§ 16-7.1-10 - Professional development investment fund. [Effective until July 1, 2010.]. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-7.1-10

   § 16-7.1-10  Professional developmentinvestment fund. [Effective until July 1, 2010.]. – (a) In order to continue developing the skills of Rhode Island's teachers,administrators and staff, the general assembly establishes a ProfessionalDevelopment Investment Fund. The general assembly shall annually appropriatesome sum and distribute it based on a pupil-teacher ratio that shall beadjusted annually by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education.School districts, including collaboratives established pursuant to chapter 3.1of this title, may use funds received under this category of education aid toreplace up to, but no more than, fifty percent (50%) of the amount the schooldistrict spent for professional development programs in the previous fiscalyear. The expenditure of these funds shall be determined by a committee at eachschool consisting of the school principal, two (2) teachers selected by theteaching staff of the school, and two (2) parents of students attending theschool. Schools that enroll students in the early grades (kindergarten throughgrade three (3)) must expend these funds on the development of scientificresearch based, as described in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title 1,Part B, Section 1208 [20 U.S.C. § 6368], reading instruction toimprove students reading performance.

   Schools that have met their performance targets in readingfor the current academic year and are not designated as a school in need ofimprovement, may expend their Professional Development Investment Funds onprofessional development in the core academic subjects of mathematics, writing,or reading to improve student performance.

   Collaborative programs between schools are encouraged. Theseresources shall be used to close student performance gaps in accordance withthe school's and district's strategic plan pursuant to § 16-7.1-2.Additional funds shall be allocated to the department of elementary andsecondary education to support teacher and administrator professionaldevelopment in all districts, including, but not limited to:

   (1) Supporting mentoring systems;

   (2) Providing school districts with program support to assistteachers in local school districts to improve reading instruction and enhancethe integration of reading throughout the curriculum with the goal of improvingstudent performance to high standards;

   (3) Support for the design and implementation of leadershipdevelopment for the teacher to assume leadership roles or ultimately preparefor administrator;

   (4) Development of a plan for formal training of schoolleaders in standards based instruction, school improvement planning, effectiveuse of data in the decision-making process, community involvement and creationof governance structures;

   (5) Support for national board certification of teachers,application fees for a certificate of clinical competence issued by theAmerican speech-language hearing association, and grants for coordination andsupport of school based teacher professional development; and

   (6) The practice of scientific research based readinginstruction to improve reading performance.

   (b) In FY 2003, the additional funds allocated to thedepartment of elementary and secondary education pursuant to this section shallbe used only to support the activities described in subdivisions (a)(2) and(a)(5) of this section.

   (c) Out of the funds appropriated by the general assembly forprofessional development in subsection (a) of this section, twenty-five percent(25%) shall be set aside for district-wide professional development activities.The expenditure of this district-wide professional development set-aside shallbe determined by a committee in each district consisting of the superintendentor his or her designee, three (3) teachers appointed by the collectivebargaining agent, and one member of the Rhode Island department of elementaryand secondary education field service team servicing that school districtdesignated by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education. Theexpenditure must be aligned with the district strategic plan as well as ongoingprofessional development programs approved by the department of elementary andsecondary education. Collaborative programs between school districts arepermissible.

   (d) Beginning in FY 2006, professional development fundsshall only be spent with the prior approval of the commissioner of elementaryand secondary education upon submission of a district level plan whichincorporates the school level plans and which details the use of the funds.These plans shall to the extent possible call for professional developmentactivities that are embedded or do not otherwise encroach upon studentinstruction time. The requirements of this paragraph shall apply to bothdistrict-wide professional development activities and professional developmentactivities determined by the school-level committees.

   (e) In FY 2009 payments from the professional developmentinvestment fund are hereby suspended through June 30, 2009. Notwithstanding,school districts may continue to maintain professional development programs andmay reduce other education programs to achieve savings.