Angélica Infante-Green is Rhode Island’s education commissioner. The R.I. Department of Education, in partnership with XQ Institute, created a new “schedule flexibility” program in which high school students can create a schedule that still allows them to go to school and work. Infante-Green spoke with Providence Business News about the program and how it can benefit students.
PBN: What was the impetus for RIDE to create this new schedule structure to the high school curricula?
INFANTE-GREEN: In June 2020, XQ Institute and [the R.I. Department of Education] presented the XQ+RI Statewide Educational Opportunity Audit, an analysis of the Rhode Island high school student experience.
Upon review, the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education challenged RIDE to identify solutions and create a plan to address barriers students face during their high school experience. RIDE’s adoption of readiness-based graduation requirements, which was the most commented-upon proposal in Rhode Island K-12 education history, and the accompanying action plan are directly in response to that request of the council, and the challenges presented in our analysis of the high school student experience in the Ocean State.
According to the EOA, while 80% of high school seniors want to attend a two- or four-year college, only 60% of high school students were enrolled in the full range of coursework required for general admission at [the University of Rhode Island] and [Rhode Island College]. Only 50% of students passed these courses. RIDE’s readiness-based graduation requirements set the default expectation that all of our kids will be expected to take the academic coursework to graduate high school with the opportunity to enroll at URI and RIC after high school graduation.
The findings of the EOA also demonstrated that about half of Rhode Island students worry that they have little opportunity to pursue their passions during their high school journey, and only 1 in 4 students surveyed believe their classes always give them useful information for what they plan to do in life. RIDE’s requirements aim to increase student engagement through increasing real-world relevant learning opportunities for our students so that they understand why and how what they are learning during high school is preparing them to achieve their college and career goals.
PBN: What is the current high school drop-out rate across Rhode Island and how much of an impact can this new schedule school/work flexibility have on that rate?
INFANTE-GREEN: One student dropping out is too many. Currently in Rhode Island, there are many students who are having to make the choice between supporting their families and fully engaging in their high school experience.
RIDE’s readiness-based graduation requirements were developed directly in response to these real, lived experiences of Rhode Island high school students. These changes will provide additional schedule flexibility for students who work to support their families, and who provide caregiving support to their parents, grandparents or siblings to ensure that students are no longer forced to choose between economics and academics.
This is especially critical in the wake of the pandemic, where we saw many of our students step up to greater family responsibilities whether it was to provide care or financially support their loved ones. So, while the current high school graduation rate statewide is roughly 84%, we believe that these changes will positively impact outcomes for all students, including their engagement in and completion of high school.
PBN: How many high school students will benefit from these program changes?
INFANTE-GREEN: We believe that all students and families will benefit from our state’s transition to readiness-based graduation requirements because the onus is no longer on our students or their families to access the resources, information or opportunities that should be – and now will be – made available to all students by default. This being said, we believe these changes will most dramatically benefit students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
Data from the Statewide XQ+RI Educational Opportunity Audit demonstrates that while half of all Rhode Island high school students passed the courses they need for college eligibility, the numbers vary by gender, race, income, ability and multilingual learner status.
For too long there has been a disconnect between the future our students want and the future our high schools are preparing them for. The shift to readiness-based graduation requirements sets the default expectation that all students will graduate with open doors to create their future. The goal is to set them on a path to success in college, career and life.
PBN: Which school communities in Rhode Island do you feel that this work/school schedule flexibility can benefit the most?
INFANTE-GREEN: Each and every school community in Rhode Island serves students who work, who provide caregiving support to their families, who participate in full-time career and technical education and dual enrollment programs, or who otherwise will benefit from schedule flexibility.
Students from all backgrounds – from urban, suburban to rural – will be positively impacted by our state’s transition to readiness-based graduation requirements, which will increase the support that students are receiving to succeed academically and the support that their families are receiving to be informed and involved participants in their student’s education.
While each community stands to benefit from these changes, the greatest impacts will be seen in the communities where these changes are embraced and approached with both an innovative lens and an unflinching belief in our students, parents and educators.
PBN: Is there still a required amount of time students must be in the classroom?
INFANTE-GREEN: RIDE’s readiness-based graduation requirements codify Rhode Island’s transition away from seat-time requirements and create opportunities for our students to demonstrate mastery of competencies in multiple formats rather than equating proficiency with the amount of time they have spent in a classroom.
As the state of Rhode Island works to accelerate student learning to ensure students get back up to speed after the pandemic, we must focus on being innovative and creative to give our students the resources and opportunities to recover and stay the course. This means that the traditional school day may look and feel different with the goal of keeping students engaged, learning and striving to achieve their fullest potential.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
