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| Rhode Island Every Student Succeeds Act | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rhode Island Every Student Succeeds Act |
| Jurisdiction | Rhode Island |
| Enacted | 2015 |
| Type | Education law |
| Status | Active |
Rhode Island Every Student Succeeds Act is Rhode Island's state-level implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act framework, guiding K–12 policy, assessment, accountability, and interventions across Providence, Rhode Island, Newport, Rhode Island, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Warwick, Rhode Island. The law connects state agencies such as the Rhode Island Department of Education with federal entities like the United States Department of Education and regional bodies including the New England Board of Higher Education to align standards, assessments, and accountability measures. It intersects with curricula influenced by the Common Core State Standards Initiative, assessment consortia such as Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, and state governance actors like the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Governor of Rhode Island.
Rhode Island’s move to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act followed debates in the United States Congress, negotiations in the Senate of the United States, and lobbying by organizations including the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Earlier federal policy under the No Child Left Behind Act and state efforts involving the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education shaped local responses in districts such as Cranston Public Schools, Central Falls School District, and Bristol Warren Regional School District. Influential education leaders—drawing on work from scholars at Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and Harvard Graduate School of Education—advocated for accountability systems that balanced standardized measures with supports resembling models from Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and Connecticut State Department of Education. Stakeholders including Save Our Schools Rhode Island, Education Reform Now, and municipal officials in Newport County, Rhode Island participated in public hearings.
The Rhode Island General Assembly collaborated with the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Governor of Rhode Island to craft a state plan that complied with requirements from the United States Department of Education. The plan incorporated input from advocacy groups like the Alliance for Excellent Education, community organizations such as RI Promise, and municipal school committees in East Providence, Rhode Island and Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Negotiations referenced models from the New Jersey Department of Education, the New York State Education Department, and the Maryland State Department of Education. Key policymakers and legislators, including members of the House of Representatives (Rhode Island) and the Senate (Rhode Island), held briefings with researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Urban Institute to review metrics. The state plan, endorsed by officials including the Commissioner of Education (Rhode Island) and the Governor of Rhode Island, outlined goals mirroring recommendations from the Council of the Great City Schools.
Rhode Island’s accountability framework included academic measures tied to assessments administered by consortia such as Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and supplemented by indicators used in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. Performance categories aligned with federal guidance from the United States Department of Education and technical assistance from the National Governors Association. Metrics included student achievement, growth models influenced by work at Stanford University, graduation rates similar to systems in Delaware Department of Education and Connecticut State Department of Education, and English learner progress comparable to protocols used in California Department of Education and Texas Education Agency. The system used school ratings, intervention triggers akin to procedures in Ohio Department of Education and Florida Department of Education, and targeted supports for schools identified through analyses by research centers such as the Learning Policy Institute and the Brookings Institution.
Districts including Providence Public School District, Cranston Public Schools, and Central Falls School District implemented changes in curriculum, assessment schedules, educator evaluation, and intervention strategies following the state plan, with technical support from groups like Teach For America and training provided by institutions such as Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. Effects observed at school level echoed findings reported in studies by RAND Corporation, American Institutes for Research, and the Educational Testing Service, including shifts in instructional time, resource prioritization, and professional development similar to trends in Chicago Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District. Implementation involved collaborations with local labor unions including the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals and municipal leaders from Burrillville, Rhode Island and Smithfield, Rhode Island. Data systems integrated student information platforms like those used in North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Indiana Department of Education.
Funding for Rhode Island’s plan combined federal Title I, Title II, and Title III allocations administered through the Rhode Island Department of Education, state appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly, and foundation support from organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation. Resource allocation formulas referenced models from the Education Trust and state practices in New York State Education Department and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Local education agencies including Pawtucket School Department and Westerly Public Schools adjusted budgets to meet mandates, while municipalities like East Greenwich, Rhode Island and Narragansett, Rhode Island negotiated contributions and facilities funding. Fiscal analyses drew on expertise from The Century Foundation and the Urban Institute.
Critics, including advocacy groups like Save Our Schools Rhode Island and legal organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, raised concerns about high-stakes testing, resource inequities, and impacts on English learners and students with disabilities, echoing litigation seen in Arizona Department of Education v. United States Department of Education-style disputes and suits filed in state courts. Legal challenges referenced precedents from cases involving the United States Supreme Court, state education litigation in New Jersey Supreme Court decisions, and administrative appeals to the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Opponents cited research from the Center for American Progress and the Economic Policy Institute about funding disparities and argued for different accountability approaches advocated by the National Education Policy Center.
Following implementation, amendments were proposed and enacted by the Rhode Island General Assembly and revisions issued by the Rhode Island Department of Education, informed by reports from the Rhode Island Foundation and testimony from district superintendents in Providence, Woonsocket, and Coventry, Rhode Island. Changes incorporated recommendations from federal guidance by the United States Department of Education and comparative analyses with states like Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. Further policy shifts engaged stakeholders including the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, the National PTA, and researchers from Harvard Graduate School of Education and Brown University to refine accountability metrics, funding formulas, and intervention strategies.
Category:Education in Rhode Island