Committee reviews state’s report card for Portsmouth schools

Most receive 4 out of possible 5 stars under new state platform

By Jim Mcgaw
Posted 1/8/19

PORTSMOUTH — Schools are usually the ones handing out report cards, but they recently received their own from the R.I. Department of Education (RIDE).

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Committee reviews state’s report card for Portsmouth schools

Most receive 4 out of possible 5 stars under new state platform

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Schools are usually the ones handing out report cards, but they recently received their own from the R.I. Department of Education (RIDE).

Last month the department launched its new School Report Card platform, including 2018 results for school accountability. Both the online platform and its accountability data were updated under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the federal education law. This is the first year under the new system.

The most visible change is that Rhode Island now assigns a star rating to every public school. Ranging from one to five stars, the rating system is intended to simplify and summarize overall school performance, providing an easy-to-understand snapshot for families and communities.

Superintendent Ana Riley said the previous indicators for school performance were limited to student proficiency and graduation rates, but the new system includes other factors such as absenteeism and suspension rates, “just to give a more rounded picture of each school.”

The star rating system takes into account these key indicators:

• Academic performance: This is a mixture of achievement on assessment tests, growth in students’ progress and English language proficiency. (Science proficiency will be added in future years.)

• Student success: This takes into account student and teacher absenteeism rates, suspension rates and whether students are exceeding expectations in math and English language arts (ELA).

• College and career readiness: This is based on graduation rates and pertains mainly to the high school. (Graduate proficiency and post-secondary success will be be added in future years.)

The performance of a student subgroup — such as those with individual educational plans (IEPs) or students who speak English as a second language (ESL) — is also a central component of the system. In order to earn five stars, a school must have no low-performing subgroups in achievement, growth, or graduation rate. If a school has two or more subgroups classified as low-performing, even if they perform very well in other measures, they cannot earn more than three stars.

Locally, both elementary schools earned a possible four stars out of five. (Statewide, 27 out of 186 elementary schools earned four stars, while 14 earned five stars.)

The high school also earned a four-star rating. Statewide, 10 high schools out of 57 total earned four stars, while another four schools received five stars.

The middle school earned a three-star rating, as did 26 of the 54 other middle schools in the state. Only five middle schools in Rhode Island earned a four- or five-star rating, according to Assistant Superintendent Thomas Kenworthy, who presented the results to the School Committee Tuesday night. 

He added, “We were the only district on Aquidneck Island or in the Sakonnet area with any four-star schools listed.”

Here’s how each school measured up in the School Report Card platform:

Hathaway School — 4 stars

Hathaway scored three out of a possible four points in ELA and two out of a possible four points in math in the achievement indicator, while scoring three out of a possible three points in both ELA and math in the growth indicator. 

The school scored two out of a possible three points in student absenteeism and a perfect three for teacher absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions. Hathaway scored four points out of a possible six in the “exceeding expectations” category for ELA and math. 

The school had one low-performing subgroup: students with IEPs. Mr. Kenworthy said it’s a similar story at many other schools.

He added that “one of the things that keeps all of our schools from getting to that next level is our math proficiency,” and that the district is working on ways to boost those scores.

Hathaway Principal Lisa Little said she was surprised the school didn’t receive a three-star rating in the student absenteeism indicator, as that doesn’t seem to be a problem there.

Melville School — 4 stars

The school scored three points in ELA and two points in math, and a three in the growth indicator for both disciplines. The school also scored a perfect three points for student and teacher absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions. Melville scored a five in exceeding expectations in ELA and math. The school had no low-performing subgroups.

“You couldn’t have come much closer than Melville to achieving five stars without getting there — very good for the first year,” Mr. Kenworthy said.

Middle school — 3 stars

PMS scored two points in both ELA and math in the achievement indicator, while scoring a perfect three points for both under the growth indicator. The middle school scored two points in the student absenteeism category, and three points for teacher absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions. The school scored four points in the “exceeding expectations” category for ELA and math. The school had no low-performing subgroups.

High school — 4 stars

The school scored a perfect four points in ELA, but two points in math under the achievement category, and a perfect three points in the growth category for both. The school was given a score of two for student absenteeism, and a three for both teacher absenteeism and out-of-school suspensions. 

PHS also earned perfect scores of six for exceeding expectations in ELA and math, and five for its graduation rate. The school had one low-performing subgroup: students with IEPs, said Mr. Kenworthy.

After the presentation, committee member Allen Shers said he hoped the generally good report card for Portsmouth schools “doesn’t lead to a false sense of security.”

“We should be in the top three or four in the entire state,” said Mr. Shers, adding the district should not only be measuring itself against other Rhode Island schools, but those in Massachusetts as well.

Upcoming meetings

The School Committee’s next two meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22, and Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Portsmouth School Committee, Portsmouth High School, Melville School, Portsmouth Middle School, Hathaway School

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.