PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Suzanne Arena has spent almost nine years trying to find the right treatment for her son, Cole, who has dyslexia. So she was tearful when Gov. Raimondo signed a bill into law on Wednesday that will train teachers how to work with students who have the common disorder.
Rhode Island joins the 15 other states that define dyslexia in state statute and the five states that offer professional training to educators. Prior to the legislation, sponsored by Rep. O'Brien, D-North Providence, Rhode Island didn't have a standard policy offering guidance to school districts on how to address the needs of these children, nor was there any coordinated effort to train teachers in programs specific to students with this disability.
Arena, president of the Rhode Island chapter of Decoding Dyslexia, a national advocacy group, said the law will open the door for dyslexic children in the same way that earlier legislation enabled deaf and blind children to learn and grow.
"These children will never have to struggle with the handicap that my child has and continues to do so today," she said.
Recess -- another issue dear to the hearts of many families -- also became law during a ceremonial signing at the State House. Elementary school students must now be provided 20 minutes of recess a day. The language wasn't quite as strong as supporters wanted, however. Instead of prohibiting the use of recess as punishment, it says teachers should "make a good faith effort to not withhold recess for punitive reasons."
The Rhode Island Department of Education currently requires 100 minutes a week for health and physical education but doesn't set aside time specifically for recess. The department opposed the bill because it felt such decisions should be left up to individual districts.
The bill also allows districts that would otherwise have to extend their day to count recess toward the instructional school day. RIDE requires a minimum of 330 minutes of instruction a day.
Raimondo also signed a bill that establishes a state seal of bi-literacy to recognize high school students who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English. The law is designed to encourage students to study languages, provide employers with a way to identify job candidates who are bilingual and prepare students for 21st Century learning skills.
The program is voluntary and seal will be awarded by the state commissioner of education. Central Falls High School, in a pilot program this year, awarded 15 bi-literacy seals.
Erin Papa, past president of the Rhode Island Foreign Language Association, said the law validates the many languages spoken by Rhode Island's increasingly diverse communities. Rhode Island, she said, is the 21st state to approve a bi-literacy seal.
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