Local schools named to state’s ‘commended’ list
Honors for North Smithfield High, Community Elementary in Cumberland
“I want to congratulate our 28 commended schools, whose performance, growth, and commitment to excellence represent the success we want to replicate in every school, for every student.” —Education Commissioner Ken Wagner
North Smithfield High School and the Community Elementary School in Cumberland were two of 28 commended schools listed in the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) 2017 School Report Cards released Tuesday.
Schools classified as commended are the highest performing schools in the state, representing strong performance across metrics. RIDE defines Commended Schools as "the highest performing schools that represent the strongest patterns of performance across metrics, test at least 95 percent of their students, and serve all students well".
The 28 commended schools represent an improvement compared to last year, when 22 schools earned the classification. Nine schools, including North Smithfield High School, have achieved commended status for three consecutive years.
“I want to congratulate our 28 commended schools, whose performance, growth, and commitment to excellence represent the success we want to repli- cate in every school, for every student,” said Education Commissioner Ken Wagner. “We now look ahead to implementation of a new system of school accountability, which I believe will help us to better identify and support struggling schools, and to communicate with families about what performance out-
comes and school culture and climate indicators mean for their children and for their communities.”
The Department of Education has historically classified schools by using a Composite Index Score, or CIS, that is based on two common measures: student proficiency in ELA and mathematics, and performance gaps for ELA and mathematics. A third measure differs by grade level, using either student growth in ELA and mathematics at the elementary and middle levels, or high school graduation rate at the high school level.
This round of classifications represents a transition for schools, however, as Rhode Island awaits approval of its ESSA State Plan submitted in September. Under ESSA, the statewide accountability system is expanding to include additional performance and school climate measures, including chronic absenteeism and suspension rates.
School Report Cards will continue to be posted publicly, and RIDE has plans in the future to provide for parents and families, among others, the ability to review all school data – including accountability measures and SurveyWorks results – in a single, accessible web portal.
In addition to the accountability transition, Rhode Island will also shift to a new system of student assessments this year. In spring 2018, students will be assessed using the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System in grades 3 through 8, the PSAT in Grade 10, and the SAT in Grade 11.
As this transition takes place, RIDE this year identified no new focus or priority schools, classifications designated for the historically lowest performing schools in the state.