior
approval of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education upon
submission of a
district
level plan which incorporates the school level plans and which details the use
of the
funds.
These plans shall to the extent possible call for professional development
activities that
are
embedded or do not otherwise encroach upon student instruction time. The
requirements of
this
paragraph shall apply to both district-wide professional development activities
and
professional
development activities determined by the school-level committees.
16-7.1-11.
Early childhood investment fund. -- The general assembly establishes
the
Early
Childhood Student Investment Fund to provide schools and teaching staff for the
early
grades
with resources to begin improving student performance and to provide early care
and pre-
kindergarten
programs. The general assembly shall annually appropriate some sum and
distribute
it based
on each district's proportion of their average daily membership for grades
kindergarten
through
and including third grade in the reference year as defined in section 16-7-16
relative to
the
statewide average daily membership for the same grades in the same fiscal year.
For purposes
of this
section, average daily membership for grades kindergarten through and including
third
grade is
determined in section 16-7-22. These resources shall be used to close student
performance
gaps in accordance with the district's strategic plan pursuant to section
16-7.1-2.
These
early childhood investment funds shall be used in coordination with the
literacy set-aside
funds,
chapter 67 of this title. In addition, these funds may be used for early
childhood pilot
programs,
including Child Opportunity Zones (COZs), that; (1) combine and/or leverage
some or
all of
the following state, federal and/or local funds insofar as allowable: student
equity
investment
fund; literacy set-aside; special education funds; Title I funds; and any other
appropriate
funds; (2) that focus on beginning to improve student performance through
developmentally
appropriate early childhood education and integrated social and health service
support.
Funding emphasis for early childhood programs shall be given by the districts
to the
schools
serving concentrations of at-risk students and shall be integrated with
programs for
special
needs students; all day kindergarten programs may be funded; and school links
shall be
made
with programs and students to facilitate full assessment of students' school
readiness and
needs
prior to entry into first grade and to help receiving schools meet the entering
child's needs.
Programs
shall include the development and expansion of child care providers, the
development
of
innovative start-up arrangements linked to small businesses, the development of
programs and
providers
in geographically underserved areas, the establishment of before and after
school
programs
with priority to be given to programs linked to schools, to infantoddler
programs,
programs
related to child opportunity zone family centers, and programs that serve
children with
special
health needs or developmental risks. A district may not fund any program that
does not
meet
standards as established by the board of regents. Districts may contract for
services with
programs
which meet board of regents standards. Any program that receives funds under
this
section
must keep records on the children's attendance and progress so that data will
be available
to
conduct longitudinal studies.
16-7.1-11.1.
Full day kindergarten investment fund. -- (a) Beginning in fiscal year
2001,
the general assembly shall appropriate and distribute to each locally or
regionally operated
district
a sum equal to the number of full-time kindergarten students reported as a
member of
each
district as of the reference year as defined in section 16-7-16(11) times a per
pupil amount,
which
shall be:
(1) Fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500) for those districts with a tax effort
index of below
0.6 as
calculated pursuant to section 16-7.1-6;
(2) One thousand dollars ($1,000) for those districts with a tax effort index
of below 1.0
as
calculated pursuant to section 16-7.1-6; and
(3) Five hundred dollars ($500) for all other districts.
(b) Funding under this section shall be in addition to any and all other aid
received by the
district,
including aid received under this chapter, chapter 77.1 of this title, and any
minimum
increase
of aid provided for under section 16-7.1-15.
(c) For fiscal year 2007, aid received pursuant to this section shall be equal
to aid
received
in the fiscal year 2006 enacted budget by the 2005 general assembly.
16-7.1-12.
Student technology investment fund. -- The general assembly establishes
the
Student
Technology Investment Fund to provide schools and teaching staff with
up-to-date
educational
technology and training to help students meet the demands of the 21st century.
Rhode
Island's
Comprehensive Education Strategy calls for providing support to all schools for
educational
technology. The funds may be used for: curriculum development to improve
teaching
and
learning, in-service professional development to support the effective use of
technology in
schools;
and infrastructure requirements such as equipment, technology related
instructional
materials,
software and networking of systems. These resources shall be used to close
student
performance
gaps in accordance with the district's strategic plan pursuant to section
16-7.1-2 and
be
consistent with the technology plan of the Rhode Island Comprehensive Strategy.
The general
assembly
shall annually appropriate some sum and distribute it based on each district's
proportion
of their
average daily membership in the reference year as defined in section 16-7-16.
For
purposes
of this section, average daily membership shall be defined in section 16-7-22.
School
districts
may use funds received under this category of education aid to replace up to,
but no more
than,
thirty five percent (35%) of the amount the school district spent for
technology related
expenditures
in the previous fiscal year. District plans for the use of technology shall be
reviewed
by the
legislative technology task force.
16-7.1-13.
State leadership in conducting annual assessments of student
performance.
