NEW: Students Dress as Lab Animals to Protest High-Stakes Testing
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Nicholas Handy, GoLocalProv Contributor
Student members of Providence Student Union (PSU) gathered in the Rhode Island State House Rotunda on Wednesday afternoon dressed as guinea pigs and lab rats in opposition of the new high-stakes testing graduation requirement in Rhode Island.
Joined by parents, legislators, and members of the community, the demonstration was a mix of speeches by two students and Teresa Tanzi, a State Representative from Narragansett, and a student performance in which the students equated themselves to lab rats being experimented on by the Rhode Island Department of Education.
A graduation requirement
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As of this current school year, RIDE now requires students to score at least partially proficient on their NECAP testing in order to graduate. Various organizations including PSU have been outraged, calling the high-stakes testing legislation an “unproven experiment” that gambles with the futures of high school students.
“What people should know is we're not against the NECAP itself -- most people think we want the test itself to go away,” said Jose Serrano, a member of PSU. “We just don't believe it should be a graduation requirement. The NECAP was always intended to be an assessment.”
Results coming Friday
NECAP testing is held during the fall every year and tests high school juniors and their proficiency levels in reading, writing, and math. In addition to the juniors who typically take the test, 2013 saw an addition of around 4,000 seniors who had to re-take the test. Students are currently awaiting these test results – which will be released by RIDE this upcoming Friday – as they ultimately decide whether they will graduate this spring.
“Public policy is at its best when it is visionary and not reactionary, and I am proud to stand with leaders who have been fighting to change the high-stakes testing policy,” said Representative Tanzi. “As a legislator, I have been troubled by the inconsistency demonstrated by RIDE’s recent announcements. Take, for example, the guideline that students attending CCRI will be subject to the NECAP testing graduation requirement, while students accepted to other colleges will not.”
Tanzi refers to a waiver policy instituted by RIDE in which students can still graduate with a diploma having failed the NECAP testing, provided they are accepted to a non-open enrollment, accredited higher education institution or a national community service program. Schools like CCRI who do not fit the profile of RIDE’s waiver will still require adequate NECAP testing scores.
Seeking a more constructive evaluation model
PSU calls for an end to the current high-stakes testing legislation, hoping to delay the make-or-break model to find a more constructive way to evaluate students. PSU has pointed to a bill by Senator Adam Satchell which calls for a five-year moratorium on the high-stakes testing, as well as a bill introduced by Representative Teresa Tanzi that would allow for students to balance their strengths and weaknesses through compensatory summation as potential ways to remedy the situation.
“We really want to get rid of the high-stakes portion of NECAP testing,” said Sam Foer, another member of PSU. “If it continues, we think there will be more low income families and more high school dropouts.”
Related Slideshow: Rhode Island School Superintendent Salaries
Below are the salaries of school superintendents in Rhode Island, starting with the lowest paid. Data is for 2013 and was provided by the state Division of Municipal Finance. Where relevant, longevity pay is also listed. All school superintendents are listed except those in the independent school districts in Foster and Glocester. The combined Foster-Glocester district is included. In order to provide a more informed basis for comparing superintendents from one community to another, the annual student enrollment and total expenditures are also listed. (The data is for fiscal year 2012, the latest available from the state Department of Education.)
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34. New Shoreham
Superintendent Robert Hicks
Salary: $45,280
District Profile
Student Body Size: 112
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $4,443,923
Note: Position is part-time.
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33. Little Compton
Superintendent Kathryn M. Crowley
Salary: $63,500
District Profile
Student Body Size: 295
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $6,995,203
Note: Position is part-time.
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32. Jamestown
Superintendent Marcia Lukon
Salary: $67,039
District Profile
Student Body Size: 481
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $12,049,735
Note: Position is part-time.
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31. Johnston
Superintendent Bernard DiLullo, Jr.
Salary: $121,456
Longevity Pay: $2,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,917
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $50,452,203
Salary includes longevity pay.
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30. Tiverton
Superintendent William J. Rearick
Salary: $125,032
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,738
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $28,715,478
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29. North Providence
Superintendent Melinda Smith
Salary: $127,600
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,301
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $47,235,638
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28. North Smithfield
Superintendent Stephen Lindberg
Salary: $129,854
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,704
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $23,498,113
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27. Portsmouth
Superintendent Lynn Krizic
Salary: $132,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,590
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $36,591,167
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26. West Warwick
Superintendent Karen Tarasevich
Salary: $134,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,374
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $53,918,748
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25. Exeter-West Greenwich
Superintendent James H. Erinakes II
Salary: $135,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,678
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $32,331,544
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24. Narragansett
Superintendent Katherine E. Sipala
Salary: $138,485
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,407
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $26,850,371
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23. Burrillville
Superintendent Frank Pallotta
Salary: $139,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,418
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $31,681,821
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22. Smithfield
Superintendent Robert O'Brien
Salary: $141,481
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,349
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $34,311,788
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21. Foster-Glocester
Superintendent Michael S. Barnes
Salary: $141,756
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,226
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $18,267,711
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20. Bristol-Warren
Superintendent Melinda Thies
Salary: $142,550
Longevity Pay: $2,550
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,454
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $51,591,792
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19. East Greenwich
Superintendent Victor Mercurio
Salary: $144,279
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,323
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $32,975,952
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18. East Providence
Superintendent Kim Mercer
Salary: $144,279
District Profile
Student Body Size: 5,338
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $77,242,920
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17. Central Falls
Superintendent Frances Gallo
Salary: $144,900
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,724
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $51,519,366
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16. Coventry
Superintendent Michael Almeida
Salary: $145,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 4,970
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $67,620,141
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15. Cranston
Superintendent Judith Lundsten
Salary: $145,083
District Profile
Student Body Size: 10,030
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $140,651,662
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14. North Kingstown
Superintendent Phillip Auger
Salary: $145,352
District Profile
Student Body Size: 4,398
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $61,636,874
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13. Westerly
Superintendent Roy Seitsinger
Salary: $146,477
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,030
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $55,015,253
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12. Barington
Superintendent Michael Messore
Salary: $147,500
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,101
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $44,851,748
Note: Salary includes longevity pay.
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11. Chariho
Superintendent Barry J. Ricci
Salary: $149,030
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,421
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $55,831,939
Note: District includes towns of Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton.
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10. Lincoln
Superintendent Georgia Fortunato
Salary: $149,130
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,236
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $49,551,778
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9. Woonsocket
Superintendent Giovanna M. Donoyan
Salary: $150,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 5,636
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $77,022,482
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8. Scituate
Superintendent Paul R. Lescault
Salary: $150,098
District Profile
Student Body Size: 1,492
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $22,330,940
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7. South Kingstown
Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow
Salary: $151,008
District Profile
Student Body Size: 3,393
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $59,950,442
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6. Middletown
Superintendent Rosemarie K. Kraeger
Salary: $154,059
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,360
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $37,340,131
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5. Newport
Superintendent John H. Ambrogi
Salary: $155,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 2,005
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $39,683,489
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4. Cumberland
Superintendent Philip Thorton
Salary: $158,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 4,470
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $55,508,846
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3. Pawtucket
Superintendent Deborah A. Cylke
Salary: $159,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 9,072
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $112,889,497
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2. Warwick
Superintendent Richard D'Agostino
Salary: $169,371
Longevity Pay: $2,480
District Profile
Student Body Size: 9,487
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $162,729,013
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1. Providence
Superintendent Susan Lusi
Salary: $190,000
District Profile
Student Body Size: 22,432
Annual Budget (FY 2012): $364,621,277
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