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Across the nation, politicians, educators, and parents have become deeply concerned with finding ways to measure the effectiveness of schools and school systems. There is statewide agreement in Rhode Island that all students need to attain high standards of achievement in mathematics, reading, writing, health as well as other school subjects. To ensure that there is a measurable progress in the core subjects, the State administers the New Standards Reference Examinations developed by Harcourt Educational Measurement and state-developed tests in writing and health. The proficiency results are reported to the general public through an annual publication called
Information Works!
1. Purpose
The main purpose of Information Works! is to present an overview of the school in five basic categories: academic achievement past and present, demographics, school specific highlights, selected school indicators, and a quick summary on the financial breakdown for the school. The goal is to provide school-related content that would enhance public understanding of the school and the widely varying circumstances within which the school, its staff and students operate. The ultimate goal of
Information Works! -- and the broader School Accountability for Learning and Teaching (SALT) process of which it is a part -- is to assist each school in its efforts to improve student achievement by providing measures that focus on getting all students to the desired level of
proficiency. Information Works! summarizes and presents in a concise manner much of the information that schools need when developing their strategic planning and school improvement initiatives.
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