{"id":87,"date":"2022-03-15T12:22:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T16:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/?page_id=87"},"modified":"2022-05-12T01:12:35","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T05:12:35","slug":"rhode-island","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/state\/rhode-island\/","title":{"rendered":"Rhode Island"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1357\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1357\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1357 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-300x215.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-1024x732.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-1536x1099.png 1536w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM-1200x858.png 1200w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-11.25.16-PM.png 1538w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1357\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by: Morrow Long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">According to U.S. News, Rhode Island is ranked 25 in the country for K-12 education. Let&#8217;s see why:<\/h3>\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center\">Jessica Klein<\/h6>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Data:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Total public school student population {1}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">139,184<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Total state public education budget {2}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">$2.3 billion annually<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2105\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2105\" style=\"width: 367px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2105\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1-300x259.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"367\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1-300x259.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1-1024x884.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1-768x663.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1-1200x1036.png 1200w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Funding-1.png 1270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 367px) 100vw, 367px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2105\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">edchoice.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center\">Over half of Rhode Island's schools are funding\r\n locally. Federal funding only accounts for 7%.<\/pre>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">School Attendance<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1268\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1268\" style=\"width: 437px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1268\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-7.57.06-PM-300x182.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"437\" height=\"265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-7.57.06-PM-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-7.57.06-PM.png 746w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 437px) 100vw, 437px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1268\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">edchoice.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center\">The majority of Rhode Island students attend a \r\npublic district school. However, private school attendance is almost 10%, and charter school \r\nstudents account for about 1\/20 of all students.<\/pre>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Average per pupil expenditure {3}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">13.34 pupil\/teacher ratio<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">$18,383 per pupil expenditure<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">High\/low per pupil expenditure {3}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">High &#8211; $39,923 New Shoreham<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Low &#8211; $14,939 Blackstone Valley<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Average national per pupil expenditure {4}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">$12,264 per pupil<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Student demographics {5}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">10.7% LEP (limited english proficiency)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">46.84% free or reduced lunch<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">16.1% individualized educational plan (special education and related services)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Student Racial\/Ethnic Background {1}<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1271\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1271\" style=\"width: 474px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1271\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-8.16.32-PM-300x187.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-8.16.32-PM-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-8.16.32-PM-1024x638.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-8.16.32-PM-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-08-at-8.16.32-PM.png 1166w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1271\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">nationsreportcard.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center\">The majority of Rhode Island students are White \r\nand around a quarter of students are Hispanic.<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Graduation Rate\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">4-Year Rates for Graduating {6}<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1275\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1275\" style=\"width: 573px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1275\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-300x248.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"573\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-300x248.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-1024x848.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-768x636.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-1536x1272.png 1536w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-1200x994.png 1200w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2-1980x1639.png 1980w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Graduation-Story-2.png 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 573px) 100vw, 573px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1275\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">tableau.ride.ri.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center\">The highest graduation rate was among students who are not economically disadvantaged, and the lowest\r\n rate was students with disabilities.