WPRI: Everything you need to know about the 2018 RICAS results

By: Dan McGowan 
Posted: Nov 29, 2018 09:45 AM EST
Updated: Nov 29, 2018 11:32 AM EST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Rhode Island’s latest standardized test results for public schools are in, and they’re not pretty.

The R.I. Department of Education released a school-by-school breakdown of outcomes on the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System exam Thursday, giving parents, educators and other stakeholders their first glimpse at proficiency rates in English Language Arts and math under the state’s new annual exam for students in grades three through eight.

So how do things stack up? Here’s an overview.

(Click here to view proficiency rates by school)

RIPEC Report on November 2018 Ballot Initiatives and State's Debt Position & Budget Outlook

PROVIDENCE R.I. (October 2018) – On November 6, Rhode Island voters will be asked to consider three ballot questions, which would authorize $589.5 million in additional debt costs, accounting for estimated interest and borrowing costs.  Today, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) released a report intended to assist voters as they consider these ballot initiatives.  The report provides an updated look at the state’s FY 2019 budget and out-years, based on the preliminary FY 2018 closing, as well as Rhode Island’s current debt position.  The purpose is to provide voters with information regarding the current financial position of the state and other related issues, which may be helpful when deciding whether to approve the referenda. The report also provides a summary of the 2018 ballot initiatives, and includes a set of questions for voter consideration.  The full report is available here.

Memo Alert - Firearms in Schools

It has been brought to RIDE’s attention that there is confusion among local education agency (LEA) personnel regarding who may carry a firearm, including a concealed-carry firearm, in a school. This confusion stems from inconsistencies among various state laws, regulations, and LEA policies that govern safety and firearms on school grounds.

With the start of the new school year, this document provides direction on how to navigate this issue and will be binding on LEAs and their personnel, effective immediately and until such time as the underlying laws are reconciled. The intent of this document is to ensure that all students in Rhode Island attend safe and secure schools, and is based on feedback from public safety experts, including the State Police, local police, as well as school administrators, teachers, and town officials.

Full Document

What you should know about every school district in RI

By: Dan McGowan 
Posted: Aug 27, 2018 12:04 AM EDT
Updated: Aug 27, 2018 12:11 AM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – With classes set to begin for students across Rhode Island, Eyewitness News asked superintendents from every district to identify their district’s biggest strengths and challenges heading into 2018.

Each school leader was asked five questions: 1. What’s the number one thing parents and students should know about this district this year?2. What is the biggest challenge your district faces? 3. With voters set to consider a $250-million ballot question for school repairs across the state, what are the top three building improvements needed in your district? 4. What will your school district look like 10 years from now? 5. Tell us something nobody knows about your district.

So how did they respond?

Providence seeks to borrow $160M for school repairs

By: Dan McGowan 
Posted: Jul 19, 2018 02:50 PM EDT
Updated: Jul 19, 2018 03:23 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Providence leaders are racing to add a question to the November ballot that would ask city voters for approval to borrow $160 million for school repairs over the next several years.

The bond question, which didn’t come to light until Thursday, will be introduced at Monday’s City Council meeting. In order to appear on the ballot, it must be approved before Aug. 8, which gives the council just over two weeks to vet the proposal.

Full Story

12 things to know about Providence's $749M budget

By: Dan McGowan 
Posted: Jun 18, 2018 10:05 PM EDT
Updated: Jun 19, 2018 05:17 PM EDT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – If all goes as planned, Providence will have a budget in place for the fiscal year that begins July 1 by the end of the week.

The City Council Finance Committee on Monday gave its blessing to a $749-million tax-and-spending plan that differs only slightly from the proposal Mayor Jorge Elorza put forward in April.

The budget, which is comprised of a package of several ordinances, will be considered by the full council at a special meeting Wednesday night and again Friday night. The council is widely expected to support the proposal.
Full Story

League Day at the State House on April 3 - Seth Magaziner

RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner will be the featured speaker at League Day at the State House on April 3, 2018. His focus will be the new school upgrade plan coming out of Governor Raimondo's Rhode Island School Building Task Force that Magaziner co-chaired.

Agenda for Tuesday April 3rd at the Governor's Reception Room
3 P.M. Social Hour - Meet and Greet - Outside the Governor's Reception Room
4 P.M. League Program
5 P.M. RI General Treasurer Seth Magaziner speaks to the League

Please bring your friends and invite your General Assembly representatives to attend.

