Tuesday, June 25, 2024
PROVIDENCE, RI – Today, the Providence Return to Local Control Cabinet announced updates on their work, year-long community engagement opportunities and outlined what the City of Providence will do in order to prepare for the return to local control of the Providence Public School District (PPSD).
In 2019, the State of Rhode Island took over the management of Providence Public Schools following a review by the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Education and Policy, which revealed significant challenges in supporting students and meeting essential milestones. The state takeover included a provision for a re-evaluation after five years, with the possibility of returning control.
In order to prepare responsibly for the regaining of control, Mayor Smiley appointed 14 city leaders to the Return to Local Control Cabinet in 2023. The Cabinet includes members of the Administration, City Council staff and Providence School Board members.
Since October, the cabinet has worked to:
- Collectively review the Rhode Island Department of Education’s proposed regulations pursuant to RIGL § 16-7.1-5.1 and provide diligent feedback,
- Review existing PPSD Turnaround Action Plan (TAP) metrics and how the city can support the plan,
- Evaluate existing city policies, procedures and supports,
- Identify community engagement opportunities and partnerships that would help improve PPSD schools.
“We’ve taken these crucial first steps well in advance because we’re committed to a responsible and successful transition back to the City’s management of the Providence Public School District,” said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “In addition to the vital work we’ve already undertaken since last fall, we’re planning this year to solicit valuable feedback from Providence families, educators, students and other local stakeholders through a comprehensive community engagement process to ensure that their unique expertise and voices are reflected in our final transition strategy.”
Thus far, the Cabinet has focused on internal processes and operations to put the City and its students in the best position to succeed if and when a change takes place. This included addressing previously identified issues with local governance that existed prior to the State’s 2019 intervention, as well as determining how the City can and would meet updated relevant conditions outlined in new Rhode Island Board of Education regulations that went into effect this past February.
The Cabinet has selected eight key metrics from the District’s Turnaround Action Plan as benchmarks for the capacity of both the District to deliver excellent education and the City to continue those efforts. These were selected in part because they are areas where the Administration, City Council and School Board can help support improvement even before the District returns to local control. These eight metrics are below:
- Increase the number of PPSD schools rated 2-stars or higher.
- Increase the percentage of students meeting their Multilingual Learner (MLL) targets on the ACCESS assessment.
- Increase the percentage of students present 90% of the school year.
- Increase parent and caregiver engagement with the District’s formal community engagement structures.
- Increase the percentage of students meeting and exceeding expectations in 3rd grade Math RICAS.
- Increase the percentage of students meeting and exceeding expectations in 3rd Grade English Language Arts (ELA) RICAS.
- Increase the percentage of PPSD students who graduate within four years.
- Increase the percentage of students who graduate with college credit, AP credit, or a Career and Technical Education (CTE) credential.
This month, the City of Providence will launch its comprehensive community engagement process, starting with a citywide community survey designed to gather insight and perspective from various Providence stakeholders including families, educators, students and advocates. Beginning in September, the City will host a series of in-person and virtual sessions to guide development of the Transition Plan. The community engagement phase will conclude in a final joint public meeting by December of this year. In January 2025, the City will synthesize the community feedback into a comprehensive report. The collective goal is to finalize a comprehensive transition plan and timeline for PPSD by April of 2025, ensuring a smooth and community-informed return to local control.
Additionally, during this time, the City will review existing policies, procedures and protocols in place that involve interaction between the City, the District and those that they both serve including staff, family and teachers. By May of 2025, the City will create a procedural plan to reabsorb the District within the structure of local government, considering things like facility and property management, staff capacity, purchasing and hiring processes, financial and personnel systems and compliance with existing and ongoing grants. The City will also review pre-intervention governance and procedures to identify and remedy inefficient or ineffective city-school governance processes, policies or procedures. This will also include an exercise on cost-saving or cost-sharing measures in an effort to achieve a better understanding of the District’s expenses.
“With the return of our schools to local control on the horizon, we are working diligently with the administration to ensure the city is fully prepared,” said City Council President Rachel Miller (Ward 13). “We firmly believe that healthy schools lead to a healthy city, and we are deeply committed to the success and well-being of our students. Our students are our future, and we are dedicated to providing them with the best possible educational environment.”
“Strong community engagement is vital for the success of our schools. I am thankful that the City plans to host a variety of in-person engagement opportunities and is launching a community survey to include the voices of parents, students, teachers and other stakeholders during this process,” said Providence School Board President Erlin Rogel. “Through this plan our entire community can proactively prepare for the return of local control and support advances in the Turnaround Action Plan metrics to elevate educational outcomes for our students.”
Residents, parents, educators and students are encouraged to take the Return to Local Control Community Survey, available at https://www.providenceri.gov/tap/. Each response will directly inform Providence’s Transition Plan, ensuring Providence Schools reflect the values, needs and aspirations of Providence ’s diverse community.