RI Has One School System That Has Worse Test Scores Than Providence - The State Runs It
GoLocalProv News Team
RI Has One School System That Has Worse Test Scores Than Providence - The State Runs It
Former Central Falls Mayor Tom Lazieh told GoLocalProv.com this week that he lobbied then-Governor Bruce Sundlun to take over the underperforming Central Falls schools system in hopes of better financial support and stronger educational outcomes, but now more than two-plus decades later, the former Mayor says the experiment has been an educational failure.
“The State takeover of schools doesn’t mean better quality,” said Lazieh. And he has words of warning about a Providence takeover.
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Providence schools' performance on the state’s new comprehensive tests mirrored on the Massachusetts model -- RICAS -- were an embarrassment and in part lead to a comprehensive assessment by Johns Hopkins University.
The Wall Street Journal has named Providence “an education horror show — a case study in public school failure and lack of accountability.”
However, if Providence is a horror show, then what are the Central Falls schools?
So if Providence’s ELA scores are deplorable, what term should be used to describe Central Falls' ELA scores — only 9.6 percent on Central Falls students meet or exceed expectations for ELA — 30 percent lower than Providence students.
Math scores on the RICAS were even worse. Only 10.3 percent of Providence students meet or exceeded the standard for math, but that was 33 percent higher than the state-run Central Falls students. Only 6.9 percent of Central Falls students met or exceeded the standards for math.
Central Falls a "Failure"
Lazieh says “the state has failed.”
Similarly, Gary Sasse, the former Director of Administration for the State of Rhode Island said on GoLocal LIVE’s Business Monday, that there was a significant opportunity to improve education in Central Falls and the state has failed the children of Central Falls.
“RIDE dropped the ball -- now what's to say that RIDE won’t drop the ball again is a fair question,” said Sasse.
Now, the Superintendent of the Central Falls school system Victor Capellan is moving to RIDE to be involved in the state intervention of Providence Schools. He refused to respond to requests for an interview on the performance of Central Falls schools under his tenure.
“All the numbers [in Central Falls] are disappointing. We should have done better," says Lazieh. “It was a perfect opportunity to turn the school system around.”
Providence Takeover Warning
Lazieh warns about a state takeover of Providence, “I don’t know if it is realistic to takeover [Providence]. The size....the expense. It is too much.”
Lazieh joins others in calling for Rhode Island to guarantee quality education. “Rhode Island children should have a right to quality education,” said Lazieh.
2017-2018 RICAS ELA Rankings for "Meeting or Exceeding Expectations"
#49
Central Falls
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
9.66%
#48
Woonsocket
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
12.52%
#47
Providence
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
13.71%
#46
Highlander Charter School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
15.06%
#45
Trinity Academy for Performing Arts
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
15.38%
#44
Paul Cuffee Charter School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
15.7%
#43
Beacon Charter School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
19.23%
#42
Pawtucket
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
20.48%
#41
Newport
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
22.6%
#40
Southside Charter School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
22.73%
#39
Burrillville
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
24.92%
#38
West Warwick
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
25.64%
#37
Segue Institute for Learning
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
27.23%
#36
Johnston
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
27.55%
#35
North Providence
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
29.05%
#34
East Providence
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
31.58%
#33
International Charter School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
32.1%
#32
Middletown
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
34.43%
#31
Cranston
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
35.45%
#30
Foster
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
35.57%
#29
Warwick
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
36.9%
#28
Tiverton
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
38.34%
#27
Scituate
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
38.55%
#26
Learning Community
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
39.08%
#25
Lincoln
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
39.94%
#24
Westerly
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
40.41%
#23
Exeter-West Greenwich
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
42.49%
#22
Foster-Glocester
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
43%
#21
Coventry
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
45.51%
#20
South Kingstown
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
46.44%
#19
Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
45.6%
#18
The Hope Academy
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
47.22%
#17
Portsmouth
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
50.24%
#16
Bristol-Warren
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
51.29%
#15
Smithfield
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
51.99%
#14
Little Compton
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
52.8%
#13
Narragansett
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
54.22%
#12
North Kingstown
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
54.31%
#11
The Compass School
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
55.08%
#10
Cumberland
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
55.93%
#9
East Greenwich
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
56.21%
#8
Achievement First Rhode Island
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
56.5%
#7
Chariho
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
56.85%
#6
Jamestown
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
58.97%
#5
Glocester
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
59.86%
#4
North Smithfield
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
59.98%
#3
Barrington
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
69.46%
#2
New Shoreham
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
70%
#1
Kingston Hill Academy
Students meeting or exceeding expectations:
71.13%
