RIDE names 29 schools in need of intervention

PROVIDENCE – Twenty-nine Rhode Island schools have been identified as in need of intervention under the RI Department of Education’s 2012 School Classifications released Friday.

The classification system, approved by the U.S. Department of Education last May, ranked Rhode Island’s elementary, middle and high schools according to proficiency, distinction, participation, gap-closing, progress, growth, improvement, and graduation.

“The new accountability system will enable us to give our schools the support they need to overcome challenges and to improve student achievement,” said Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee in a statement. “This is an important step forward as we work to provide a world-class education for all Rhode Island students.”

Schools were placed into one of six categories: Commended, Leading, Typical, Warning, Focus or Priority.

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Those marked for intervention are schools identified as focus or priority schools. Over the next two months, those schools will undergo diagnostic screening to determine specific shortcomings and needs.

Superintendents by November will select an intervention model and by January 2013 districts with focus or priority schools will develop reform plans that will last between two and five years.

“With our new system of accountability, support and intervention, we are using multiple criteria to measure school performance, and we will work with low-achieving schools to focus on their specific problems and to develop and implement plans for school improvement,” Deborah A. Gist, commissioner of elementary and secondary education, said in a statement.

The classifications also identified 41 Warning schools, those with less than satisfactory scores in one or more ranking categories, which will develop and implement improvement plans without any intensive RIDE oversight.

The classifications also identified 26 schools as commended schools, meaning they are the highest-achieving schools in the state with either high performance or significant progress.

Classical High School in Providence was the only Providence district school to achieve that distinction.

A complete list of school classifications is available at www.ride.ri.gov.

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