RICA 2024 English Exam Scores Down In 2024, Math Scores Remain Steady

RHODE ISLAND — Standardized test scores for Rhode Island elementary and middle school students decreased in English and remained unchanged this year, according to the RI Department of Education.

The Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) is taken by students in third grade through eighth grade. Exam scores released Friday showed 30.8 percent of public school students met or exceeded expectations in English. That is down 2.3 percent compared to 2023's results.

The results also showed 30 percent of students met or exceeded expectations in math mathematics, the same percentage as last year.

Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said the latest results showed Rhode Island's performance aligns with trends in New England, where scores have declined or remained largely flat in both math and English.

"We actually saw less of a drop with some of our colleagues in our other states," Infante-Green said. "But you know, it’s disappointing."

According to the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, recovering to pre-pandemic levels of student achievement in Rhode Island requires three-to-five years of accelerated learning strategies. Improving school attendance and addressing student mental health are critical priorities for the state, as both directly influence academic outcomes, state officials said.

"My administration is committed to closing the performance gap between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and despite the pandemic, we have been able to narrow the gap over the past three years," Gov. Dan McKee said. "One of the ways we are addressing this issue is by working to reduce excessive absenteeism in our schools through our nationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign. In reviewing the RICAS score analysis, the profound achievement differences between students who attend school regularly and those who are chronically absent is abundantly clear. Better attendance means more learning time, and that will continue to result in better student outcomes."

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