A look back at the past decade in RI education
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2013-2014
Full implementation of Common Core.
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2015
More than 10,000 Rhode Island students chose not to take the PARCC, part of a nationwide protest against standardized testing.
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2016
RI decides to transition to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) with its own version, the Rhode Island Common Assessment System (RICAS).
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2017-2018
RICAS is administered for the first time to students in grades 3-8. Students in grade 10 will take PSAT or SAT.
November 2018
- RICAS scores are released. Results in math and English reveal RI students lag far behind their peers in Massachusetts.
- 14 public school students file a lawsuit against the state in Cook v. Raimondo, accusing RI of providing an education so inferior that it has failed to fulfill its duties under the U.S. Constitution.
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2019
March 2019
- State Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Ken Wagner announces his departure.
- Angélica Infante-Green, a national leader on educational equity, is appointed new commissioner, having served as the Deputy Commissioner of New York City.
April 2019: Governor Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza announce that the John Hopkins Institute for Education Policy will conduct a “deep dive” into the Providence public schools.
July 2019: Retired Central Falls Supt. Frances Gallo, is nominated as interim superintendent in Providence.
August 2019: Several new education laws, mirroring neighboring Massachusetts are passed creating statewide academic standards and curricular frameworks, redefining how schools are governed and demanding more accountability at the local level.
November 1: State takeover of the PPSD officially begins. It is to last 5 years, giving Commissioner Infante-Green and the superintendent to be appointed sweeping authority over budgetary and personnel decisions for the district.
December 2019: RIDE convenes 3 Community Design Teams, comprised of diverse stakeholders to develop measurable, actionable initiatives for Providence schools. They will focus on 3 priorities: World-Class Talent, Excellence in Learning, and Engaged Communities.
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2020
January 2020: Dorothy Smith is the interim superintendent of schools, after Fran Gallo stepped down at the end of 2019
February 2020: RIDE announces new PPSD superintendent, Harrison Peters.
March 2020: Community Design Teams are expected to present the Commissioner and RIDE with recommendations for implementation into the Turnaround Plan.