Chapter 112
2019 -- H 5887 SUBSTITUTE B
Enacted 07/08/2019

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: Representatives O'Brien, Amore, Corvese, McEntee, and Morin
Date Introduced: March 21, 2019

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)(c) 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)(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.
     (f)(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) of this section shall:
     (1) Be placed on probationary status; and
     (3)(2) Provide notice to parents that the public school district has not met the
requirements of this section.
     (g)(f) 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)(g) 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)(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 with scientific reading
instruction and structured literacy instruction.
     (j)(i) A public school district that employs an educator in violation of this section or that
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) (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.
     (l)(k) The department is vested with the authority to, and shall enforce, this section.
     (m)(l) The department shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.
     (n)(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,
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
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
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 who shall be
appointed by the speaker of the house; one member of the senate, which who 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 who 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 university of Rhode Island and
Rhode Island College college campuses, which that 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.
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LC001688/SUB B
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