PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island's public schools showed overall improvement, though disparities remain, according to the state's 2025 School Accountability results released by the R.I. Department of Education Friday.
Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, RIDE evaluates schools on a five-star scale to provide families and communities with a clear view of overall performance. The ratings range from one star for “lowest performing” to five stars for “highest performing,” and are based on achievement in math, science, English language arts, English language proficiency, graduation rates and success in limiting absenteeism and/or suspensions of students from school.
This year’s results show that 182 of the 307 K-12 public schools statewide, or nearly 60%, earned three stars or higher, with most of those gains seen at the elementary level, which was an improvement over
last year's 176 schools out of 306 total, or nearly 58%. Thirty-seven schools improved their star ratings from 2024, though officials noted the need for continued focus on secondary education.
Oak Lawn School in Cranston was the most improved school, gaining two stars in its rating from 2024, going from a one star to three stars.
“Rhode Island schools are moving in the right direction,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said in a statement. “These results show that when we invest in our educators and support our students, we can deliver real results.”
Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green praised the progress, citing improvements in student growth and reductions in chronic absenteeism. However, she acknowledged that achievement gaps remain, particularly among historically underserved students.
Schools classified as economically disadvantaged, or those with less than a three-star rating, made up 111 of the 307 total K-12 schools in the state, or 36%. Scores were not available for 14 of the 307 schools.
“RIDE’s accountability system allows all education stakeholders to know areas of strength and areas needing focus for each school to ensure continued progress,” Infante-Green said. “We are committed to addressing those disparities with urgency and care.”
As part of its efforts to improve transparency and engagement, RIDE introduced new tools this year, including a parent-friendly report card, printable district-level summaries and internal data calculators to help education leaders make more-informed decisions.
Full accountability results are available at
reportcard.ride.ri.gov.
Veer Mudambi is the Special Projects Editor at Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
