RIDE SurveyWorks results mixed regarding education across R.I.

PROVIDENCE – State-elected and education leaders on May 30 released their annual SurveyWorks results, in which the current pulse of education across Rhode Island is quite mixed.

The R.I. Department of Education said 122,672 students, teachers and parents responded to the survey this year on various topics, such as school leadership, teaching efficacy, school engagement, college and career readiness, and school safety, among other topics.

Some positive highlights noted in the survey include 78% of students across Rhode Island in grades 3 through 5 feel that their teachers hold them to high expectations around effort, understanding, persistence and performance in class. About 75% of those same students feel there is a strong social connection between teachers and students within and beyond the school, according to the survey results.

Also, 77% of teachers across the state feel confident they can meet the learning needs of their most-advanced students.

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However, when asked how much respect students in their schools show each other, only 27% of students in grades 6 through 12 across Rhode Island responded favorably, which is down 2 percentage points from the previous year. About 41% of those students worry about violence in their schools, the results state, and 44% say they’re likely to be bullied by a classmate online.

Regarding family members, 76% of parents surveyed responded favorably about being provided with resources and information on their child’s individual education plan. Also, 76% of parents responded favorably about if they know how their children are doing socially at school. But just 13% of parents say they have been in parent groups at their children’s school and only 10% meet with their children’s teachers.

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