2023 -- S 0496
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LC002321
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Lombardo, Acosta, DiPalma, Ciccone, and Gu
Date Introduced: March 07, 2023
Referred To: Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 16-11-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11 entitled "Certification 1
of Teachers [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby 2
amended to read as follows: 3
16-11-9. Fast-track principal certification program. 4
(a) The department of elementary and secondary education (the “department”) shall 5
establish a fast-track principal certification program. 6
(b) The fast-track principal certification program shall include, but need not be limited to, 7
the following courses: 8
(1) School finance; 9
(2) School law; and 10
(3) Program evaluation, including data analysis Supervision of school personnel. 11
(c) Participants will earn a principal certification after successful completion of the courses, 12
from a program approved by the department, required in subsection (b) of this section, and 13
successful completion of the following three (3) requirements: 14
(1) A year-long internship shadowing a principal in the district where the participant is 15
currently employed; 16
(2) Leading a districtwide or schoolwide initiative; and 17
(3) Successfully passing assessment requirements for Rhode Island principal certification. 18
(d) To be eligible for admission into the fast-track principal certification program, an 19
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applicant shall: 1
(1) Have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience as a teacher rated “effective” or “highly 2
effective”; 3
(2) Have a recommendation from the superintendent(s) of the local education agency 4
(LEA) or agencies in which the applicant worked as a teacher previously, or is working currently; 5
(3) Have a record of consistent leadership within an LEA, demonstrated through serving 6
as a facilitator of professional development, a dean, a district coach, a department chair, or in 7
another leadership position within a school or LEA; and 8
(4) Possess a master’s degree or higher. 9
(e) Participants who earn a principal certification pursuant to this section shall complete a 10
department-approved leadership development program to build leadership skills that support 11
teaching and learning within the first renewal cycle of their certification. 12
(f) For the purposes of this section, “local education agencies” shall include all of the 13
following within the state: 14
(1) Public school districts; 15
(2) Regional school districts; 16
(3) State-operated schools; 17
(4) Regional collaborative schools; and 18
(5) Charter schools. 19
(g) Participants who have earned a principal certification by fulfilling all of the 20
requirements of this section and completing courses offered by the RIDE accredited school 21
principal preparation program (internship) shall not be required to complete the department-22
approved leadership program set forth in subsection (e) of this section but shall instead successfully 23
complete an additional course on program evaluation (including data analysis). 24
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 25
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
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This act would revise the fast-track principal certification program and require a course in 1
program evaluation (including data analysis) instead of a course in supervision of school personnel. 2
The act would also provide that participants who have earned a principal certification by fulfilling 3
all of the requirements and completing courses offered by RIDE, would instead complete an 4
additional course on program evaluation (including data analysis) in lieu of the department-5
approved leadership program to build leadership skills that support teaching and learning. 6
This act would take effect upon passage. 7
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