Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0019 Compare Versions

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99 S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
1010 IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1111 JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
1212 ____________
1313
1414 A N A C T
1515 RELATING TO EDUCATION -- INNOVATION SCHOOLS
1616 Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Ciccone, E Morgan, Rogers, and Zurier
1717 Date Introduced: January 23, 2025
1818 Referred To: Senate Education
1919
2020
2121 It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
2222 SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 1
2323 adding thereto the following chapter: 2
2424 CHAPTER 77.5 3
2525 INNOVATION SCHOOLS 4
2626 16-77.5-1. Establishment and purpose of innovation schools. 5
2727 An innovation school shall be a public school, operating within a public school district, 6
2828 that is established for the purpose of improving school performance and student achievement 7
2929 through increased autonomy and flexibility. An innovation school may be established as a new 8
3030 public school or as a conversion of an existing public school. A student who is enrolled in a school 9
3131 at the time it is established as an innovation school shall retain the ability to remain enrolled in the 10
3232 school if the student chooses to do so. 11
3333 16-77.5-2. Advisory board. 12
3434 (a) An innovation school may establish an advisory board of trustees. 13
3535 (b) An innovation school shall have increased autonomy and flexibility in one or more of 14
3636 the following areas: 15
3737 (1) Curriculum; 16
3838 (2) Budget; 17
3939 (3) School schedule and calendar; 18
4040 (4) Staffing policies and procedures, including waivers from or modifications to, contracts 19
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4444 or collective bargaining agreements; 1
4545 (5) School district policies and procedures; and 2
4646 (6) Professional development. 3
4747 (c) An innovation school shall receive each school year from the school committee the 4
4848 same per pupil allocation as any other district school receives. An innovation school may retain 5
4949 any unused funds and use the funds in subsequent school years. An innovation school may establish 6
5050 a nonprofit organization that may, among other things, assist the school with fundraising. A district 7
5151 shall not reduce its funding to an innovation school as a result of the school's fundraising activities. 8
5252 16-77.5-3. Innovation plan. 9
5353 (a) An innovation school established under this chapter shall be authorized by the local 10
5454 school committee and shall operate according to an innovation plan, which shall articulate the areas 11
5555 of autonomy and flexibility under this chapter. 12
5656 (1) To the extent practicable, the innovation plan shall be based on student outcome data, 13
5757 including, but not limited to: 14
5858 (i) Student achievement on the Rhode Island comprehensive assessment system; 15
5959 (ii) Other measures of student achievement, approved by the commissioner, as appropriate; 16
6060 (iii) Student promotion, graduation rates and dropout rates; 17
6161 (iv) Achievement data for different subgroups of students, including low-income residents 18
6262 as defined by § 45-24.2-2, English language learners, and students receiving special education 19
6363 services; and 20
6464 (v) Student attendance, dismissal rates and exclusion rates. 21
6565 (2) An innovation school shall operate in accordance with the law regulating other public 22
6666 schools, except as the law conflicts with this section or any innovation plans created thereunder. 23
6767 (b) An innovation school is a school in which: 24
6868 (1) Faculty and leadership are primarily responsible for developing the innovation plan 25
6969 under which the school operates and leadership is responsible for meeting the terms of the 26
7070 innovation plan; or 27
7171 (2) An external partner is primarily responsible for developing the innovation plan under 28
7272 which the school operates and the external partner is responsible for meeting the terms of the 29
7373 innovation plan. 30
7474 (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit: 31
7575 (1) The establishment of an innovation school as an academy within an existing public 32
7676 school; 33
7777 (2) The establishment of an innovation school serving students from two (2) or more school 34
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8181 districts; provided, however, that all of the provisions of this section are met by each school district; 1
8282 or 2
8383 (3) The simultaneous establishment of two (2) or more innovation schools as an innovation 3
8484 schools zone within a school district. 4
8585 16-77.5-4. Eligible applicants. 5
8686 (a) The following shall be eligible applicants for the purposes of establishing an innovation 6
8787 school: 7
8888 (1) Parents; 8
8989 (2) Teachers; 9
9090 (3) Parent-teacher organizations; 10
9191 (4) Principals; 11
9292 (5) Superintendents; 12
9393 (6) School committees; 13
9494 (7) Teacher unions; 14
9595 (8) Colleges and universities; 15
9696 (9) Nonprofit community-based organizations; 16
9797 (10) Nonprofit business or corporate entities; 17
9898 (11) Nonprofit charter school operators; 18
9999 (12) Nonprofit education management organizations; 19
100100 (13) Educational collaboratives; 20
101101 (14) Consortia of these groups; and 21
102102 (15) Nonprofit entities authorized by the commissioner. 22
103103 (b) Private and parochial schools shall not be eligible to operate an innovation school. 23
104104 16-77.5-5. Procedure to establish an innovation school. 24
105105 (a) The local school committee, local teacher's union and superintendent of the school 25
106106 district shall follow a process, consistent with this chapter, for which an existing district school 26
