It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 16-11.2-1, 16-11.2-2, 16-11.2-3, 16-11.2-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11.2 entitled "QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHER ASSISTANTS" are hereby amended to read as follows:
16-11.2-1 Teacher Assistant defined. -- The term "teacher assistant" as used in this chapter shall be deemed to include any person employed to provide instructional or other direct services to students (and/or their parents{ADD /legal guardian ADD}) under the supervision and direction of the classroom teacher or other appropriately-certified professional staff.
{ADD The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall coordinate the development of program standards for a training program for teacher assistants. The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall develop and make program standards available no later than January 1, 1998. ADD}
16-11.2-2.{DEL Qualifications of teacher
assistants. DEL}{ADD General qualifications
of teacher assistants. -- ADD} No person shall be employed as a
teacher assistant in any school supported in whole or in part
by public funds unless he or she shall:
(a) be of good character as verified by the employer;
(b) hold a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma or demonstrate literacy skills (including reading, writing, speaking and mathematics) necessary to work with teachers and students;
{DEL (c) have general knowledge of child development; DEL}
{DEL (d) demonstrate knowledge of universal health and safety
procedures; and DEL}
{DEL (e) demonstrate knowledge of basic instructional methods
and behavior management techniques, including teacher assistant/teacher
collaboration. DEL}
{ADD (c) for any person hired after January 1, 1999, complete a training program in compliance with the teacher assistant program standards developed by the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education pursuant to section 16-11.2-1. The training program shall not be required of those persons employed as a teacher assistant in another Rhode Island school district prior to January 1, 1999, those who hold certification as a teacher assistant in another state, or those who hold an associate's or bachelor's degree and have completed coursework or other training consistent with the teacher assistant program standards developed by the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education. ADD}
16-11.2-3 Continued professional development of teacher assistants. -- (a) As a condition of continued employment every person employed as a teacher assistant shall participate in ongoing professional development.
(b) Each school district or institution employing teacher assistants maintain records on teacher assistant's completion of:
(1) Training for the work assignment;
(2) {DEL Education DEL} {ADD Continuing education ADD} and
relevant coursework.
{ADD (3) For any person hired after January 1, 1999, a certificate of completion from a training program which complied with the teaching assistant training program standards developed by the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education pursuant to section 16-11.2-1. ADD}
16-11.2-4 Prior experience. -- Any person employed as a teacher assistant on the effective date of this act shall not be required to meet the requirement set forth in section 16-11.2-2(b) {ADD and (c) ADD}, but shall meet all other requirements imposed by this section no later than the date of passage.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
