Superintendent Crowley considers East Providence’s RICAS results

Some aspects trouble administrator, others give reason for optimism

By Mike Rego
Posted 11/30/18

EAST PROVIDENCE — The results from East Providence’s participation in the rollout of the state’s new student assessment system, RICAS, were far from satisfactory albeit with a hint of …

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Superintendent Crowley considers East Providence’s RICAS results

Some aspects trouble administrator, others give reason for optimism

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — The results from East Providence’s participation in the rollout of the state’s new student assessment system, RICAS, were far from satisfactory albeit with a hint of encouragement to district superintendent Kathryn Crowley, she acknowledged late last week following the release of scores by the Rhode Island Department of Education.

East Providence ranked 31st out of 48 charters/districts with 25.4 percent of its students scoring at the meeting or exceeding level combined in english and mathematics. In english, specifically, 31.59% of city pupils met or exceeded expectations according to the standards of the testing. The state average was 34%. In math, 27.4% of students statewide achieved the combined meeting/exceeding criteria while in East Providence the percentage was 25.4%.

“With a new test the first round scores are never good, never,” Superintendent Crowley said. “I’ve been through four assessments in my career and you always have upward motion with it as you go.

“We’re going to disaggregate the results with our principals and look where the gaps are and move on from there this year.”

RICAS is the state’s administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the tool used the highest-performing state public system in the country. RICAS was implemented for the first time during the 2017-2018 school year.

The RICAS initiative completed Rhode Island’s transition away from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). More than 98 percent of students statewide participated during the implementation, a 10 percent increase over participation when the state adopted the PARCC assessment in 2015. Adding both subjects together, East Providence’s participation approached 99 percent, something that pleased the superintendent.

Another element of the scores which buoyed Superintendent Crowley was district’s average “growth rate” or the level of improvement students at most school showed in their RICAS scores when measured against past testing. The growth rates at eight of the 10 elementary and middle school buildings were 50 percent or better, matching or topping the state average.

“Am I happy about the scores? No, but I am encouraged by the growth scores. But we do have to do a better job,” Superintendent Crowley said. “We’ll use this as a base line. We know we have to improve.”

In this first RICAS effort, elementary school students in the city showed steady comprehension of the materials.

“The younger kids seem to do better. It was the same with PARCC, then they went down. I don’t think it’s a behavioral issue. It might be more cultural,” Superintendent Crowley explained. “Like the older the kids get, they get that ‘laissez faire’ attitude. Younger kids tend to want to please. They want to do well. But I honestly don’t know. I need to look at it school by school.”

Most troubling to local administrators were the scores of middle school students particularly at Martin, where those meeting or exceeding english expectations was just 18 percent and in math only 16 percent.

“I’m a little worried about Martin,” the superintendent conceded.

In explaining the RICAS results, the RIDE report noted, “achievement gaps also persist, particularly for students with disabilities, low-income students, and English Learners,” which could explain the results at Martin and some buildings in the center of the city.

Asked if Martin is a microcosm for the city, an example of the disparity in income levels and its affects on education, Superintendent Crowley added, “Yes, I think it is.”

Of the generally low math scores in the city as a whole, she continued, “Math has always been a problem in district. Our teachers have to learn how teach the new math curriculum better.”

Superintendent Crowley, though, said she is not dismayed. She noted RICAS “is much more rigorous.” She continued “We’re where Massachusetts was 20 years. And it make take 20 years to get to their level. What we need is consistency. We’ve got to stay with (RICAS) continuously. We can’t keep changing every few years.”

Ultimately, the superintendent said RICAS, like all assessments, is just another tool for administrators to judge the comprehension and retention abilities of city students.

“It’s not a be-all end-all, absolutely not. It’s one test in time, but I put more emphasis on our year-long data,” Superintendent Crowley added. “It’s a snapshot, a moment in time. We’ll use it to improve our teaching and our learning.”

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