RI Schools: The Basic Facts
Profile of Schools, Student Characteristics,
   and Kids Count

Learning and Achievement
Assessments
Disaggregations
Accountability
How Rhode Island Classifies Schools
2004 School-Performance Classification:
Elementary  |Middle  |High

Using Information
State Indicators
Value Added:
Elementary  |Middle  |High
Attendance and Graduation Rates,
Learning Support Indicators:
Elementary  |Middle  |High

Safe and Supportive Environments
Students' Point of View:Middle  |High
Suspensions

Equity and Adequacy of Resources
Property Value/Student Compared to
   Tax Rate
Tax Capacity and Effort
In$ite: Including Other Commitments
In$ite: Excluding Other Commitments
Out-of-District Obligations
In$ite: Instruction
In$ite: General Education
Middle  |High

Curriculum and Instruction
Advanced Placement Exams
Teaching Practices:
Elementary  |Middle  |High
Inclusion
Students with Disabilities
Students with Disabilities: Participation
Elementary  |Middle  |High
Students with Disabilities: Participation by District
Elementary  |Middle  |High

Engaging Families
Elementary  |Middle  |High

Performance Progress:
Student Achievement over the past 4 years

What you are looking at

As with the School Classification Indicators, these two graphs use the Accountability Data: an index proficiency score computed using three years of data. The graphs show the scores for the school as a whole (All Students) in both English language arts and mathematics.These graphs allow you to make two comparisons: You can compare the scores in the individual school to the scores for the state as a whole at this school's level (elementary, middle, or high school.) And, you can track performance progress by comparing this year's scores (2002-2004) with last year's scores (2001-2003).

This box describes the school's performance classification, which is determined by the school's overall index proficiency score (All Students) in both subjects, by whether the school hit all 21 targets, and by the progress made between last year's scores and this year's.

There are 8 possible classifications:

• High Performing and Improving
• High Performing and Sustaining
• High Performing, with Caution
• Moderately Performing and Improving
• Moderately Performing and Sustaining
• Moderately Performing, with Caution
• In Need of Improvement, Making Progress
• In Need of Improvement, Insufficient Progress

If a school misses any of the 21 targets, it is classified as "in need of improvement." There are a few exceptions and conditions, however. For every target there are "error bands," which vary depending on the size of the student group, so it is possible to fall slightly below the target but get credit for meeting the target because the score fell within the error band. Second, schools that missed a target based on the most recent three years of data are given credit for meeting the target if they would have done so based on the most recent year's data alone. Finally, if a school met all of its academic targets and missed only a nonacademic target (participation rates, graduation rate, attendance rate), it is classified as "with caution," which it may maintain for one year only.

Schools that missed targets but are making significant progress toward those targets are classified as "making progress" under the Safe Harbor provision of the No Child Left Behind Act. Significant progress is defined as closing the gap between last year's score and a score of 100 by 10 percent.

The classification box also notes whether a school has been "identified for improvement" under the provisions of NCLB, and for how many years it has been in this status.

Schools that have made progress in both English language arts and mathematics for two years in a row are honored as Regents' Commended Schools. The classification box notes if the school has received this honor in 2004.

What you are looking for

You would like to see that your school’s index scores are relatively high and improving. Therefore, you would like to see that the blue lines connecting the two diamonds are high on the scale – above the state average, perhaps – and sloping upward.

You would also like to see a high classification for your school: high performing and moderately performing schools met all of their targets. Schools that are “making progress” have fallen below some targets but are moving toward them at a rapid pace. Improving schools are an upward trend.

For details on how the classifications are determined, see either the Brochure on Accountability (PDF format) or the Technical Bulletin at www.ridoe.net - 2004 School Report Cards. A brief explainer of the Rhode Island Accountability System is also included in the Information Works! 2005 State Report Card.

For another look at this data, comparing this year's results with last year's, see the 2004 School & District Report Cards at www.ridoe.net.