Roles & Responsibilities

The Rhode Island Special Education Advisory Committee (RISEAC): 

• Advises the Commissioner and the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education on matters concerning the unmet special education needs of children with disabilities;
• Comments publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the State regarding the education of children with disabilities;
• Advises the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) in developing evaluations and reporting on data;
• Advises RIDE in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in Federal monitoring reports under Part B of the IDEA; and
• Advises RIDE in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities.

Download the Rhode Island Special Education Advisory Committee (RISEAC) Brochure in PDF
or visit our web site at www.riseac.org.

Membership
Membership of the committee is composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education of children with disabilities. Parents of children with disabilities maintain the majority of the Committee membership. The membership also includes individuals with disabilities, teachers, representatives of institutions of higher education, private schools, charter schools, state and local education officials, administrators of programs for children with disabilities, foster care and homelessness, vocational, community or business organizations, juvenile and adult corrections and State Child Serving Agencies. Click here for the current membership list.

A membership application may be submitted from individuals interested in becoming a member of the Committee. 

Meeting Schedule 2009-2010

Meeting Location    Hall of Fame Conference Room, 2nd floor
                                   New England Institute of Technology
                                   2500 Post Road,  Warwick, Rhode Island

Meeting Time          Thursdays, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Meeting Dates         October 15, 2009
                                    November 19, 2009
                                    January 21, 2010
                                    February 25, 2010
                                    March 18, 2010
                                    April 22, 2010
                                    May 20, 2010

The RISEAC meeting agenda and minutes are posted with the Rhode Island Secretary of State at www.sec.state.ri.us
RISEAC meetings listed above are open to the public. Individuals who need accommodations to enable participation in a meeting are invited to submit such requests two weeks prior to the meeting date by contacting Melissa Angell at Melissa.MacDonald@ride.ri.gov or by telephone at (401) 222-8349.

Membership Worksessions