School Safety Meeting

In the wake of the shooting tragedy in Florida, a school safety meeting and Q&A will be held on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm at MLK Elementary at 35 Camp Street. The meeting is organized by City Councilor Nirva Lafortune and will include school, city, and police officials.

State Finances/School Repairs

The following articles are not new but worth keeping track of.


A WPRI.com cheat sheet with key facts on the $9.4-billion tax-and-spending proposal
By Ted Nesi
Published: January 18, 2018, 4:00 pm  Updated: January 18, 2018, 9:37 pm


Raimondo’s $1 Billion School Rehab Initiative Will Only Address One-Third of Need
Friday, January 19, 2018
GoLocalProv News Team

Task force learns how RI could fund billions in school repairs

By Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter

Published: October 23, 2017, 8:32 pm  Updated: October 23, 2017, 10:44 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Rhode Island could fund billions of dollars in needed public school repairs by moving to a system that funds projects as they happen, placing a general-obligation bond question on next year’s ballot or offering incentives to cities and towns that commit to quickly making infrastructure improvements, General Treasurer Seth Magaziner suggested Monday.

Magaziner, who co-chairs the Rhode Island School Building Task Force, stopped short of making any recommendations during the panel’s second meeting, but he warned there is no amount of “financial wizardry” that will get the state out of spending more than it currently spends if leaders want to commit to making $600 million to $3 billion in school repairs in the coming years.

One thing Magaziner made clear to the group: “Just pouring money into this existing system isn’t going to get us there.”

 Full Story  

RI schools need $2.2B in repairs. Here are 12 things everyone should know

2017 State of Rhode Island Schoolhouses Report  (Jacobs Report)

Rhode Island School Building Task Force

Task Force Members, Agendas, Presentations & Minutes, Upcoming Meetings, Public Forums

State officials prioritizing needs following study into RI school building conditions

Posted: Sep 14, 2017 4:47 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 14, 2017 4:47 PM EDT
By: Chloe Leshner
cleshner@abc6.com
@cleshnerabc6

We're digging deeper into a first of its kind study into Rhode Island's crumbling classrooms. Now that state officials have a pretty good grasp about just how bad the schools are, 2 questions need to be answered. How to fix it and how to pay for it.

That report paints a grim picture of the conditions Rhode Island students learn in and with a $2.2 billion price tag to get every public school in pristine condition, the task force now has to prioritize what realistically can get done first.

Full Story

2017 State of Rhode Island Schoolhouses Report

Click here to read the facilities assessment report released today. The RIDE website also has a clickable map that allows you to read individual reports for every single school building in the state. To see that map, click here.

Notable information from the reports include:

• $627.6 million in immediate work is required to make all RI schools "warm, safe, and dry" (fire alarms, roof and window replacement).
• $2.2 billion would bring all facilities up to "aspirational standards", which includes repairs as well as creating 21st century learning environments.
• 54% of RI's traditional schools can accommodate 350 students or fewer, but average enrollment in 2016-17 was 488.
• Sample facility deficiency costs by district:

             Barrington -- $47.8 million
             East Providence -- $137.5 million
             Providence -- $372.4 million
             Tiverton -- $46 million
             Warwick -- $190 million

• Sample facility deficiency costs by school building:

              Barrington Middle School -- $21.4 million
              East Providence High School -- $38.7 million
              Classical High School -- $17.3 million
              Tiverton High School -- $22.4 million
              Warwick Vets -- $27.3 million

There is already news coverage regarding these reports online from Linda Borg (here) and Dan McGowan (here).

--
Lisa M. Nelson | OEHCRI
Outreach Coordinator
410 South Main Street, 3rd Floor
Providence, RI 02903
c: 315.278.4362

RI schools need $2.2B in repairs. Here are 12 things everyone should know

By Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter
Published: September 13, 2017, 2:30 pm  Updated: September 13, 2017, 7:10 pm

Governor names 16-member task force to determine next steps by December

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Public schools across Rhode Island will need more than $2 billion in repairs or upgrades in the coming years, according to a study released Wednesday by Gov. Gina Raimondo...

So what types of problems do schools have and how will they be addressed? Here’s an overview. (You can read the consultants’ full report here and their recommendations here.)

RIDE proposes new procedures for disproportionality, hearings scheduled

On December 16, 2016, the Secretary of Education amended the IDEA Part B which requires States to revise their State Policies and Procedures (PPs) for Significant Disproportionality...

The Secretary amends the regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governing the Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities program and the Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities program...

