PROVIDENCE – Forty of the state’s 350 public schools have been ranked as “underperforming” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and will have to offer families a chance to send their children elsewhere, education officials said.
The vast majority of the affected schools are in Rhode Island’s urban districts: nearly one-quarter of Providence’s middle schools, five of eight schools in Central Falls, some in Pawtucket and Woonsocket, and the state-run Metropolitan Career & Technical High School, widely viewed as a national model for alternative high schools.
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Under the federal law, schools that miss test-score targets in English and math for two consecutive years – even if it’s just for a small segment of their population – must offer choice. Those that fall short for three years must offer after-school tutoring or other supplemental programs. After four years, “corrective action” is required (five middle schools qualify).
Perry Middle School, in Providence, faces “restructuring,” meaning it could be taken over by the state, though Education Commissioner Peter McWalters said the school has already been reorganized and may become a model for others.
