Rhode Island students scored a little bit better this spring on the annual standardized test known as PARCC, or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.
In the second year of the test, scores improved by an average of 5 percentage points in math and 2 percentage points in English. But State Education Commissioner Ken Wagner said gaps between urban and suburban students showed little or no change, and in some cases worsened.
“So I think the broad takeaway is participation is up, scores are moving in the right direction,” said Wagner. “We have a lot of work to do. Let’s get back to focusing on teaching and learning.”
Despite the increases, the overall picture remains disappointing to many people who have watched Rhode Island struggle with low proficiency rates for decades. Fewer than a third of all students met the bar in math and less than 40 percent made the grade in English. Wagner said schools will need to focus on several areas, chief among them curriculum design, and providing teachers time to work through challenges together.
“And if we’re going to make not just incremental progress but dramatic progress, we’re going to have to look at how we design instruction for all students, but especially in high school where kids are making up their mind about whether school is relevant for them,” said Wagner.
The idea of re-thinking high school is something Wagner has discussed on several occasions. He also mentioned giving schools more autonomy to make decisions, and sticking with a course of action, rather than shifting education policies every few years, a pattern he described as all-too-common in Rhode Island.
As with any testing, there were significant differences from one school and one district to another. The state’s report highlighted strong gains in both scores and participation in several places, including Bristol Warren, North Providence, Pawtucket, Warwick and The Learning Community Elementary School, a charter school.
Looking at scores alone, Barrington continues to be a standout, with 74.5 percent of students on target in English and 66 percent in Math. East Greenwich saw 68 percent of students meet expectations in English and nearly 64 percent in Math. Chariho had 65 percent of students on target in English and 52 percent in Math.
Among charter schools, Blackstone Valley Prep Charter School continues to report strong results. With a diverse student body drawing from both urban and suburban areas, 55 percent of their students met expectations in English, and 49.5 percent in Math.
On the low end of the spectrum, just 11 percent of Central Falls students met expectations in English and 8 percent in Math.
The state’s largest district, Providence, had just 20 percent of all students on target in English and 14 percent in Math. Woonsocket posted similar results. You can find specific schools and districts in the full state report.
One bright note was an increase in testing participation rates. Controversy over the test contributed to a significant number of opt-outs in the first year, but this year the trend seemed to reverse. Overall, the state reported 96 percent of students taking the test, up from 88 percent. That’s significant because it meets federal targets, meaning the state will not risk the loss of some federal funding.
Some individual schools and districts still fell short on participation, including East Providence, several Providence high schools and the Rhode Island School for the Deaf. While state officials say this will not affect their funding, it will affect their annual report cards from the state.
In 2016, 81 percent of students took computer-based PARCC tests, while just 19 percent took paper and pencil tests. According to the state, scores trended slightly higher for students taking computer-based tests, a change from last year. State officials said their goal is for all students to move to computer testing by next year.
