Board of Regents Regulation - Secondary School Regulations

Regulation Authority:

R.I.G.L. 16-60-4, 16-67-6, 16-7.1-2

Purpose and Reason:

The amended regulations were adopted to modify the process and timeline for RIDE approval of local school districts’ diploma systems, clarify the elements of the Rhode Island graduation requirements and the relationship between those elements, and clarify and strengthen the student-support system required under the regulations. The adopted regulations differ from the proposed regulations by changing the date for implementation of the graduation requirements from the class of 2012 to the class of 2014. The tiered diploma structure was replaced with a Regents’ commendation to recognize students achieving beyond minimum expectations. The system of student supports was modified by moving the requirement for an early warning system from Grade 8 to Grade 6, clarifying the supports and sequence of activities for students not meeting Regents-specified levels of academic readiness on the state assessments, requiring a progress plan for such students, and adding more specific language to provide support for English-language learners. A section on waivers from the state assessment requirement, along with criteria and the process of granting and receiving waivers, was added. Increased detail and specificity was added to the provision concerning the level of proficiency on state assessments and the definition and application of the term “progress toward proficiency,” The term “common planning time” was further clarified in the Definitions section. All material revisions of the proposed regulations were the direct result of comments received during the rulemaking process and are germane to the concerns of the public. Those concerns focused on the fairness of the timing of the implementation of the graduation requirements, the role of the state assessment in the graduation requirements, and the potential unintended consequences of the proposed tiered diploma system.