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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5339 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001297 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Corvese, Finkelman, Donovan, McEntee, Cruz, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Furtado, Slater, Solomon, and Hull |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 07, 2025 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: House Education |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Sections 16-11-2.3 and 16-11-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-11 entitled 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | "Certification of Teachers [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | are hereby amended to read as follows: 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 16-11-2.3. Standardized testing — Issuance of certificates. 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (a) No person who obtained an initial certificate prior to January 8, 2002 shall be barred 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | from certification under this chapter solely because of his or her score on any standardized teacher’s 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | examination; provided, however, that he or she successfully completes an assessment, based on 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | criteria established by the board of regents for elementary and secondary education, in accordance 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | with 34 CFR § 200.56. 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) The board of regents for elementary and secondary education may administer a written 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | examination to prospective teachers seeking certification. 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, until July 1, 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2027, the requirement of completion of a standardized teacher's examination as a prerequisite to 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | obtaining a teaching certificate under this chapter shall be suspended. No applicant for a teaching 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | certification under this chapter shall be required to take any standardized teacher's examination or 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | assessment designated by the board of elementary and secondary education or the department of 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | elementary and secondary education prior to July 1, 2027. Provided, however, this subsection shall 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | not apply to any testing that is required as part of an accredited post-secondary teacher preparation 18 |
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| 41 | 41 | | program. 19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC001297 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16-11-3. Certificates without examination. 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | The board of regents for elementary and secondary education may, in its discretion, issue 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | certificates of qualification without examination to persons who may present evidence of 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | qualification and shall comply with the regulations of the board. Provided, that any teacher who is 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | certified in two (2) fields or subjects of science, other than general science, shall also be 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | automatically certified in the field or subject of general science without the need for examination 6 |
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| 51 | 51 | | or other proof of qualifications in the subject of general science. 7 |
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| 52 | 52 | | (b) Until July 1, 2027, the requirement of completion of a standardized teacher's 8 |
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| 53 | 53 | | examination as a prerequisite to obtaining a teaching certificate under this chapter shall be 9 |
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| 54 | 54 | | suspended. No applicant for a teaching certification under this chapter shall be required to take any 10 |
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| 55 | 55 | | standardized teacher's examination or assessment designated by the board of elementary and 11 |
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| 56 | 56 | | secondary education or the department of elementary and secondary education prior to July 1, 2027. 12 |
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| 57 | 57 | | Provided, however, this subsection shall not apply to any testing that is required as part of an 13 |
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| 58 | 58 | | accredited post-secondary teacher preparation program. 14 |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 15 |
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| 60 | 60 | | ======== |
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| 61 | 61 | | LC001297 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ======== |
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| 63 | 63 | | |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | LC001297 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 66 | 66 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 67 | 67 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 68 | 68 | | OF |
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| 69 | 69 | | A N A C T |
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| 70 | 70 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS |
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| 71 | 71 | | *** |
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| 72 | 72 | | This act would provide that until July 1, 2027, an applicant for a teaching certificate in 1 |
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| 73 | 73 | | Rhode Island would not be required to complete a standardized teacher's examination as a 2 |
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| 74 | 74 | | prerequisite to obtaining a teaching certificate. 3 |
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| 75 | 75 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 4 |
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| 76 | 76 | | ======== |
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| 77 | 77 | | LC001297 |
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| 78 | 78 | | ======== |
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