-- Setting high standards for
student performance must be paired with related
assessments
that will determine what progress the state is making toward bringing all
children to
high
levels of achievement. A state assessment program shall be continued and
expanded in core
areas
(mathematics, reading, writing and health). The program shall include
performance
standards
and an annual report that disaggregates performance by race, poverty, native
language
and
gender. The general assembly shall annually appropriate funds to support the
programs, and
the
amount shall be recalculated annually. The commissioner of education shall
implement the
state
assessment program.
16-7.1-14.
Joint commission. -- The special joint commission established in
section 16-
79-2
supports the funding program established in section 16-7.1-15 and shall
continue to assess
its
effectiveness as a comprehensive state education aid funding program. The
commission will
examine
the needs of pre-kindergarten aged children and adult education programs. The
commission
will also examine compensation and benefit programs of persons employed in
public
education.
16-7.1-15.
The Rhode Island student investment initiative The Paul W. Crowley
Rhode
Island student investment initiative. -- (a) Each locally or regionally operated school
district
shall receive as a base the same amount of school aid as each district received
in fiscal
year
1997-1998, adjusted to reflect the increases or decreases in aid enacted to
meet the minimum
and
maximum funding levels established for FY 2000 through FY 2007. Each school
district shall
also
receive school aid through each investment fund for which that district
qualifies pursuant to
sections
16-7.1-8, 16-7.1-9, 16-7.1-10, 16-7.1-11, 16-7.1-12, 16-7.1-16 and 16-7.1-19.
These
sums
shall be in addition to the base amount described in this section. For FY 2008,
the reference
year for
the data used in the calculation of aid pursuant to section 16-7.1-8, section
16-7.1-9,
section
16-7.1-10, section 16-7.1-11, section 16-7.1-11.1, section 16-7.1-12, section
16-7.1-16,
sections
16-7.1-19 and 16-77.1-2(b) shall be FY 2004. Calculation and distribution of
education
aid
under sections 16-5-31, 16-5-32, 16-7-20, 16-7-20.5, 16-7-34.2, 16-7-34.3,
16-24-6, 16-54-4,
and
16-67-4 is hereby suspended. The funding of the purposes and activities of chapter
67 of this
title,
the Rhode Island Literacy and Dropout Prevention Act of 1967, shall be the same
amount of
the base
amount of each district funded for that purpose in fiscal year 1997-1998. In
addition each
district
shall expend three percent (3%) of its student equity and early childhood funds
under the
provisions
of chapter 67 of this title.
(b)
Funding for full day kindergarten programs in accordance with section
16-7.1-11.1
shall be
in addition to funding received under this section.
(c)
Funding distributed under sections 16-77.1-2(b) and 16-64-1.1 shall be in
addition to
funding
distributed under this section.
(d)
There shall be an appropriation to ensure that total aid distributed to
communities in
FY 2008
under this section and sections 16-7.1-11.1, 16-64-1.1 and 16-77.1-2(b) shall
be as
follows:
Barrington 2,599,526
Burrillville 13,854,743
Charlestown 2,002,832
Coventry 20,075,081
Cranston 35,580,911
Cumberland 13,257,009
East Greenwich 1,949,761
East Providence 26,888,254
Foster 1,416,463
Glocester 3,213,847
Hopkinton 6,241,352
Jamestown 531,908
Johnston 10,915,364
Lincoln 7,403,268
Little Compton 368,810
Middletown 10,497,116
Narragansett 1,897,159
Newport 11,871,080
New Shoreham 106,345
North Kingstown 11,986,005
North Providence 13,262,872
North Smithfield 4,834,237
Pawtucket 67,023,559
Portsmouth 6,700,042
Providence 194,109,756
Richmond 6,188,615
Scituate 3,407,183
Smithfield 5,743,568
South Kingstown 10,548,698
Tiverton 5,932,058
Warwick 37,626,000
Westerly 6,843,077
West Warwick 20,440,547
Woonsocket 47,616,613
Bristol-Warren 20,498,190
Exeter-West Greenwich 7,661,019
Chariho 398,334
Foster-Glocester 5,729,861
Central Falls 43,873,873
This special provision shall not limit entitlements as determined by
application of other
formula
provisions in this section.
(e)
Children with disabilities. - (1) Based on its review of special education
within the
context
of Rhode Island school reform, the general assembly recommends addressing the
needs of
all
children and preventing disability through scientific research based, as described
in the No
Child
Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1, Part B, Section 1208 [20 U.S.C. section 6368]
reading
instruction
and the development of Personal Literacy Programs for students in the early
grades
performing
below grade level in reading and implement a system of student accountability
that
will
enable the state to track individual students over time. Additionally, the
department of
elementary
and secondary education must provide districts with rigorous criteria and
procedures
for
identifying students with learning disabilities and speech/language
impairments. Additional
study is
required of factors that influence programming for students with low incidence
disabilities;
those with disabilities that severely compromise life functions; and
programming for
students
with disabilities through urban special education. Alternatives for funding
special
education
require examination.
(2)
All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish any advice and information,
documentary
and otherwise, to the general assembly and its agents that is deemed necessary
or
desirable
by the study to facilitate the purposes of this section.
16-7.1-16.
