§ 16-60-4 - Board of regents for elementary and secondary education – Powers and duties.
SECTION 16-60-4
§ 16-60-4 Board of regents for elementaryand secondary education – Powers and duties. – The board of regents for elementary and secondary education shall have inaddition to those enumerated in § 16-60-1, the following powers and duties:
(1) To approve a systematic program of information gathering,processing, and analysis addressed to every aspect of elementary and secondaryeducation in this state especially as that information relates to current andfuture educational needs so that current needs may be met with reasonablepromptness and plans formulated to meet future needs as they arise in the mostefficient and economical manner possible.
(2) To approve a master plan defining broad goals andobjectives for elementary and secondary education in the state. These goals andobjectives shall be expressed in terms of what men and women should know and beable to do as a result of their educational experience. The regents shallcontinually evaluate the efforts and results of education in the light of theseobjectives.
(3) To formulate broad policy to implement the goals andobjectives established and adopted by the board of regents; to adopt standardsand require enforcement and to exercise general supervision over all elementaryand secondary public and nonpublic education in the state as provided insubdivision (8) of this section. The board of regents shall not engage in theoperation or administration of any subordinate committee, local schooldistrict, school, school service, or school program, except its own departmentof elementary and secondary education, and except as specifically authorized byan act of the general assembly. The adoption and submittal of the budget andthe allocation of appropriations, the acquisition, holding, disposition, andgeneral management of property shall not be construed to come within thepurview of the preceding prohibition. The regents shall communicate with andseek the advice of the commissioner of elementary and secondary education andall those concerned with and affected by its determinations as a regularprocedure in arriving at its conclusions and in setting its policy.
(4) To allocate and coordinate the various educationalfunctions among the educational agencies of the state and local schooldistricts and to promote cooperation among them so that maximum efficiency andeconomy shall be achieved.
(5) To prepare with the assistance of the commissioner ofelementary and secondary education and to present annually to the state budgetofficer, in accordance with § 35-3-4, a total educational budget for theelementary and secondary sector which shall include, but not be limited to, thebudgets of the department of elementary and secondary education, subordinateboards and agencies, and state aid to local school districts.
(ii) In the preparation of the budget, the regents shalldetermine priorities of expenditures for elementary and secondary educationpurposes of state revenues and other public resources made available for thesupport of public elementary and secondary education among the variouseducation agencies of the state. Nothing contained in this section shallauthorize any individual or group of individuals to reallocate resources in amanner other than that prescribed in the budget as appropriations by thegeneral assembly.
(6) To maintain a department of elementary and secondaryeducation, to provide for its staffing and organization and to appoint acommissioner of elementary and secondary education pursuant to § 16-60-6who shall serve at its pleasure. The commissioner of elementary and secondaryeducation and the department of elementary and secondary education shall haveany duties and responsibilities as defined in §§ 16-60-6 and 16-60-7.
(7) To establish other educational agencies or subcommitteesnecessary or desirable for the conduct of any or all aspects of elementary andsecondary education and to determine all powers, functions, and composition ofany agencies or subcommittees and to dissolve them when their purpose shallhave been fulfilled; provided that nothing contained in this subdivision shallbe construed to grant the regents the power to establish subcommittees oragencies performing the duties and functions of local school committees exceptas provided in § 16-1-10.
(8) To exercise the authority previously vested in the boardof regents for education with relation to secondary nonpublic educationalinstitutions within the state under the terms of chapter 40 of this title andother laws affecting nonpublic education in the state, and to cause thedepartment of elementary and secondary education to administer the provisionsof that section.
(9) To exercise all the functions, powers and duties whichpreviously were vested in the board of regents for education, under theprovisions of former § 16-49-4(9), including but not limited to thefollowing specific functions:
(i) To approve the basic subjects and courses of study to betaught and instructional standards required to be maintained in the publicelementary and secondary schools of the state.
(ii) To adopt standards and qualifications for thecertification of teachers and to provide for the issuance of certificates, andto establish fees for the certification of teachers. The fees collected for thecertification of teachers along with various education licensing and testingfees shall be deposited by the board of regents as general revenues. The fundsappropriated by the general assembly shall be utilized by the department ofelementary and secondary education to establish and support programs whichenhance the quality and diversity of the teaching profession. The commissionerof elementary and secondary education shall regularly make recommendations tothe board about specific programs and projects to be supported by those funds.The commissioner shall oversee the funds, assess the effectiveness of itsprograms and projects, and make recommendations about the general use andoperation of the funds to the board.
(iii) To be responsible for the distribution of state schoolfunds.
(iv) To determine the necessity of school construction and toapprove standards for design and construction of school buildings throughoutthe state.
(v) To set standards for school libraries and school libraryservices.
(vi) To make recommendations relative to transportation ofpupils to school, school bus routes, time schedules, and other matters relatingto pupil transportation.
(vii) To enforce the provisions of all laws relating toelementary and secondary education.
(viii) To decide and determine appeals from decisions of thecommissioner.
(ix) To prescribe forms for the use of local schoolcommittees and local officers when reporting to the department of elementaryand secondary education.
(x) To adopt and require standard accounting procedures forlocal school districts, except as provided for in subdivision (3) of §16-24-2.
(xi) To adopt and require standard uniform operating andcapital budgeting procedures for local school districts.