The recommended revisions to RI Policies and Procedures for Significant Disproportionality are available for public review and comment on the RIDE website from August 5, 2017 through October 5, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

Public Hearings:
August 23, 2017 - Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location:  Times 2 Academy, 50 Fillmore St, Providence, RI 02908
September 6, 2017 - Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location:  Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Ln, Warwick, RI 02889
October 4, 2017 - Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location:  Middletown Public Library, 700 W Main Rd, Middletown, RI 02842

Public Comment:
Comments may be submitted through email to Karen Lovett at karen.lovett@ride.ri.gov with “Significant Disproportionality under IDEA Part B - Public Comment” in the subject line,
or mailed to:
Significant Disproportionality under IDEA Part B - Public Comment
Attention: Karen Lovett
Rhode Island Department of Education
255 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903

General questions or requests for alternative formats of the recommended revisions to RI Policies and Procedures for Significant Disproportionality may be directed to Karen Lovett via email or by calling 401-222-8333.

The hearing location is accessible to persons with disabilities, and interpreter services for the hearing impaired will be provided if requested 48 hours prior to the hearing. Requests for this service can be made in writing or by calling Karen Lovett at 401-222-8333 or RI Relay 1-800-745-5555.

What's Ahead for Rhode Island Schools

Panel Discussion, Monday August 21, (7:00 - 9:00), 118 Gano St., Providence, sponsored by Progressive Democrats of Rhode Island

The panelists:  Carole Marshall, former teacher and the author of Stubborn Hope, a meditation on her experiences at Hope High School; Zack Mezera, Executive Director of Providence Student Union; and Mark Santow, Professor and member of the Providence School Board.

Discussion will be loosely based on Rhode Island's Every Student Succeeds Act Draft (ESSA) which will be completed and submitted to Betsy DeVos' Department of Education in September. There will be plenty of time for audience participation.  If you're interested you're invited.

Providence Infrastructure Bond, State Budget Impasse, Bicycle lanes on Olney

From Coucilman Sam Zurie's July 23 Ward Letter

Passing An Infrastructure Bond
At its meeting this past Thursday, the City Council approved a $45 million infrastructure bond largely based on the  general framework of the Capital Improvement Plan  the administration submitted with its 2017-18 budget.

The State Budget Impasse
At a July 19 meeting of the Finance Committee, the Superintendent described the impact of the State budget impasse on the Providence Public Schools.  The July State aid payment was approximately $350,000 less than what the partially approved State budget, and if not addressed soon, the August payment (and all that follow) will be more than $1.3 million short each month.

Adding Bicycle Lanes To Olney Street
Last Wednesday, the Planning Department's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission reviewed a Staff Report that maps out a bicycle lane on either side of Olney Street between Hope and North Main.

State of Our Schools

State of Our Schools: America's K–12 Facilities is a joint publication of the 21st Century School Fund, the National Council on School Facilities and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Rhode Island Profile

12 things to know about Rhode Island’s new plan for improving schools

By Dan McGowan, WPRI.com Reporter
Published: June 8, 2017, 1:28 am  Updated: June 8, 2017, 8:45 am

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Rhode Island education officials are getting closer to submitting a plan to the U.S. Department of Education outlining how the state will transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the federal education law that Congress passed to replace No Child Left Behind in 2015.

If all goes well, the R.I. Department of Education (RIDE) could learn if its proposal for implementing ESSA is approved before the end of the year...

Rhode Island has no choice but to submit a plan.

WPRI Overview

read the entire proposal 

Draft of State Plan - Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

As of June 1, 2017, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has posted a draft of its State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the federal education law that replaced No Child Left Behind. Educators, families, and all Rhode Islanders are invited to review the draft plan and provide feedback through June 30.  The draft plan, a comprehensive companion guide, and links for submitting public comment can be found here: www.ride.ri.gov/ESSA. Questions can be directed to ESSA@ride.ri.gov.

The ESSA State Plan draft can be viewed on the RIDE website: www.ride.ri.gov/ESSA

CHARTER SCHOOLS IN PROVIDENCE - Tuesday May 9

Providence League of Women Voters
 Invites you to a
 Providence Conversation

Charter schools in RI have lotteries full of parents hoping for a “spot” for their children. The federal government wants more charters. - Yet there is opposition. Are charter schools good for students? or are they a mirage taking resources from traditional public schools?

To consider the arguments pro and con,
come to a Conversation with:

 Nicholas Hemond, Chair, Providence School Committee
 Elizabeth Winangun, Parent-Liaison, Achievement First

 Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2017
 Time: 7 pm - 8:30 pm

 for more information, contact joan.retsinas@gmail.com