107107 may be converted to an innovation school or by which a new innovation school may be established 27
108108 within the district. 28
109109 (1) This process shall require that an eligible applicant proposing to establish an innovation 29
110110 school prepare a prospectus regarding the proposed school. The prospectus shall include, but not 30
111111 be limited to, a description of: 31
112112 (i) Whether the school will be a new school or a conversion of an existing school; 32
113113 (ii) If the school is a new school, the proposed location of the school; 33
114114 (iii) If the school is a conversion of an existing school, the school that is being proposed 34
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118118 for conversion; 1
119119 (iv) The external partners, if any, that will be involved in the school; 2
120120 (v) The number of students the school is anticipated to serve and the number of staff 3
121121 expected to be employed at the school; 4
122122 (vi) The overall vision for the school, including improving school performance and student 5
123123 achievement; 6
124124 (vii) Specific needs or challenges the school shall be designed to address; 7
125125 (viii) A preliminary assessment of the autonomy and flexibility that the school will seek; 8
126126 (ix) Why such flexibility is desirable to carry out the objectives of the school; 9
127127 (x) Anticipated components of the school's innovation plan; 10
128128 (xi) A preliminary description of the process that shall be used to involve appropriate 11
129129 stakeholders in the development of the innovation plan; and 12
130130 (xii) A proposed timetable for development and establishment of the proposed school. 13
131131 (b) Upon completion of the prospectus required under subsection (a) of this section, an 14
132132 eligible applicant shall submit the prospectus to the superintendent, who shall within thirty (30) 15
133133 days convene a screening committee consisting of the superintendent, or designee, a school 16
134134 committee member, or designee selected by the school committee and a representative from the 17
135135 leadership of the local teacher's union. 18
136136 (1) The screening committee shall review the prospectus for the purpose of determining 19
137137 whether the prospectus: 20
138138 (i) Presents a sound and coherent plan for improving school performance and student 21
139139 achievement; 22
140140 (ii) Supports or enhances existing educational efforts in the school district; 23
141141 (iii) Reasonably can be expanded into a comprehensive innovation plan; and 24
142142 (iv) In the case of a new school, prepare an impact statement describing how the new school 25
143143 will affect the children and faculty in the district. 26
144144 (2) Within thirty (30) days of receiving a prospectus, the screening committee shall decide, 27
145145 on the basis of a two-thirds (2/3) vote, to accept or reject the prospectus, or return the prospectus 28
146146 to the eligible applicant for revisions. If a prospectus is rejected or returned, the screening 29
147147 committee shall submit a detailed explanation for the decision to the applicant. A prospectus that 30
148148 is rejected or returned may be revised and resubmitted for subsequent consideration. 31
149149 (c)(1) Upon the acceptance of a prospectus by the screening committee, the applicant shall 32
150150 form an innovation plan committee of not more than eleven (11) members within thirty (30) days. 33
151151 (2) The purpose of the innovation plan committee shall be to: 34
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155155 (i) Develop the innovation plan described in this chapter; 1
156156 (ii) Assure that appropriate stakeholders are represented in the development of the 2
157157 proposed innovation school; and 3
158158 (iii) Provide meaningful opportunities for the stakeholders to contribute to the development 4
159159 of such school. 5
160160 (d)(1) The size and composition of the innovation plan committee shall be determined by 6
161161 the applicant; provided, however, that the committee shall include: 7
162162 (i) The applicant; 8
163163 (ii) The superintendent or designee; 9
164164 (iii) A school committee member or designee; 10
165165 (iv) A parent who has one or more children enrolled in the school, or in the case of a new 11
166166 school, from the school district; 12
167167 (v) A principal employed by the school district; and 13
168168 (vi) Two (2) teachers employed by the school district. 14
169169 (2) The applicant shall select the parent from among nominees submitted by parent-teacher 15
170170 organizations in the school district. If the school district does not contain a parent-teacher 16
171171 organization or if the organization does not submit nominees, the applicant shall select the parent 17
172172 from among volunteers in the area or community the proposed school is expected to serve. The 18
173173 applicant shall select the principal and one teacher from among volunteers in the school district and 19
174174 one teacher from among nominees submitted by the local teacher's union. 20
175175 (e)(1) Upon the formation of the innovation plan committee, the committee shall develop 21
176176 the innovation plan for the proposed innovation school. The purpose of the innovation plan shall 22
177177 be to comprehensively articulate the areas of autonomy and flexibility that the proposed school will 23
178178 use. 24
179179 (2) The innovation plan shall include, but not be limited to: 25
180180 (i) A curriculum plan, which shall include a detailed description of the curriculum and 26
181181 related programs for the proposed school and how the curriculum is expected to improve school 27
182182 performance and student achievement; 28
183183 (ii) A budget plan, which shall include a detailed description of how funds shall be used 29
