§ 16-77-2 - Legislative purpose. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-77-2

   § 16-77-2  Legislative purpose. – (a) The purpose of this chapter is to provide an alternative within the publiceducation system by offering opportunities for existing public schools, groupsof public school personnel, school districts, and established Rhode Islandnonprofit organizations to establish and maintain a public school programaccording to the terms of its charter.

   (b) Charter public schools are intended to be vanguards,laboratories, and an expression of the on-going and vital state interest in theimprovement of education. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or anyspecial law to the contrary, a charter school shall be deemed to be a publicschool acting under state law, and subject to the Age Discrimination Act of1975, 42 U.S.C. § 6101, et seq., title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq., title IX of the educational amendments of1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., § 794 of title 29, and part B of theIndividuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1411, et seq. Allstudents and prospective students of a charter school shall be deemed to bepublic school students, having all the same rights under federal and RhodeIsland law as students and prospective students at a non-chartered publicschool. These charter public schools shall be vehicles for research anddevelopment in areas such as curriculum, pedagogy, administration, materials,facilities, governance, parent relations and involvement, social development,instructor's and administrator's responsibilities, working conditions, andfiscal accountability. It is the intent of the general assembly to createwithin the public school system vehicles for innovative learning opportunitiesto be utilized and evaluated in pilot projects. The provisions of this chapterare to be interpreted liberally to support the purposes set forth in thischapter and to advance a renewed commitment by the state to the mission, goals,and diversity of public education.

   (c) It is the intent of the general assembly to provideopportunities for teachers, parents, pupils, and community members to establishand maintain public schools that operate independently as a method toaccomplish all of the following:

   (1) Improve pupil learning by creating schools with rigorousacademic standards in all basic areas of instruction for pupil performance;

   (2) Increase learning opportunities for all pupils, withspecial emphasis on expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identifiedas educationally disadvantaged and at risk;

   (3) Encourage the use of innovative teaching methods;

   (4) Create opportunities for teachers, including theopportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site;

   (5) Provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in thetypes of educational opportunities that are available within the public schoolsystem;

   (6) Hold the schools established under this chapteraccountable for meeting publicly promulgated, measurable, state andcharter-based pupil academic results, and provide the schools with a method toimplement performance based and/or other student based accountability systems;and

   (7) Encourage parental and community involvement with publicschools.