Education Commissioner Contemplates Next Moves in Overseeing Providence’s Public Schools

When Providence public school students return to classes on Sept. 3, Rhode Island’s education commissioner may make a decision regarding the state takeover of their schools that occurred five years ago.

A recently published progress report by consulting firm SchoolWorks on the 2019 action that transferred control of the capital city’s underperforming schools to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) could influence Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green in her decision-making process.

“I have not ruled out any options,” stated Infante-Green on Friday morning. “I’m letting the process play out.”

Infante-Green presented and summarized the report’s findings in a letter to the Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) community before addressing questions from reporters at RIDE’s headquarters in downtown Providence.

“Over the past three decades, this district has faced significant challenges, and addressing them will not happen overnight,” commented Infante-Green to reporters, likening the district’s journey to steering a large ship with a small rudder in a storm.

Math and English test results from the 2022-2023 academic year underscore the district’s substantial distance from reaching the academic targets outlined in its “turnaround action plan.” For instance, among eighth-graders, only 6% met the math proficiency standard, while 15% achieved proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA).

Compared to the pre-takeover baseline in 2018, eighth-grade math proficiency decreased by one percentage point. The turnaround action plan aimed for 50% proficiency in math and 63% in ELA for eighth-graders by the 2026 school year.

According to RIDE spokesperson Victor Morente, the mandated report, costing $120,600, is a statutory obligation of the takeover process as dictated by the Crowley Act enacted in state law in 1997, granting state education officials administrative authority over Providence’s struggling schools.

“Progress has been noted amidst the challenges brought about by the pandemic,” acknowledged Infante-Green.

SchoolWorks conducted interviews with students, families, teachers, and leadership across various levels within the school system, gathering feedback on the progress of the plan. The research team also inspected schools and reviewed documents from key stakeholders such as RIDE, Providence Public Schools Department, the city, and its school board.

“City Council members, School Committee members, and community members highlighted the necessity for enhanced collaboration, communication, and transparency among municipal entities, including RIDE, the School Committee, and PPSD,” stated the report.

Notable entities missing from the list include the state’s Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, to whom Infante-Green will present her decision at their upcoming meeting on Aug. 29. Additionally, the commissioner is scheduled to participate in the Providence school board’s session on Aug. 21.

Another report released on Friday by Harvard Graduate School for Education’s Center for Education Policy Research, part of a series of evaluations on pandemic learning loss in various school districts, examined the state’s recent educational reforms in comparison to similar districts in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

“While there are positive indications suggesting progress in education, particularly in ELA, it is premature to draw solid conclusions on the effectiveness of the reform efforts in Providence,” as stated in the Harvard report.

‘A lot of material’

The difficulties faced by Providence schools prompted a legislative study commission led by Sen. Sam Zurier, a Providence Democrat, aimed at identifying solutions to the challenges arising from the complex relationship between municipal and state-level leadership.

When questioned about the two reports, Zurier emphasized the extensive content within them, expressing his intent to review them meticulously over the weekend.

The two reports together total 89 pages, offering a comprehensive analysis that even the authors of the Harvard University report acknowledged may lack definitive conclusions.

In contrast, Providence School Board President Erlin Rogel promptly assessed the new report, criticising RIDE for commissioning a progress report that he likened to a student completing their own report card, claiming exclusion of the school board from the decision-making process.

Rogel also denounced the suggestion in the report that the school board lacks cohesion and a shared governance vision, characterizing it as RIDE’s attempt to assert control without accountability.

However, the SchoolWorks report echoed some of the board’s concerns: “School committee members also stated that they are not consistently engaged by the Superintendent or senior leaders from PPSD regarding programmatic changes, nor are they engaged in an advisory capacity regarding analysis of student outcomes.”

The evaluation conducted by the SchoolWorks report did not assess individual job performances or specific personnel, such as Infante-Green or Providence Superintendent Javier Moñtanez, who recently extended his contract with the district for three more years.

Infante-Green noted that the report focuses on evaluating the system, citing the analysis of metrics and standards as indicators of the superintendent’s performance.

The SchoolWorks consulting firm, known for its collaboration with educational officials in several states, including Colorado, Chicago, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, declined to provide further comments and referred inquiries to RIDE.

Highlights from the SchoolWorks report on the Providence School Department:

Skill discrepancies were noted across grade levels, with Rhode Island’s Comprehensive Assessment Score revealing that RICAS scores for third and eighth-grade students in important subjects like ELA and math did not align with the turnaround plan objectives.

In high schools, ninth-graders are meeting turnaround goals for postsecondary success but fall short on metrics such as graduation with AP or college credits and progress in career or technical education paths, with a 5% deficit from targets. SAT performance failed to meet turnaround benchmarks.

The city of Providence was criticized for underfunding its schools, despite a 2019 Collaboration Agreement that should have increased investment in the district. This mismatch in funding led to the conclusion that the city is gradually showing enhanced leadership commitment to its schools.

Upon receiving the SchoolWorks report, the city initiated a thorough review pending further recommendations from the Rhode Island Department of Education. The Mayor is scheduled to be briefed on the results by the Department of Education.

Internal and external stakeholders highlighted challenges due to mistrust among members and entities, hindering effective collaboration. Parental perceptions were mixed, with concerns over high teacher turnover leading to decreased confidence in the takeover process. Overall, favorable family perceptions of the district declined to 53% in the 2022 school year.

Infante-Green acknowledged the challenge posed by parental perceptions, noting that implementing change often meets resistance, but emphasized the goal of ensuring a strong district where parents feel their children receive quality education.

Noteworthy improvements included a heightened sense of belonging among students, a 17% increase from the 2020-2021 school year to 2022-2023. School leaders indicated increased confidence in decision-making based on regular data reviews, with over 90% utilizing district software weekly for student data analysis. Additionally, school facilities demonstrated substantial improvement, addressing concerns raised in the 2019 Johns Hopkins University report preceding the takeover, with stakeholder feedback noting enhanced working and learning conditions.