(10) To establish rules for the approval and accrediting ofelementary and secondary schools.
(11) To recommend to the general assembly changes in the sizeand number of the school districts within the state; and to make any furtherand other recommendations to the general assembly as the board of regents maydetermine to be necessary or desirable, including, but not limited to,proposals for incentives for the coordination of services and facilities ofcertain school districts and the feasibility of granting taxing authority tolocal school committees upon their request, and the impact upon the quality ofeducation within that particular community by granting the request. In carryingout this duty, the board of regents shall periodically issue reports in schooldistrict organizations for selected regions and school districts.
(12) To exercise all other powers with relation to the fieldof elementary and secondary education within this state not specificallygranted to any other department, board, or agency, and not incompatible withlaw, which the board of regents for elementary and secondary education may deemadvisable.
(13) To exercise the authority previously vested in the boardof regents for education with relation to adult education as defined in §16-58-2 and to establish definitive goals for and operate a comprehensivedelivery system for adult education programs and services, including thecounseling and testing of persons interested in obtaining high schoolequivalency diplomas, the issuance of diplomas, and the maintenance of apermanent record of applications, tests, and equivalency diplomas.
(14) To promote maximum efficiency and economy in thedelivery of elementary and secondary educational services in the state.
(15) To approve a training program for school committeemembers to enhance their individual skills and their effectiveness as acorporate body. The training program should include, but not be limited to, thefollowing roles and responsibilities of school committees: strategic planning,human and community relations, and school finance and budgeting.
(16) Within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscalyear, the board shall submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker ofthe house of representatives, and the president of the senate of its activitiesduring that fiscal year. The report shall provide: an operating statementsummarizing meetings or hearings held, subjects addressed, decisions rendered,rules or regulations promulgated, studies conducted, policies and plansdeveloped, approved, or modified, and programs administered or initiated; aconsolidated financial statement of all funds received and expended includingthe source of the funds, a listing of any staff supported by these funds, and asummary of any clerical, administrative or technical support received; asummary of performance during the previous fiscal year includingaccomplishments, shortcomings and remedies; a synopsis of hearings, complaints,suspensions, or other legal matters related to the authority of the board; abriefing on anticipated activities in the upcoming fiscal year; and findingsand recommendations for improvements. The director of the department ofadministration shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions ofthis subsection.
(17) To prepare with the assistance of the commissioner amulti-year plan of priority educational goals and objectives. This plan shouldrecommend policy objectives, implementation strategies, and a timetable formajor policy initiatives.
(18) Each year the governor shall by writing notify the boardof regents for elementary and secondary education concerning broad economic,cultural, and social needs that the education system needs to consider whichthe board shall address in developing educational plans and programs.
(19) Appoint a standing committee that will develop aschedule to systematically review all board policies over a three (3) yearperiod.
(20) To prepare with the assistance of the commissioner astatement of regulatory policy. This policy should set forth the goals andobjectives of state regulations which are expressed in terms of whateducational inputs and outputs the board expects regulations to address.
(21) To prepare with the assistance of the commissioner ofelementary and secondary education and to present annually to the generalassembly by January 1 a report on school discipline in Rhode Island schools.This report shall include:
(A) Expulsions by district, including duration and the reasonfor each action.
(B) Suspensions by district, including duration and thereason for each action.
(C) Placements to alternative programs for disciplinaryreasons.
(D) Assaults of teachers, students, and school staff bystudents.
(E) Incidents involving possession of weapons on schoolproperty. For the purpose of this section, a weapon shall be considered any ofthose weapons described in §§ 11-47-2 and 11-47-42.
(F) Incidents of the sale of controlled substances bystudents.
(G) Incidents of the possession with the intent to sellcontrolled substances by students.
(H) Additional demographic information including, but notlimited to, the ethnic and racial classifications, age, and gender, asprescribed by the commissioner, of each of the students involved in theincidents, events or actions described in subparagraphs (A) through (G) of thissubdivision.
(I) A description of the education program provided to eachstudent suspended for over ten (10) consecutive school days in a school year.
(ii) All school superintendents shall supply the necessaryinformation on forms established by the commissioner of elementary andsecondary education to the board of regents to assist in the preparation of theboard of regents' report on school discipline.
(22) To prepare and promulgate a uniform statewide schoolreporting system which would provide information including, but not limited to,the following:
(i) Student and teacher attendance rates;
(ii) Standardized test scores;
(iii) Demographic profiles;
(iv) Results of polls of students, parents, and teachers;
(v) Descriptions of goals, initiatives, and achievements;
(vi) Best teaching practices;
(vii) Alternative student assessments;
(viii) Special programs;
(ix) Number of student suspensions and teacher grievances andthe amount of parental involvement.
(23) The board shall conduct a training course for newlyappointed and qualified members within six (6) months of their qualification.The course shall be developed by the chairperson of the board, approved by theboard, and conducted by the chairperson of the board. The board may approve theuse of any board or staff members or other individuals to assist with training.The training course shall include instruction in the following areas: theprovisions of chapters 42-46, 36-14, and 38-2; and the board's own rules. Thedirector of the department of administration shall, within ninety (90) days ofthe effective date of this act, prepare and disseminate training materialsrelating to the provisions of chapters 42-46, 36-14, and 38-2.