Bill > H5744

This bill establishes two scholarship programs to increase the number of bilingual, dual language, and world language teachers in Rhode Island's urban core and urban ring public schools. The first program provides scholarships to college students at Rhode Island College (RIC) and the University of Rhode Island (URI) pursuing teacher certification in bilingual or world language education, with recipients committing to teach full-time in urban schools for at least one year per scholarship year. The second program offers scholarships to existing full-time teachers in urban schools who want to obtain additional bilingual or world language teaching certifications. Both scholarship programs will be funded by an annual $500,000 appropriation from the state legislature, with an additional $50,000 available for administrative costs, and will also accept charitable donations. Eligibility requirements include maintaining a 2.5 GPA, completing the FAFSA, and meeting specific certification and residency criteria. The bill highlights the demographic need for more bilingual teachers, noting that 27% of urban core students are multilingual, but only 2% are enrolled in dual language programs. By providing financial support and incentives, the bill aims to address the teacher certification gap and improve educational opportunities for multilingual students in Rhode Island.

Budget and Finance

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