184184 differently in the proposed school to support school performance and student achievement; 30
185185 (iii) A school schedule plan, which shall include a detailed description of the ways, if any, 31
186186 the program or calendar of the proposed school will be enhanced or expanded; 32
187187 (iv) A staffing plan, which shall include a detailed description of how the school principal, 33
188188 administrators, faculty and staff will be recruited, employed, evaluated and compensated in the 34
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192192 proposed school and any proposed waivers or modifications of collective bargaining agreements; 1
193193 (v) A policy and procedures plan, which shall include a detailed description of the unique 2
194194 operational policies and procedures to be used by the proposed school and how the procedures shall 3
195195 support school performance and student achievement; and 4
196196 (vi) A professional development plan, which shall include a detailed description of how 5
197197 the school may provide high-quality professional development to its administrators, teachers and 6
198198 staff. 7
199199 (3) In order to assess the proposed school across multiple measures of school performance 8
200200 and student success, the innovation plan shall also include measurable annual goals including, but 9
201201 not limited to, the following: 10
202202 (i) Student attendance; 11
203203 (ii) Student safety and discipline; 12
204204 (iii) Student promotion and graduation and dropout rates; 13
205205 (iv) Student achievement on the Rhode Island comprehensive assessment system; 14
206206 (v) Progress in areas of academic underperformance; and 15
207207 (vi) Progress among subgroups of students, including low-income residents as defined by 16
208208 § 45-24.2-2. 17
209209 (4) A majority vote of the innovation plan committee shall be required for approval of the 18
210210 innovation 19
211211 (f) The provisions of the collective bargaining agreements applicable to the administrators, 20
212212 teachers and staff in the school shall be considered to be in operation at an innovation school, except 21
213213 to the extent the provisions are waived or modified under the innovation plan and such waivers or 22
214214 modifications are approved 23
215215 (g) In the case of a school conversion, upon completion of the innovation plan, the applicant 24
216216 shall submit the innovation plan to teachers in the school that is proposed for conversion for 25
217217 approval by secret ballot within thirty (30) days. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the teachers shall be 26
218218 required to approve the plan. Upon approval of an innovation plan by the applicable union members 27
219219 the plan shall, within seven (7) days, be submitted to the school committee. If a two-thirds (2/3) 28
220220 vote is not achieved, the innovation plan committee may revise the innovation plan as necessary 29
221221 and submit the revised plan to the teachers for a subsequent vote. 30
222222 16-77.5-6. School committee approval - New schools. 31
223223 (a) In the case of a new school, upon the completion of the innovation plan the applicant, 32
224224 a local union and the superintendent shall negotiate waivers or modifications to the applicable 33
225225 collective bargaining agreement necessary for the school to implement the innovation plan. Upon 34
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229229 the conclusion of the negotiations, the innovation plan shall be submitted immediately to the school 1
230230 committee. If the negotiations have not resulted in an agreement within forty (40) days, either party 2
231231 may petition the department of labor and training (the "department") for the selection of an 3
232232 arbitrator. The department shall select an arbitrator within three (3) days of the petition from a list 4
233233 submitted by the parties. The arbitrator shall conduct a hearing within fourteen (14) days of the 5
234234 arbitrator's selection. The arbitrator shall consider the parties' positions and the needs of the students 6
235235 in the district. The arbitrator's decision shall be consistent with the contents of the innovation plan 7
236236 developed by the applicant. The arbitrator shall, within fourteen (14) days of the close of the 8
237237 hearing, submit a decision which shall be final and binding on the parties. 9
238238 (b) Upon receipt of an innovation plan regarding an innovation school, a school committee 10
239239 shall hold at least one public hearing on the innovation plan. After the public hearing, but not later 11
240240 than sixty (60) days after the receipt of the innovation plan, the school committee shall, on the basis 12
241241 of the quality of the plan and in consideration of comments submitted by the public, undertake a 13
242242 final vote to authorize the innovation school for a period of not more than five (5) years. Approval 14
243243 of the majority of the school committee as fully constituted shall be required to authorize an 15
244244 innovation school. If the approval is not obtained, an innovation plan committee may revise the 16
245245 innovation plan and: 17
246246 (1) In the case of a new school, submit the revised plan to the school committee for a 18
247247 subsequent vote; or 19
248248 (2) In the case of a conversion, submit the revised plan to the teachers in the school that is 20
249249 proposed for conversion for a vote; provided, however, that the plan meets the requirements for 21
250250 approval, submit the revised plan to the school committee for a subsequent vote. A school 22
251251 committee shall vote on a revised plan submitted pursuant to this subsection within sixty (60) days 23
252252 of the receipt of such plan and contract. 24
253253 (c) All innovation schools authorized shall be evaluated by the superintendent at least 25