<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of graduates:\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">8.01% LEP (limited english proficiency)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">36.4% free or reduced lunch<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">11.9% individualized educational plan (special education and related services)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Analysis:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rhode Island is neither at the top or bottom of state rankings for education {10}. In many cases and for many statistics, Rhode Island is close to or at the national average for student achievement. For instance, 8th graders performed at or below the national average when assessed in math, reading, writing and science {1}. The average per pupil expenditure for the state is $18,383, which is over $6 higher than the national average of $12,264 per pupil {3,4}. The discrepancy can be explained through the difference of the high and low per pupil expenditure within Rhode Island. The lowest expenditure is close to consistent with the national average of $14,939 per pupil. In comparison, the high is $39,923 per pupil, almost three times the lowest expenditure {3}. The large difference between the two values illustrates the unequal education students receive from the same state. With only 7% of the total budget for the districts coming from the federal government, local funding makes up around 52% of the budget. The wealthier areas of Rhode Island are willing and able to pay significantly higher taxes to improve the quality of education for their children. These schools can afford stronger teachers, facilities, and extracurricular activities. Providing more funding per pupil can determine the outcome of these students, as the graduation rate was highest among students who are not economically disadvantaged, 92.8%. There is a direct relationship between the amount of funding per student and their likelihood of graduating.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Accountability<\/h3>\n<p>Rhode Island assigns a star rating (ranging from 0-5) to their public schools based a variety of measures for both teachers and studentsthat correspond to a sum number of points. Tests that are performed include RICAS and SAT to assess the school performance. This is documented on the state&#8217;s Report Card, and the star rating is a new addition to the accountability system.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2162\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2162\" style=\"width: 344px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2162\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-12.25.13-AM-300x137.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"344\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-12.25.13-AM-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-12.25.13-AM.png 738w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 344px) 100vw, 344px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2162\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ride.ri.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Measures: {5}<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>English language proficiency<\/li>\n<li>Student\/teacher absenteeism<\/li>\n<li>Suspension rate<\/li>\n<li>Number of students who exceed expectations<\/li>\n<li>Graduation rates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2183\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2183\" style=\"width: 401px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2183\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-10.44.21-AM-300x225.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"401\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-10.44.21-AM-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-10.44.21-AM-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-10.44.21-AM-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-10.44.21-AM.png 1070w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2183\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ride.ri.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Goals of the system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To lessen the achievement gap<\/li>\n<li>Use top-rank schools as models for progress so others can learn and implement those practices<\/li>\n<li>Obtain data and information to further investigate problems<\/li>\n<li>Recognize schools that would benefit from extra support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Subject matter assessed by accountability measures:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Math<\/li>\n<li>Science<\/li>\n<li>Reading<\/li>\n<li>Writing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consequences for failing to meet standards {5}:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Schools that don&#8217;t meet the standards are categorized as \u00a0\u201cComprehensive Schools&#8221; that are 1 star schools<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>A Community Advisory Board must be formed to address School Redesign if the school is a Comprehensive School for 4 consecutive years\n<ul>\n<li>The aim of the board is to allow parents and community members to voice their opinions and listen in to the meetings for School Redesign<\/li>\n<li>There are five options that the board can choose: Empowerment, Small Schools of Choice, Restart, Closure, or LEA Proposed Redesign Model<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They receive additional support and oversight from the state (access to School Improvement Grant funds, resources, tools, and evidence-based strategies for improvement)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Testing or proficiency graduation requirements {5}<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Designed to prepare students to enter the workforce or attend post-secondary academics, they must obtain 20 course credits including:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4 ELA<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4 Mathematics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3 Science<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3 Social Studies\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">6 Other (Physical Education, Health, Art, Technology, and Language)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students must also be evaluated and identified as \u00a0proficient in ELA, math, science, social studies, the Arts and technology<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Students must fulfill a performance-based assessment (Graduation Portfolio, Student Exhibition, or Senior Project)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Analysis:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Schools in Rhode Island that are labeled &#8220;Comprehensive Schools&#8221; because they did not meet the criteria for measures in Academic Achievement, English Language Proficiency, Growth indicators, and Graduation Rate {5}. While the Rhode Island Department of Education reveals the process they take to support and aid schools that are underperforming, it is after a long delay. Comprehensive Schools must stay in the category for 4 consecutive years to be identified by the government. Then, they will be provided additional support. At this point, schools might have drastically seen the impacts of continually running without the aid of the Rhode Island government. Additionally, multiple criteria must be met to obtain extra funding and help. The state outlines these measures to precisely determine which schools need support, but the criteria can do more harm than good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">\u00a0Teaching<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Charter Schools {5}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">35 Charter Schools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">5.4% of students<\/span><\/li>\n<li>3 types of charter schools (district charter schools, independent charter schools, and mayoral academies)<\/li>\n<li>Held to the same accountability measures as public schools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Average teacher salary {7}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">$66,758 (10th in the country)\n<ul>\n<li>Typically ranges between $39,500 and $97,620<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">10,749 full time teachers<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>38.6% elementary school<\/li>\n<li>15.7% middle school<\/li>\n<li>45.6% high school<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2103\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2103\" style=\"width: 428px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2103\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher-300x271.