RI Goes from a D to an A- and B+ in School Standards
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Rhode Island’s standards for what students should learn in public schools have gone from a grade of a D in reading and math to a B+ and an A-, according to a review of state standards by a national conservative group.
The standards spell out what students should learn and be able to do in subjects like reading and math. For example, Rhode Island third graders have to be able to identify synonyms and antonyms for words and have to be able to mentally add and subtract numbers. The standards are the basis for curriculum and classroom instruction across the state.
This week, the Washington, DC-based Fordham Institute released a study comparing the standards in all 50 states and giving Rhode Island two Ds—the math standards, in particular, were among the worst in the country.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Rhode Island’s standards address some important content in the areas of analyzing literary texts, and listening and speaking, but overall the standards are too repetitive and not specific enough to communicate clear priorities and rigorous content,” the study said.
But that assessment is based on the old standards Rhode Island had before it adopted a new set of standards known as the Common Core Standards earlier this month.
“The Fordham Institute study noted that Rhode Island standards were not as clear as those in some other states,” Education Commissioner Deborah Gist said. “One advantage of the Common Core State Standards is their clarity, which will help us with sequencing and transitioning as we move from our previous standards to the Common Core.”
Gist spokesman Elliot Krieger said the department did dispute how the Fordham Institute had evaluated the state’s old standards, noting that two states with identical guidelines—Vermont and New Hampshire, received higher grades from the Fordham Institute.
The Common Core Standards received a much higher grade by the Fordham Institute—a B+ in reading and writing and an A- in math.
The Common Core Standards were developed by two national groups—the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Rhode Island was among the first wave of states to adopt the Common Core, according to Department of Education spokesman Elliot Krieger. To date, 26 states are participating in the program.
Rhode Island school districts will have until the 2014-2015 academic year to revise their curriculum and instruction to reflect the new state standards. That year will mark the first time that students will take a statewide test measuring how they are doing against the Common Core Standards.
The state is applying for federal funds from the Race to the Top program to help districts make the transition, according to Krieger.
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