Technology in RI Schools
Math, Science, and Technology in RI Schools
Article 31
The “Rhode Island Student Investment
Initiative,” (Title 16, Chapter 7.1) the official title of the legislation introduced
and still known colloquially as “Article 31,” consists of a series of program,
accountability, and funding provisions which strengthen the power of the state in the
affairs of local school districts – in essence taking back some of the responsibility
that the state had earlier in its history ceded to local districts. The Act declared that
“The intent of this legislation is to enact a comprehensive state education aid
funding program that addresses four fundamental principles:
Closing the inequitable resource gaps among school
districts and schools;
Closing inequitable gaps in performance and achievement
among different groups of students, especially those correlated with poverty, gender, and
language background;
Targeting investments to improve student and school
performance;
And establishing a predictable method of distributing state
education aid in a manner that addresses the over-reliance on the property tax to finance
education.”
The Act was further designed to “accelerate the
implementation of the State Comprehensive Education Strategy,” and underscored that
“Improved student and school performance is the key measure of the success of Rhode
Island’s schools.” Its provisions include:
adoption of statewide standards of performance by the Board
of Regents in writing, reading and mathematics with required district strategic plans and
accountability for results
accountability for district and school expenditures
annual report by the Commissioner of Education to the
General Assembly on the condition of education in the state
state support and intervention for failing schools
funds provided to urban districts whose tax base is
insufficient to adequately fund core instruction activities
targeted funding for students needing additional
educational services to meet the state’s performance standards
funding to support the needs of students whose native
language is not English
funding targeted to professional development activities for
teachers
investment in early childhood education
investment in educational technology
state leadership in conducting annual assessments of
student performance
targeted school aid limited to selected areas with a 5%
required set-aside for state “intervention remedies”
funds for urban after-school programs
Increasingly in RI, policy makers have realized the necessity
of addressing children’s readiness to learn. Too many of RI’s children come to
school inadequately nourished, lacking fundamental social skills, and exhibiting other
symptoms of inadequate response to their needs. Failure to deal consistently and
effectively with these issues renders moot any attempt to raise academic standards and
achievement. Providing free breakfast programs for all students, for example, holds great
promise of improving the cognitive functioning of poor children (Center on Hunger,
Poverty, and Nutrition Policy 1998). Issues related to children and youth in general are
increasingly within the purview and action of the RI Children’s Cabinet. This
coalition is comprised of the Directors of the state departments of Administration and its
Office of Library and Information Services; Children, Youth, and Families; Health; Human
Services; Labor and Training; and Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals. The
Commissioners of Elementary and Secondary Education and of Higher Education, and the
Governor’s Policy Director join them.