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"428\" height=\"387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher-300x271.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher-1024x924.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher-768x693.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher-1200x1083.png 1200w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Teacher.png 1270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 428px) 100vw, 428px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">edchoice.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre>Per pupil spending has changed within the past few years. However, teacher's salary has not changed \r\nsignificantly. The data is comparing current statistics with its 1992 counterpart.<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li>Teachers unions {8}\n<ul>\n<li>Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (RIFTHP) is the state&#8217;s labor union. Not only teachers, but also district workers and other employees can be represented by the federation. The RIFTHP is affiliated with one of the two main teacher&#8217;s unions, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merit pay for teachers {5}<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), has a Strategic Plan dedicated to assessing teacher and leader performance to decide performance-based compensation.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Through Race to the Top, two school districts were chosen and awarded based on their schools models. These were evaluated to decide whether they should be implemented in the other districts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teacher evaluation methods and measures {5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">}<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2171\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2171\" style=\"width: 462px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2171\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-8.38.35-AM-300x111.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-8.38.35-AM-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-8.38.35-AM-1024x379.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-8.38.35-AM-768x284.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-10-at-8.38.35-AM.png 1070w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2171\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ride.ri.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">The list for the forms required for educator evaluation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three conferences between the teacher and the evaluator\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Three or more classroom observations (one announced and two unannounced) that last at least 20 minutes each. They are graded using the Teacher Professional Practice Rubric<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feedback is provided after the observations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scores and rational are provided after the observations, which are c<\/span>alculated using a points-based system:\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Professional Practice: Classroom Environment (25 percent)\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Professional Practice: Instruction (25 percent)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Professional Responsibilities (20 percent)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Student Learning (30 percent)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Analysis:<\/p>\n<p>A prospective teacher in Rhode Island needs to obtain a bachelor&#8217;s degree and complete the state&#8217;s teacher preparation program {11}. These requirements are common among other states. During the teacher panel, one of the teachers highlighted the impact certification requirements have on teacher shortages. In Rhode Island, more than eight districts have reported shortages in educators. This number continues to grow due to the pandemic {12}. Through frequent discussions about past influential teachers, students report that one of the most crucial qualities is their passion and love for teaching. The restrictions placed on becoming a certified educator makes it more difficult for prospective teachers to join the field. While older students need teachers who are arguably more qualified, it differs depending on the age of the students.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Rhode Island is ranked the best state for a public school teacher to work, according to USA Today {10}. Teacher quality is also highly rated, and teacher evaluations are relatively relaxed {5}. Additionally, teachers have a favorable teacher to student ratio in the classroom. However, the state lacks policies that issue merit-based compensation for educators to teach in low-income and underperforming districts {10}. While improvements can always be made to provide better working conditions to educators, Rhode Island treats their teachers relatively well. Creating a healthy environment for educators is one of the best and most influential ways to provide a strong education for students.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">COVID-19 Impact<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2069\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2069\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2069\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM-300x166.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM-300x166.png 300w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM-1024x568.png 1024w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM-768x426.png 768w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM-1200x665.png 1200w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Screen-Shot-2022-05-09-at-11.18.22-PM.png 1270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2069\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by: Nick Dentamaro\/Brown University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<pre style=\"text-align: center\">Between 40-50% of Ms. Cox's students are present \r\nin class. She works overtime to accommodate students who are unable to show up. For example, quizzes and lessons have to be available and retaught \r\nmultiple times {9}.<\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li>ELA and mathematics were both highly impacted, with mathematics very severe<\/li>\n<li>Academically, almost every student was negatively impacted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Students who experienced the greatest adverse impact were {5}:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hispanic students<\/li>\n<li>Economically disadvantaged (in math)<\/li>\n<li>Females (in ELA)<\/li>\n<li>Older students<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">&#8220;Let it Out&#8221;<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2005\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2005\" style=\"width: 237px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2005\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Let-it-out-237x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Let-it-out-237x300.png 237w, https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Let-it-out.png 486w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2005\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Letitoutri.