Preparing the City of Providence to Manage Providence Public Schools

Transition Plan for Returning Providence Public Schools to Local Control 

The Smiley Administration worked in close collaboration with the Providence City Council and Providence School Board to develop a multi-pronged plan for returning the Providence Public School Department back to local management, ensuring an effective integration of systems, operations, and management to support a world-class education for students. Informed by months of community feedback, the plan outlines the Mayor’s priority actions to improve student outcomes, address community concerns, ensure a successful transition to local governance, and establish a more transparent, fiscally responsible PPSD budget. 

Transition Plan English Transition Plan Spanish

Thank You for Sharing Your Ideas

The City of Providence is preparing for when the school district will return under the City’s management. In the second half of 2024, the City gathered insights from our community on the current state of public schools and future visions for where they should go. We heard from nearly 1,200 community members through the City’s Return to Local Control survey, as well as City-led and City-supported community conversations on education. We are grateful for and deeply value all the feedback received in the last six months. View the City’s 2024 Community Engagement on Education report.

The Administration will also release a transition plan in April that will detail the City’s steps to prepare for PPSD to return to the City and the immediate next steps after the District is back. The plan will include key strategies for improving student outcomes, governance, finances, operations and facilities, in response to the goals of the 2019 Turnaround Action Plan (TAP) and concerns highlighted in the John Hopkins Report. The transition will also focus on strengthening collaboration between the City, District and State.

There are still many ways to get involved in improving our schools. If you’d like to host your own community conversation on education in the months ahead, please use the sign-up form above. If you’d like to learn more about the Turnaround Action Plan and programs you can participate in, please see the sections below.

We thank the community for their continued engagement as we work together to improve our school. We look forward to collaborating with the community as we move forward with this work to deliver excellent education at PPSD and in each of our communities.

Turnaround Action Plan

Because Providence Public Schools were underperforming, the State of Rhode Island assumed control of the management of Providence Public Schools (PPSD) in 2019. With robust community participation, the State developed a Turnaround Action Plan (TAP) to improve school performance and management. The TAP identified 12 key metrics to guide the first five years of this work.

See the Turnaround Action Plan here and find the progress reports on TAP progress here.

The City of Providence chose eight of the TAP metrics that the City can help improve even before the school district returns to local control.

Get Involved with the Turnaround

We have programs, partnerships, and resources for every member of the Providence community to help improve our performance on these metrics. We hope that you will find one, two, or maybe even a few programs for you and your family members to join. Many of these programs are offered through the City of Providence’s Recreation Department and the Department of Housing and Human Services.

Click on the links below to find ways you can get involved.

We look forward to seeing and engaging with you at these programs and are grateful for your participation and involvement in our collective work toward delivering excellent education at PPSD and in each of our communities.

Key Terms

ACCESS Assessment

The ACCESS assessment is a tool to measure multilingual learners’ proficiency in the English language for grades K-12. Schools use the assessment data to inform classroom instruction and to aid in programmatic decision-making. The test measures students’ proficiency in English associated with the arts, mathematics, science, and social studies across the four language domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

The Crowley Act

The Crowley Act is a Rhode Island law that informs state intervention in school districts, as well as funding for school districts under state intervention. Providence Public Schools (PPSD) is only the second school district to be placed under state intervention since the Crowley Act passed in 1997.

English Language Arts (ELA)

English Language Arts focuses on the development of literacy skills in ready, writing, speaking, and listening.

Multilingual Learners

The Rhode Island Department of Education defines Multi-Lingual Learners (MLL) as: All children and youth who are, or have been, consistently exposed to multiple languages. It includes students known as English language learners (ELLs) or dual language learners (DLLs); heritage language learners; and students who speak varieties of English or indigenous languages. (WIDA Guiding Principles 2019)

PPSD

Providence Public Schools (PPSD) is the public school district in Providence, RI and serves children and families who reside in the city, offering free public education from early education through high school. Presently, more than 19,000 students attend PPSD’s 37 schools, including 19 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and 10 high schools. A majority of students at PPSD identify as Latinx, 40% of students are multilingual learners, and 18% receive special education services.

RICAS Assessment

The Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) is an annual, statewide assessment administered to students in grades three to eight each year. The RICAS assesses students’ performance in two subjects, English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. This assessment is administered from March to May of each academic year and results help improve teaching and learning and offer insight on student progress and school performance.

RIDE

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is Rhode Island’s state education agency and manages elementary and secondary education from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across the state. RIDE has managed the operations and finances of PPSD since the state intervention in 2019.

Turnaround Action Plan

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) developed a Turnaround Action Plan (TAP) to improve school performance and management at PPSD. The TAP identified 12 key metrics to guide the first five years of the state intervention and RIDE publishes both quarterly and annual reports on PPSD’s progress on these metrics. You may read and learn more about the TAP here.

School Star Rating

Each public school in Rhode Island receives a Star Rating. This Star Rating summarizes the school’s overall performance, and assesses test scores; attendance; graduation rates; and chronic absenteeism for students and teachers.