Ed. commissioner recommends state takeover of Providence's schools continue for at least three years

PROVIDENCE – The city’s low-performing school system will remain under the control and direction of state education officials for now.

The state Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved the continuation of the intervention Thursday evening on the recommendation of Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green that the state's oversight continue for "up to three years."

The reason for a three-year extension, she said, was "because the absence of an aligned, shared vision of governance and limited focus on improving student outcomes troubles me and is not conducive to continue success."

Speaking at the council's meeting, Infante-Green said returning the schools now to local control risked backsliding on improvements the school system had made during the state’s five-year involvement.

The commissioner said the state intervention of Hope High School in the mid-2000s served as a "cautionary tale of what happens when the state leaves without making sure the right systems are in place."

After years of systemic challenges, chronically low academic achievement and poor school morale, Hope, with state support, was able to turn the tide.

“Unfortunately, the progress did not hold and in just a few years it was wiped away," she said.

Infante-Green said it was possible the schools could return to local control sooner than three years if improvements continued in numerous areas, but that the state would not extend its intervention beyond October 2027.

The council voted unanimously to accept the commissioner’s recommendation but not before several members expressed concern that the city was underfunding the district and jeopardizing future success.

Recent report gives mixed review of progress

Infante-Green's recommendation came two weeks after two independent reviews of the city’s schools found areas of both notable progress and continuing deficiencies.

Those reviews were carried out by the national consulting firm SchoolWorks and the Harvard Graduate School for Education’s Center for Education Policy Research.

More: How is the state takeover of Providence schools going? Here's the breakdown.

In a letter to the School Committee following the two reports, Infante-Green said, “The district is on the right track, but it remains at a vulnerable point where progress can be easily reversed if the right conditions for long-term success are not in place.”

The SchoolWorks report noted, for example, the district had implemented before-school and after-school tutoring programs and "Saturday academies" in an attempt to increase standardized test scores.

But it said the district is still missing test score targets in third, eighth and 11th grade English language arts and eighth and 11th grade math.

The report also noted that even though more teacher applicants are people of color, the number of working teachers of color has decreased from the post-pandemic baseline.

Providence School Board wants control back

The state took over running the city's school district in 2019 after a damning report by a team of educators from Johns Hopkins University that found the Providence school system one of the worst performing in the country.

A year later a global pandemic interrupted the education of children across the country and officials are still trying to understand and quantify its impact.

Last week, the city School Board, which has served in advisory capacity only since the state takeover, voted unanimously to have the schools return to local control by next summer.

Members questioned whether the state takeover had been worth it and criticized state education officials for not collaborating with city officials.

In a statement Thursday, Providence School Board President Erlin Rogel said: "The Council’s decision to extend the intervention in Providence beyond two years is disappointing. My hope is that we use this interim period to responsibly prepare for the return of our district to local control.

"The transition back must be a community-driven process that ensures our schools are governed by those closest to the work: a superintendent who can make informed, independent decisions; a school board that can provide meaningful oversight; and a community that has the power to hold us all accountable. "We have a chance now to rethink how we govern our schools and ensure this extended period leads to lasting, meaningful change."

Mayor Brett Smiley said in June that the city would need a year to prepare before it resumed running its own schools.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence schools will stay under state control for now. Here's why.