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the end of March of this year, the Rhode Island Department of Education launched a new campaign titled \u201cLet it Out\u201d {14}. This announcement showcased Governor Dan McKee\u2019s emphasis on addressing mental health needs in the education system. The state has seen an increase in student mental issues, with a large rise during the COVID pandemic {15}. A website has been created, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.letitoutri.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">www.letitoutri.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, to provide toolkits for educators, connect students with trusted community members, and supply additional resources. The website also outlines Project AWARE, a program created in 2018 centered around increasing awareness for mental health and the stigmas associated with it, training responsible adults to provide support to those struggling , and connecting students to their families. The accomplishments made by AWARE over the past few years include 13 district policies, training over 4000 individuals, and over 6000 students screened for referrals to mental health services {13}. These successes have convinced the Rhode Island government that mental health is a prevalent problem impacting young students, which influenced more initiatives to be passed including \u201cLet it Out\u201d. The pandemic has raised the previous number (19%) of students ages 6-17 that have a diagnosable mental health condition {14}. Governor Dan McKee has stressed the importance of this initiative as a crucial opportunity to provide the necessary services and support for students who have been impacted by current events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The findings from the RIDE report using pre-pandemic scores as a baseline highlight the work that the state has to do to catch up and recover from the impact of COVID-19 on the students. Not only are young students behind in ELA and especially in mathematics but minoritized groups were equally impacted as well. Rhode Island\u2019s state government acknowledges that while educators and schools need to focus on academics, some of the most critical impacts on the students might be on their mental health. Lt. Governor Sabina Matos recently emphasized that 50 to 80% of students who don\u2019t have access to mental health services would benefit from them {14}. Increased funding intentionally allocated towards specific programs and resources has proven to be successful. For example, In Union City, New Jersey, there is a day care clinic, medical support clinic, and many other resources. When you take care of outside factors such as family life, transportation students can focus on their education. Funding, if used correctly, can make huge differences in the quality of education and narrow the achievement gap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center\">Work Cited<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{1} NAEP state profiles. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.nationsreportcard.gov\/profiles\/stateprofile\/overview\/RI?cti=PgTab_Demographics&amp;chort=2&amp;sub=MAT&amp;sj=RI&amp;fs=Grade&amp;st=MN&amp;year=2019R3&amp;sg=Gender%3A%2BMale%2Bvs.%2BFemale&amp;sgv=Difference&amp;ts=Single%2BYear&amp;tss=2019R3&amp;sfj=NP<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{2} Funding &amp; Finance. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.ride.ri.gov\/fundingfinance\/overview.aspx<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{3} Necessity of school construction information and instructions &#8211; ride.ri.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.ride.ri.gov\/Portals\/0\/Uploads\/Documents\/Funding-and-Finance-Wise-Investments\/SchoolBuildingAuthority\/Necessity-Stage-I-II-Full-Guidance-FY22.pdf?ver=2021-07-30-101649-293<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{4} Hanson, M., &amp; Checked, F. (2022, March 21). U.S. public education spending statistics [2022]: Per pupil + total. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/educationdata.org\/public-education-spending-statistics<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{5} Report. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.eride.ri.gov\/reports\/reports.asp<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{6} Rhode Island Graduation Rates. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/tableau.ride.ri.gov\/t\/Public\/views\/GRADRATES\/GraduationStory?%3Aembed=y&amp;%3Aiid=1&amp;%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{7} Cullinane, A. (2019, November 06). How Rhode Island teacher salaries compare and who&#8217;s making six figures. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/turnto10.com\/i-team\/schools-in-crisis\/how-rhode-island-teacher-salaries-compare-and-whos-making-six-figures<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{8} Rhode Island Teachers and Education News. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.rifthp.org\/<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">{9} Kimball, J. (2022, May 09). Rhode Island Educators, students, parents gather to discuss pandemic&#8217;s impact on K-12 schools. (2022, May 09). Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https:\/\/www.brown.edu\/news\/2022-01-19\/schools<\/span><\/p>\n<p>{10} Frohlich, T., &amp; Byrnes, H. (2019, July 09). Here&#8217;s where it&#8217;s best (and worst) to be a teacher. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/money\/2019\/07\/09\/the-states-where-its-best-and-worst-to-be-a-teacher\/39647529\/<\/p>\n<p>{11} The Rhode Island Teaching and Certification Resource. (2022, February 15). Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/www.teachercertificationdegrees.com\/certification\/rhode-island\/<\/p>\n<p>{12}\u00a0Tamara Sacharczyk, N. (2022, February 24). NBC 10 I-team: School Administrators stepping into RI classrooms due to teacher shortage. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/turnto10.com\/news\/crisis-in-the-classroom\/school-administrators-stepping-into-classrooms-due-to-teacher-shortage-rhode-island-east-providence-cranston-warwick-chariho-exeter-west-greenwich-students-subsitutes-recruitment<\/p>\n<p>{13}\u00a0Let it out resources. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/www.letitoutri.com\/<\/p>\n<p>{14}\u00a0Inside ride. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/www.ride.ri.gov\/InsideRIDE\/AdditionalInformation\/News\/ViewArticle\/tabid\/408\/ArticleId\/776\/Governor-McKee-Rhode-Island-Department-of-Education-Launch-Let-It-Out-Mental-Health-Awareness-Campai.aspx<\/p>\n<p>{15}\u00a0DaSilva, M., &amp; Fish, K. (2022, April 28). Report: Could take 3-5 years for RI students to recover from covid-19 effects. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from https:\/\/www.wpri.com\/health\/coronavirus\/report-could-take-3-5-years-for-ri-students-to-recover-from-covid-19-effects\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to U.S. News, Rhode Island is ranked 25 in the country for K-12 education. Let&#8217;s see why: Jessica Klein Data: Total public school student population {1} 139,184 Total state public education budget {2} $2.3 billion annually Over half of Rhode Island&#8217;s schools are funding locally. Federal funding only accounts for 7%. School Attendance The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":11,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-87","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/87","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/87\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}