RI’s #3 School 2012: Exeter-West Greenwich Senior High School
Monday, May 14, 2012
Big jumps in 2 NECAP measures keeps Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School solidly in the Top 3 for 2012.
The school of just under 600 students saw substantial improvements on several testing measures, which clearly outweighed a few drops. The biggest bragging rights for the Scarlet Knights: a 9-point jump in the percentage of students testing above proficiency in Reading NECAPs, to 91%. Writing scores also bumped up 4 points, to 73% (Math scores, meanwhile, dropped 13 points, to 54%). Add to that an investment per student of $16,778, second only to Narragansett High, and the second-best student-teacher ratio (9:1), and you're looking at a winning combination.
Strengths and expansion
Exeter-West Greenwich has traditionally taken great pride in several creative programs, and with good reason. And what could be a better high school source of pride than a great band? EWG's award-winning Senior Band consistently places students in competitions and is known for being a welcoming presence on campus. The EWG Concert Band has played in Washington, DC, at the Naval Museum, and a photo of the band on the steps of the Capitol, signed by RI Senator Jack Reed, hangs in the practice room. On the media side, Knight Vision TV, the result of the school's Multimedia and Video Productions classes, gives students valuable experience producing talk shows, creative pieces, documentaries and news shows. On the athletic front, EWG has just completed a facilities upgrade: a new track and field facility that allows the school to host meets, which just began this month.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPart of what allows the district to support expansion at EWG during tight financial times results from a partnership with Merchant Bank's Project Give Back, which funnels funds back to the district from patronizing participating local businesses. "The school committee has been faced with declining revenues from the state and local taxpayers who are financially strapped," according to Thomas J. Geisma, EdD, Superintendent of Schools at EWG Regional School District. "Project Give Back is a unique partnership between … Merchant Card Services and the school district whereby the district can receive much needed revenue. The school committee is committed to allocate funds from Project Give Back to activities such as athletics and the arts that are a vital part of community life."
Exeter-West Greenwich Senior High School at a Glance
Enrollment: 591
Mascot: The Scarlet Knights
Notable Alums: none as of 2012
For a printable version of RI's Top High Schools 2012, with the full chart of rankings and summaries of key articles, Download PDF
Related Articles
- RI’s #4 School 2012: South Kingstown High School
- The Link Between Schools and Home Values: RI’s Top High Schools 2012
- RI’s #5 School 2012: Barrington High School
- College Admissions: Why High School Rankings Matter to Colleges
- The Top High Schools in Rhode Island 2012
- RI’s #6 School 2012: Chariho Regional High School
- CHART: RI’s High Schools 2012, From #1 to #51
- RI’s #7 School 2012: Westerly High School
- Who Moved Up, Who Moved Down: RI’s Top High Schools 2012
- RI’s #8 School 2012: Portsmouth High School
- How We Got the Rankings: RI’s Top High Schools 2012
- RI’s #9 School 2012: Scituate High School
- RI’s #1 School 2012: East Greenwich High School
- RI’s #10 School 2012: Classical High School
- RI’s #2 School 2012: Narragansett High School
- Providence High Schools at the Bottom: RI’s Top High Schools 2012