254254 annually. The superintendent shall transmit the evaluation to the school committee and the 26
255255 commissioner of elementary and secondary education. The purpose of the evaluation shall be to 27
256256 determine whether the school has met the annual goals in its innovation plan and assess the 28
257257 implementation of the innovation plan at the school. If the school committee determines, on the 29
258258 advice of the superintendent, that the school has not met one or more goals in the innovation plan 30
259259 and that the failure to meet the goals may be corrected through reasonable modification of the plan, 31
260260 the school committee may amend the innovation plan as necessary. After the superintendent 32
261261 assesses the implementation of the innovation plan at the school, the school committee may, on the 33
262262 advice of the superintendent, amend the plan if the school committee determines that the 34
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266266 amendment is necessary in view of subsequent changes in the district that affect one or more 1
267267 components of the plan, including, but not limited to, changes to contracts, collective bargaining 2
268268 agreements or school district policies; provided, however, that an amendment involving a 3
269269 subsequent change to a teacher contract shall first be approved by teachers at the school under the 4
270270 procedures in this chapter. 5
271271 (d) If the school committee determines, on the advice of the superintendent, that the school 6
272272 has substantially failed to meet multiple goals in the innovation plan, the school committee may: 7
273273 (1) Limit one or more components of the innovation plan; 8
274274 (2) Suspend one or more components of the innovation plan; or 9
275275 (3) Terminate the authorization of the school; provided, however, that the limitation or 10
276276 suspension shall not take place before the completion of the second full year of the operation of the 11
277277 school and the termination shall not take place before the completion of the third full year of the 12
278278 operation of the school. 13
279279 16-77.5-7. Extension of authorization. 14
280280 (a) At the end of the period of authorization of an innovation school approved pursuant to 15
281281 this chapter, the leadership of the school may petition the school committee to extend the 16
282282 authorization of the school for an additional period of not more than five (5) years. Before 17
283283 submitting the petition, the leadership of the school shall convene a selection of school 18
284284 stakeholders, including, but not limited to, administrators, teachers, other school staff, parents and 19
285285 external partners, as applicable, to discuss whether the innovation plan at the school requires 20
286286 revision and to solicit recommendations as to the potential revisions. After considering the 21
287287 recommendations of the stakeholder group, the leadership of the school and the applicable 22
288288 superintendent shall jointly update the innovation plan as necessary; provided, however, that a 23
289289 proposal regarding a new waiver or exemption from the local teacher's union contract shall be 24
290290 approved by teachers at the school. Approval of the majority of the school committee as fully 25
291291 constituted shall be required to extend the period of authorization of an innovation school. If the 26
292292 approval is not obtained, the leadership of the school and superintendent may jointly revise the 27
293293 innovation plan and submit the revised plan to the school committee for a subsequent vote. If the 28
294294 school committee does not extend the authorization of the school, the leadership of the school may 29
295295 seek the authorization from the commission on elementary and secondary education. The 30
296296 commission shall vote on the requested extension within sixty (60) days of its receipt for approval 31
297297 of such extension. 32
298298 (b) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education (the "commissioner") shall, 33
299299 to the extent practicable, be responsible for the following: 34
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303303 (1) The provision of planning and implementation grants to eligible applicants to establish 1
304304 innovation schools; 2
305305 (2) Provision of technical assistance and support to eligible applicants; 3
306306 (3) The collection and publication of data and research related to the innovation schools 4
307307 initiative; 5
308308 (4) The collection and publication of data and research related to successful programs 6
309309 serving English language learners attending innovation schools; and 7
310310 (5) The collection and dissemination of best practices in innovation schools that may be 8
311311 adopted by other public schools. 9
312312 (c) The board of education shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement 10
313313 the provisions of this section. Annually, the commissioner shall report to the board of education, 11
314314 the house and senate committees on education, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the 12
315315 senate president, on the implementation and fiscal impact of this chapter. 13
316316 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14
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323323 EXPLANATION
324324 BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
325325 OF
326326 A N A C T
327327 RELATING TO EDUCATION -- INNOVATION SCHOOLS
328328 ***
329329 This act would allow for the establishment of innovation schools for the purpose of 1
330330 improving school performance and student achievement through increased autonomy and 2
331331 flexibility. 3
332332 This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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