History

The "State Board of Education" for Rhode Island was originally established in 1870. The Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education (K-12) was separated from the Board of Higher Education (http://www.ribghe.org/) through legislation in 1981. The Board consists of 11 members including eight public members appointed by the Governor; the chairman of the Board of Governors for Higher Education or his/her designee; the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or his/her designee; and the chairman of the House Finance Committee or his/her designee.

The Board has the following powers and duties (as per R.I.G.L. 16-60-4):

• Approve a systematic program of information gathering, processing, and analysis addressed to every aspect of elementary and secondary education;
• Approve a master plan defining broad goals and objectives for elementary and secondary education;
• Formulate broad policy to implement the goals and objectives established and adopted by the Board of Regents; adopt standards and require enforcement and exercise general supervision over all elementary and secondary public and non-public education in the state;
• Allocate and coordinate the various educational functions among the educational agencies of the state and local school districts and promote cooperation among them so that maximum efficiency and economy shall be achieved;
• Prepare, with the assistance of the commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, and present annually to the state budget officer in accordance with 35-3-4, a total educational budget for the elementary and secondary sector which shall include, but not be limited to, the budgets of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, subordinate boards and agencies, and state aid to local school districts;
• Maintain a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, provide for its staffing and organization, and appoint a commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, as per 16-60-6, to serve at its pleasure;
• Establish other educational agencies or subcommittees necessary or desirable for the conduct of any or all aspects of elementary and secondary education, and determine all powers and functions as well as composition of any agencies or subcommittees, and dissolve them when their purpose has been fulfilled;
• Approve the basic subjects and courses of study to be taught and instructional standards required to be maintained in the public elementary and secondary schools of the state;
• Adopt standards and qualifications for the certification of teachers and provide for the issuance of certificates, and establish fees for the certification of teachers;
• Be responsible for the distribution of state school funds;
• Determine the necessity of school construction and approve standards for design and construction of school buildings throughout the state;
• Set standards for school libraries and school library services;
• Make recommendations relative to transportation of pupils to school, school bus routes, time schedules, and other matters relating to pupil transportation;
• Decide and determine appeals from decisions of the commissioner;
• Prescribe forms for the use of local school committees and local officers when reporting to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
• Adopt and require standard accounting procedures for local school districts, except as provided for in subdivision (3) of 16-24-2;
• Adopt and require standard uniform operating and capital budgeting procedures for local school districts;
• Establish rules for the approval and accrediting of elementary and secondary schools;
• Recommend to the General Assembly from time to time changes in the size and number of the school districts within the state, and make such further and other recommendations to the General Assembly as the Board of Regents may determine to be necessary or desirable, including, but not limited to proposals for incentives for the coordination of services and facilities of certain school districts and the feasibility of granting taxing authority to local school committees upon their request and the impact upon the quality of education within that particular community by granting the request. In carrying out this duty, the Board of Regents shall periodically issue reports in school district organizations for selected regions and school districts;
• Exercise all other powers with relation to the field of elementary and secondary within the state, not specifically granted to any other department, board, or agency, and not incompatible with law, which the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education may deem advisable; Exercise the authority heretofore vested in the Board of Regents for education with relation to adult education as defined in 16-58-2 and establish definitive goals for and operate a comprehensive delivery system for adult education programs and services, including the counseling and testing of persons interested in obtaining high school equivalency diplomas, the issuance of diplomas, and the maintenance of a permanent record of applications, tests, and equivalency diplomas;
• Otherwise promote maximum efficiency and economy in the delivery of elementary and secondary educational services in the state;
• Present for review and oversight to the House and Senate Finance Committees plans for reallocation of appropriated funds;
• Approve a training program for school committee members to enhance their individual skills and their effectiveness as a corporate body;
• Submit to the Governor and General Assembly an annual progress report on the condition of elementary and secondary education;
• Prepare, with the assistance of the commissioner, a multi-year plan of priority educational goals and objectives.