State releases RICAS results; few students met or exceeded expectations

Updated at 12:07 p.m.

PROVIDENCE – While the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations in the math portion of the Rhode Island Common Assessment System testing during the 2021-22 academic year increased year to year, less than one-third are performing at a high level.

And the English/Literacy Arts results are not much better.

That’s according to the latest RICAS results released Friday by the R.I. Department of Education, which highlights statewide educational assessments for students in grades 3 through 8. The assessments were conducted between March and May, and showing mixed results, at best.

According to the results, 26.9% of students had either met or exceeded expectations in the math portion of the assessment. While that figure is close to a 7% increase from the 2020-21 assessment, the latest results are still lower than the 29.8% of such students who either met or exceeded expectations in the 2018-19 academic year.

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On the ELA side, student success continues to trend backward. Just 31.1% of assessed students met or exceeded expectations for the 2021-22 academic year. That marks the third straight year that student proficiency in ELA across the state has dropped.

In Providence, which is under state control, just 9.8% of students met or exceeded expectations in the 2021-22 RICAS math assessment – higher than the 2020-21 year but lower than 2018-19 – and just 13.1% of assessed students met or exceeded expectations in the ELA portion. That too is a third straight drop.

RIDE, in its lengthy RICAS results report, cited the state’s COVID-19 Academic Impact Report released in April that recovering from the pandemic and getting back to pre-pandemic achievement levels would require three to five years of “accelerated learning strategies.” R.I. Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green said in a statement that the latest results show “while a lot of work remains ahead to get our students back up to speed, Rhode Island is on its way to recovery.”

“Rhode Island schools worked diligently to fully return to in-person learning last year, but we know it was not a typical year because COVID-19 still impacted most aspects of education here and across the nation,” she said. “RIDE will continue to support school leaders to better serve the needs of students and meet the priorities of their communities to help all students recover.”

National Education Association Rhode Island Executive Director Mary Barden said RICAS scores capture only part of student learning and test scores alone cannot determine the effectiveness of the Rhode Island school systems.

“The RICAS results confirm what educators have been calling attention to for more than two years: the pandemic had a profound impact on our students and while there is a glimmer of optimism in the increased math scores, test results cannot be disentangled from the effects of the pandemic,” Barden said. “We should view these scores through the lens of student learning conditions and life experiences, so we can identify how to best support student success. Joining together, we can demand that our schools have the resources to meet every child’s needs with well-trained and supported teachers and a curriculum that helps them understand the past and prepare for the future.”

The RICAS results being released Friday also come four days before the Nov. 8 general election and after significant pressure was placed on state elected officials from the public and political candidates alike the last several to release the latest assessment figures so voters know how children’s education in Rhode Island is faring before going to the polls.

During Thursday’s televised gubernatorial debate on WJAR-TV NBC 10, Republican candidate Ashley Kalus again called for Gov. Daniel J. McKee to direct the RIDE to release the latest standardized test scores of K-12 students. After being prodded by moderator Gene Valicenti, McKee admitted he had been “briefed” on the RICAS results, saying that scores in mathematics had improved but those for reading had slightly declined. 

Kalus Friday in a statement said the RICAS scores show is that Rhode Island’s broken education system is in desperate need of repair.

“After weeks of delays, half-truths, and angry interviews from Dan McKee … the governor has finally released the RICAS scores. I’m happy for parents and educators that Dan McKee finally caved to my calls to release the test scores before the election,” Kalus said. “Not even a third of our children are meeting the mark, and decades of the same failed policies are to blame. Our kids deserve better.”

(UPDATE: Comments from Kalus added in 13th and 14th paragraphs)

(UPDATE: Comment from Barden added in 9th and 10th paragraphs)

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.