Business leaders cite growing concerns about pace of progress in Providence Schools Takeover is “not on track” on nearly 70 percent of key academic indicators
Rhode Island Businesses for Better Education (RIBBE), a coalition of businesses and business organizations, is raising concern about the pace of progress in Providence Public Schools. SchoolsWorks/Harvard reports show that student performance has not significantly improved since the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) took over the state’s largest school district in 2019.
“RIBBE will continue to dig into these reports but our initial review validates the concerns we have about the lack of progress in Providence schools,” said Chelsea DeCesare, spokesperson for RIBBE. “While the pandemic created challenges few of us could have imagined when the 2019 Johns Hopkins report was first released, the data in the SchoolWorks report shows that the student-centered outcomes of the takeover are not on track.”
RIDE released the SchoolsWorks report on Friday morning. The report found that only 21 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in 3rd grade math and only 19 percent met or exceeded expectations in 3rd grade ELA. The data for 8th and 11th graders was more concerning with only 6 percent and 15 percent of 8th graders meeting or exceeding math and ELA scores, respectively. Only 13 percent of 11th graders met or exceeded expectations in math and less than 30 percent of 11th graders met or exceeded ELA scores on the SAT. Moreover, nearly a quarter of PPSD students fail to graduate high school in four years. In all, the SchoolWorks report found that nearly seven out of 10 PPSD/RIDE academic metrics are “not on track” (15 of 22 “excellence in learning” metrics; 68 percent).
Business leaders are raising concerns about the pace of progress in Providence. Businesses and employers rely on strong public school districts to help prepare students for the workforce and attract potential employees to Rhode Island. Rhode Island business leaders warn that the state cannot compete with other states and regions if the state’s largest school district continues to lag. RIBBE urges the McKee Administration, the General Assembly, and the City of Providence to commit to promoting greater accountability in the takeover and demonstrate greater urgency around delivering real improvement. In the weeks to come, RIBBE looks forward to working with stakeholders and finding a path forward to ensure the best possible outcomes for all students of Providence.
About RIBBE:
Rhode Island Businesses for Better Education is an alliance of businesses and business organizations committed to taking action that improves Rhode Island’s public K-12 system. Our top priority is ensuring that every student is provided a high-quality education to meet the demands of Rhode Island’s future competitive economy.
The founding associations include Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Rhode Island Black Business Association, Rhode Island Business Coalition, Rhode Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, and Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council.
