Rhode Island's Top 25 Schools For Grades K-8: U.S. News

RHODE ISLAND — More than 100 elementary and middle schools in Rhode Island were ranked among the best, according to a brand-new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States.

Schools are ranked at the state and district levels. The best charter schools and best magnet schools ranked as stand-alone categories.

U.S. News ranked more than 100 elementary schools and dozens of middle schools in Rhode Island. Here's a look at the top 25 in each category.

Elementary schools

1. Rockwell School, Bristol-Warren
2. Hamilton School, North Kingstown
3. Community School, Cumberland
4. Nayatt School, Barrington
5. Kingston Hill Academy, South Kingstown
6. Ashaway Elementary School, Chariho
7. Charlestown Elementary School, Chariho
8. Rise Prep Mayoral Academy, Woonsocket
9. Achievement First Iluminar, Cranston
10. Hope Valley Elementary School, Chariho
11. State Street School, Westerly
12. Ranger School, Tiverton
13. North Smithfield Elementary, North Smithfield
14. Wakefield School, South Kingstown
15. Blackstone Valley Prep Element, Cumberland
16. Jamestown School-Melrose, Jamestown
17. James H. Eldredge School, East Greenwich
18. Primrose Hill School, Barrington
19. Lincoln Central Elementary, Lincoln
20. Guiteras School, Bristol
21. Fishing Cove Elementary School, North Kingstown
22. Ashton School, Cumberland
23. Melville School, Portsmouth
24. Clayville School, Scituate
25. Northern Lincoln Elementary, Lincoln

Middle schools

1. Barrington Middle School, Barrington
2. North Cumberland Middle, Cumberland
3. Wickford Middle School, North Kingstown
4. Blackstone Valley Prep Mid2, Lincoln
5. Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Junior High, Exeter-West Greenwich
6. Blackstone Valley Prep, Central Falls
7. Jamestown School-Lawn, Jamestown
8. Af Providence Mayoral Middle, Providence
9. North Smithfield Middle School, North Smithfield
10. Broad Rock Middle School, South Kingstown
11. Kickemuit Middle School, Bristol-Warren
12. Curtis Corner Middle School, South Kingstown
13. Westerly Middle School, Westerly
14. Chariho Regional Middle School, Chariho
15. Portsmouth Middle School, Portsmouth
16. Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown
17. Tiverton Middle School, Tiverton
18. Vincent J. Gallagher Middle, Smithfield
19. Lincoln Middle School, Lincoln
20. Joseph L. Mccourt Middle School, Cumberland
21. Narragansett Pier School, Narragansett
22. Archie R. Cole Middle School, East Greenwich
23. Birchwood Middle School, North Providence
24. Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry, Coventry
25. Dr. Edward Ricci School, North Providence

To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:

• Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
• Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with expectations.

The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.

California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.

See the complete list of 2021’s Best K-8 Schools.