§ 16-67-4 - Funding. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-67-4

   § 16-67-4  Funding. – (a) Funding of programs. The programs described in this chapter shall befunded as follows:

   (1) Screening for all children first entering school.This program shall be supported by an annual appropriation. All children firstentering school will be screened. Allocations to school districts will bedetermined by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.

   (2) Literacy focus in instruction in kindergarten throughgrade three (3) for all students and supplementary literacy instruction foreducationally disadvantaged students in grades Kindergarten through twelve(12). (i) These (2) programs shall be supported by funds set aside from thestate operations aid to be provided to school districts; these programs may besupported with funds from the Educational Improvement Block Grant. The amountto be set aside will be four percent (4%) in each fiscal year. Each districtwill be informed of the set aside amount by November 1 of each year. The fullset aside amount will be available for use by the district. Use of this setaside amount will be based on a plan submitted by local school districts to thedepartment of elementary and secondary education for approval. All funds mustbe used to supplement, not supplant, existing activities. Use of these fundsmust be coordinated with other funds, including Chapter I and Section 4 funds.Provided, that the commissioner of elementary and secondary education may waivethe requirement for use of all or part of the set aside amount for thesepurposes when it is shown to his or her satisfaction that the ongoing level ofliteracy instruction meets the standards set with regard to student achievementof the specified outcomes in literacy. The commissioner must respond to thisrequest for waiver within sixty (60) days of receipt of the request. If noaction is taken by the commissioner within the sixty (60) days time period therequest shall be deemed approved.

   (ii) The commissioner shall consider and shall address in awritten decision each of the following factors in reaching a decision onwhether or not a waiver shall be granted: (A) the average standardized testscores for the school district and each school within the district; (B) thenumber and percent of students in the school district who fall below thecut-off score established by the commissioner; (C) whether or not the scoresand number of students referenced to in (A) and (B) have improved over thepreceding three (3) years; (D) the percent of students for each of thepreceding three (3) years who failed to graduate from high school; (E) theextent to which the literacy program of the district includes provision for:(I) integrating the literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking, andlistening, (II) incorporating the literacy skills across content areas, (III)supplementing the basal reader program with the use of literature, (IV)incorporating process writing into the language arts curriculum, (V)supplementing instruction in literacy skills for low achieving students; and(F) the pupil teacher ratio in grades kindergarten through three (3). Thecommissioner will reply in detail to the community within the sixty (60) dayperiod giving reasons for approval or denial of waiver.

   (3) Dropout prevention programs. These programs shallbe supported by an annual appropriation. Projects shall be selected and fundsshall be allocated at the discretion of the commissioner of elementary andsecondary education.

   (4) State level program support. These activitiesshall be supported by an annual appropriation. Funds shall be allocated at thediscretion of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.

   (b) Commissioner's report. The commissioner shallreport to the governor and general assembly regarding the implementation of theliteracy and dropout prevention programs and the need to continue the set-asideprovision contained in this section.