RI PARCC Results Out, and They're Not Pretty

The results of the controversial PARCC standardized test administered to Rhode Island students were released Tuesday and they aren’t pretty.

Just one in three students in grades 3 through 10 are meeting expectations in English and language arts. And just 1 in 4 are meeting expectations in math.

About 75,000 students took the test this past March and while there are some bright spots at select schools, the overall picture painted by the results are disappointing for parents, elected officials and educators.

“These results show, once again, that we have work to do,” said Rhode Island Education Commissioner Ken Wagner. “We must prepare our students for their futures with challenging coursework and great teaching tailored to their strengths and interests. If we stay focused and work together, we will be successful.”

The results show persistent achievement gaps between the results of the state as a whole and “various student groups,” the report stated. In English, just 6 percent of students with disabilities and 7 percent of English learners met expectation. In math, the numbers are lower and just 10.5 percent of black and 11 percent of Hispanic students were proficient.

Also alarming: just 12 percent of students from economically disadvantaged families met expectations for their grade levels.

The stark divide between the academic achievement between the core urban communities and more well-off suburban communities appears to be getting worse, not better. In Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence and Woonsocket, English and math proficiency rates landed at 18 and 11 percent respectively. In all other communities, the percentages are 43 and 31 — that’s a gap of 25 and 20 percentage points respectively.

The report urges readers to not read too much into the results. This is the first year the assessments were administered and a particular result “does not define a district, school or most important, a student,” the report summary stated. “Rather, the information offers an objective check on student learning and should be placed within a set of other information that is known about his or her academic progress.

“Rhode Island’s results, similar to the other participating states, are not yet where we want them to be. Our shared goal must be to have the results reflect the collective promise to our students that they will leave high school prepared to be productive citizens, post-secondary learners, and employees in wellpaying careers. However, this year offers a frank measure of our starting point against rigorous learning expectations. We are ready for the challenge and invite you to review this report with a hopeful lens about the work ahead of us.”

A detailed report on the results can be found HERE. It includes district specific results. You can also use a tool to search specific school results HERE.

A spreadsheet encompassing all the results is below:

The results were not a surprise to many, including Governor Gina Raimondo, who said Tuesday afternoon that “The results confirm what we already know from Rhode Island’s NAEP scores, our high school and college graduation rates, and our remediation rate: too many of our children do not have the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy.

“Our kids deserve better. Improving our schools is essential to turning our economy around. The only way young people will be able to succeed in today’s economy is if they have the skills necessary for high-quality, family-supporting jobs,” she said.