School Classifications

The Goals of the System

The new accountability system enables RIDE to:

• Focus on learning gaps;
• Document and learn from schools that are making great progress;  
• Provide information that raises questions for further investigation; and 
• Identify schools that need additional support and attention.

The Components of the System

Classification is based on three (3) metrics or measures of performance based on school level:

• Percent Meets Expectations (also called “Proficiency” for short), for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics 
• Performance Gaps (or “Gap-Closure”), for ELA and Mathematics
• Student Growth (or “Growth”) – ELA and Mathematics for elementary and middle level only, and
• High School Graduation Rate (or “Graduation) – high school level only.

The Classifications

For School Year 2015 / 2016, RIDE classifies schools into one of three categrories: 

1. Commended Schools have the highest index scores in the state and no achievement gaps; they are recognized because of either high performance or significant progress.
2. Focus Schools have the lowest point totals in the state (excluding Priority Schools) for Proficiency or Gap-closing, regardless of their index score.
3. Priority Schools have the lowest Composite Index Scores in the state. Schools previously identified as Persistently Lowest Achieving are also Priority Schools.