Targeted school aid. -- (a) In addition to those funds described in
section 16-
7.1-15,
each district with a tax effort index below 1.0 as calculated pursuant to
section 16-7.1-6
and with
a free and reduced lunch count in grades K-3 greater than forty percent (40%)
shall
receive
targeted school aid. Districts shall be eligible for aid based on the
proportion that their
average
daily membership bears to the total average daily membership of districts
eligible for aid
under
this section. The local school district shall determine the amount it proposes
to spend on the
program
priorities referred to in this section and the programs and proposed
expenditures shall be
a part
of the district's strategic plan and/or annual updates required under section
16-7.1-2.
(b) The commissioner may require a school district to reserve up to five
percent (5%) of
its
targeted aid for intervention remedies. These five percent (5%) set-aside funds
shall only be
spent
with the prior approval of the commissioner of elementary and secondary
education. If
however
by March 1, the amount reserved is not expended or expected to be spent in the
academic
year, then the district may expend the funds in accordance with the priorities
of this
section
and with the approval of the commissioner. In addition, there shall be an
appropriation for
comprehensive
on-site school reviews and other accountability measures that the commission
deems
appropriate in accordance with policies and procedures to be determined by the
commissioner
and to carry out the purposes of section 16-7.1-2. The commissioner may give
priority
to districts receiving targeted funds for the use of this appropriation.
(c) Districts may use targeted funds in new or expanded programs for:
(1) Early childhood education;
(2) Helping schools to improve instruction to meet high standards;
(3) Reducing class size at the elementary level;
(4) After school programming for middle schools, junior, and senior high
schools in
accordance
with section 16-7.1-17;
(5) Establishing and implementing innovative organizations and methods of
instruction
at the
middle, junior high, and/or high school levels;
(6) Child opportunity zones;
(7) Teacher mentoring;
(8) Curriculum revision to meet new standards;
(9) School and district intervention; or
(10) Other programs which the commissioner believes will result in increased
student
performance.
16-7.1-17.
Urban after-school programs. -- (a) There is hereby established an
after-
school
program for middle schools and junior and senior high schools to be
administered by the
department
of elementary and secondary education.
(b) Each district receiving targeted funds under this section must use a
portion of these
funds to
establish programs as defined in this section at the middle or junior high
school level and
may
establish a program at the senior high school level. Each program shall be
located in or near
middle
schools or junior or senior high schools in school districts identified as
"at risk" by the
legislature
in accordance with section 16-7.1-16 and which have an equity index below one.
The
purpose
of the programs is to provide students an opportunity to engage in a gainful
activity, such
as an
athletic, cultural, arts, academic, community service, remediation, and/or
career exploration
activity
after-school or during the time the schools are not in session. Districts may
contract for
services
with programs that meet board of regents standards. The commissioner may
require that
districts
that receive targeted funds establish these programs either district-wide or at
an
individual
school within the district. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the
commissioner
from interpreting middle or junior high school to mean middle or junior high
school
age.
(c) The department of elementary and secondary education is authorized to
promulgate
rules
and regulations for the administration and monitoring of the programs for
providing any
assistance
to plan and design the programs, and for annually performing an evaluation of
the
overall
quality of the after-school programs. Qualifying school districts will be
required to submit
a plan
and other reports as may be requested relating to the use of the after-school
program funds
to the
commissioner of elementary and secondary education.
16-7.1-18.
Investment funds -- Funding. -- Funding of the investment funds
enumerated
in
section 16-7.1-6, 16-7.1-8, 16-7.1-9, 16-7.1-10, 16-7.1-11, and 16-7.1-12 shall
be by funds set
aside
from the state operations aid to be provided to school districts in the same
manner as funds
set
aside and provided to school districts pursuant to chapter 67 of this title for
literacy programs.
The
amount to be set aside will be that amount designated for each investment fund
in the state
budget
as enacted. The funds thus set aside and provided to school districts shall be
used for the
purposes
required by the terms of sections 16-7.1-6, 16-7.1-8, and 16-7.1-9. The fund
thus set
aside
and provided to school districts shall be restricted to be used for the
purposes required by
the
terms of sections 16-7.1-10, 16-7.1-11, and 16-7.1-12. The full set aside
amount will be
available
for use by the school district. Use of this set aside amount must be based on
the strategic
plan
required to be submitted by local school districts to the department of
elementary and
secondary
education by chapter 7.1 of this title.
16-7.1-19.
Vocational technical equity fund. -- (a) The general assembly
recognizes the
need to
support the academic instruction component of vocational education for students
enrolled
in
career and technical education programs. To accomplish this, the general
assembly shall
appropriate
some sum per student for each student who attends a locally operated career and
technical
center based on the enrollments reported to the department of elementary and
secondary
education
for the reference year as defined in section 16-7-16. The sum shall be five
hundred
dollars
($500) per student. Funding under this section will be limited to those
students enrolled in
programs
that are part of the career and technical education system as approved by the
department
of elementary and secondary education.
(b) For fiscal year 2007, aid received pursuant to this section shall be equal
to aid
received
in the fiscal year 2006 enacted by the 2005 general assembly.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00246
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