Regulations for Approval of Non-Public Schools in Rhode Island

This Part is promulgated pursuant to R.I. Gen Laws §§ 16-60-4(a)(3), 16-60-4(a)(8) and 16-60-4(a)(10) and 16-40-1(a)(1).

The purpose of this Part is to set forth standards for approval of non-public schools in Rhode Island.

A. The period of attendance of students in the non-public schools shall be substantially equal to that required by law in public schools. Public schools are required to establish and maintain a one hundred eighty (180) day school year exclusive of holidays. (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 16-2-2 and 16-19-2) A non-public school may establish a school year that is the equivalent of one hundred eighty (180) days through the use of longer school days in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-2. If longer school days are used to provide the equivalent of one hundred eighty (180) school days, no fewer than nine hundred ninety (990) hours of actual instructional time must be provided in a single school year.

B. A kindergarten day shall not be less than two and one-half (2 1/2) hours. An elementary and secondary school day shall not be less than five and one half (5 1/2) hours (three hundred and thirty (330) minutes) of actual school work excluding lunch, recess periods, study halls, homeroom, common planning time, student passing time, pre and post school teacher time and any other time that is not actual instructional time.

C. A secondary school class period shall be sufficiently flexible to allow the school to schedule classes four or five times weekly or to provide large group instruction with long or short periods as the program demands, However, a minimum of 200 minutes weekly in class shall normally-be required for each subject for which credit (for graduation) is allowed.

D. All students in grades one through twelve shall receive instruction in health and physical education pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-22-4.

E. All students in grades one through twelve shall receive instruction in health and physical education under such rules and regulations as the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Department of Health may prescribe or approve during periods which shall be substantially equal to an average of at least twenty (20) minutes in each school day.

A. The faculty and staff shall be large enough to carry out the program of the school. All personnel shall be of high character and integrity, shall be genuinely devoted to the profession of teaching and shall have the knowledge, training, and experience adequate for the positions they hold.

B. All teachers in non-public schools shall have a bachelor's degree or equivalent. This requirement may be waived by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education for teachers who were employed prior to September 1, 1972. Such teachers will be expected, however, to enroll in courses and/or to participate in seminars and other programs which will further develop their professional competencies.

C. Para-professional personnel shall be selected and utilized in accordance with state policy and criteria developed by the school system.

D. The comprehensive school health program as defined in the Regulations for School Health Programs, 216-RICR-20-10-4.3(A)(11) shall be staffed by personnel whose qualifications are substantially equivalent to their counterparts in public schools and as required by the Regulations for School Health Programs, 216-RICR-20-10-4.10.

A.Each school shall have a clearly-stated educational policy, cooperatively developed and written by the faculty and administration. The statement shall set forth the objectives of the school and the philosophy underlying the methods used to attain these objectives. The performance of each school shall be judged against its policy statement.

B. Each school shall have a carefully-planned program of study and activities, consistent with its policy and objectives, which shall be approved by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education.

C. Each school shall provide all students in attendance with instruction in reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, the history of the United States, the history of Rhode Island, the principles of American government and civics. Each subject shall be taught pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 16-19-2 and 16-22-2.

D. Each school shall provide all students in attendance with instruction in the principles of popular and representative government as enunciated in the Constitutions of Rhode Island and the United States. Commencing with the fourth grade in elementary schools instruction shall be given in the history and government of Rhode Island and in every high school thorough instruction shall be given in the Constitution and government of Rhode Island and in the Constitution and government of the United States.

E. In the study of history of the United States and of Rhode Island, there shall be included the major contributions made by African-Americans and other racial and ethnic groups in the development of the United States and the State of Rhode Island.

F. Each school shall provide all students in attendance with a health education program in grades K through 12 as appropriate. The health education program shall be approved if deemed substantially equivalent to that required in public schools as defined in the Regulations for School Health Programs of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Health (216-RICR-20-10-4).

The minimum requirements for a student to graduate from an approved non-public secondary school shall be successful completion of sixteen (16) courses taken in grades 9 through 12, including four (4) courses in English, two (2) courses in Social Studies (to include a course in United States History and Government), two (2) courses in Mathematics, two (2) courses in Science and six (6) courses in electives.

A. Schools shall provide library/media services and resources that are appropriate to the ages of the students served by the school and accessible to all enrolled students and personnel.

B.Schools shall provide a comprehensive school health program that includes services consistent with the Rules and Regulations for School Health Programs of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Health (216-RICR-20-10-4).

C.Record keeping shall be conducted pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-12-4.

All fire, evacuation and lockdown drills shall be conducted in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-4 and documented in reports submitted pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-5.