NEW: Supporters to Rally Against Charter School Closure
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Supporters of a Providence charter school recommended for closure by education commissioner Deborah Gist will rally in opposition to the proposal at a Board of Regents hearing Thursday.
The hearing is set for 6pm at the Providence Career and Technical Academy.
The Academy for Career Exploration Charter School (ACE) opened in 1997 and lists its missions as “to increase students' life choices after graduation.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut a Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) performance review of the school shows that while students have improved in literacy over the last four years, math proficiency has plummeted. In fact, zero 11th graders were proficient in math, according to 2011 NECAP scores.
“ACE has failed to provide systematic instructional supports for students in the area of math, all of whom are struggling and none of whom have reached the level of 'proficient' on the 2011 state assessment,” the review states.
RIDE’s review also takes the school’s leadership to task for failing to provide “oversight for student learning and continuous improvement over the life of the school’s latest charter term.” It also notes that the school has no formal process for review of its curriculum.
“The board has not provided strong oversight in key areas, including tools for monitoring progress towards board-established goals, school leader accountability, academic and fiscal oversight,” the report states.
