Providence
Pawtucket's Graduation Rate Erased Eight Years of Gains in Three Years
Pawtucket was once one of Rhode Island's clearest graduation-rate turnaround stories. From 58.0 percent in 2010 to 83.0 percent in 2016, the district's graduation rate climbed 25 points in six years —...
The 16-Point Divide: Urban Rhode Island's Chronic Absenteeism Is Double the Suburbs
In the suburban Rhode Island district of Barrington, 7.64% of students were chronically absent in the 2023-24 school year. Thirty miles north in Woonsocket, the figure was 44.13%.
Providence Hits Its Highest Graduation Rate Under State Intervention
Five years after the state of Rhode Island took control of Providence Public Schools, the district is posting its best graduation numbers on record.
Only 8 of 60 Districts Have Recovered to Pre-COVID Absence Levels
Rhode Island's #AttendanceMattersRI campaign earned the state a ranking of fifth nationally for the sharpest decline in chronic absenteeism. The headline numbers are real: the statewide rate dropped f...
Providence's 20-Point Turnaround: From 57% to 36% Chronic Absenteeism in Two Years
In the 2021-22 school year, more than half of Providence Public Schools students were chronically absent. The rate — 57.06% — meant that the majority of students in Rhode Island's capital city were mi...
In Providence, White Students Graduate at the Lowest Rate of the Four Largest Racial Groups
Statewide, the racial graduation hierarchy in Rhode Island follows a familiar pattern: white and Asian students lead, Black and Hispanic students trail. In Providence, that pattern inverts.
One in Four Rhode Island Students Is Chronically Absent — Down from One in Three
Two years ago, Rhode Island's attendance crisis hit a number that shook educators across the state: more than one in three students was chronically absent. In the 2021-22 school year, 46,328 students ...
Middle School Is Stuck: 7.3 Points Above Pre-COVID, Slowest Recovery of Any Grade Band
Rhode Island's elementary schools are bouncing back. Its high schools, despite stubbornly high rates, have made meaningful progress. But middle school is stuck.
Four Gateway Cities, Four Different Trajectories: Providence Recovers While Pawtucket Stalls
In the 2021-22 school year, Rhode Island's four gateway cities all crossed the same grim threshold. Providence: 57%. Woonsocket: 52%. Central Falls: 48%. Pawtucket: 39%. More than one in three student...