Providence Public Schools 2019 Review

In April 2019, Governor Gina Raimondo, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, and Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green called for a review of the Providence Public School District.

As committed as Rhode Islanders have been to serving Providence students and families, the district continues to struggle, and more must be done to improve outcomes for Providence students.

Proposal for Decision and Order

On August 8, 2019, Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green issued her Proposal for Decision and Order regarding the Providence Public School District (PPSD). After a Show Cause Hearing on September 13, 2019, during which none of the parties contested, the Commissioner issued the Final Order of Control and Reconstitution on October 15, 2019.

• Letter to Mayor Elorza (PDF) / Carta para el alcade Jorge Elorza (PDF)
• Providence Presentation to the Council on July 23, 2019 (PDF)
• Final Order of Control and Reconstitution and Decision Establishing Control Over the Providence Public School District and Reconstituting Providence Public Schools ("PPSD Decision") (PDF)

District Review Process

In May and June 2019, a diverse team of local and national education experts undertook a review of the district. The review team was charged with visiting schools and listening to stakeholders about the challenges they face in the classroom and central office, from governance and purchasing, to instruction and curriculum. Their review included site visits and focus group interviews, as well as the review of data, budgets, and district records. The objective was to listen and gather information only, and then collect that information into a public report. Focus groups were facilitated with key stakeholder groups, including educators, students, and families. Site visits and focus groups were conducted the week of May 20, 2019. It was important for the state to take an ambitious and expedited timeline for the review phase so that additional stakeholder engagement could be conducted, and some action deployed in time for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

The findings were shared at the June 25, 2019 meeting of the Council for Elementary and Secondary Education.

Community Forums

Thank you to everyone who attended a Providence Community Forum over the the summer of 2019 regarding the Johns Hopkins Report on the Providence Public School District.

Below are links if you would like to read the report or see Commissioner Infante-Green’s presentation on the report.

• Johns Hopkins Report on PPSD (PDF)
• Providence Community Forum Slides (PDF) / Foros Comunitarios de Providence (PDF)
• Providence Community Forum Presentation Video [MP4]
  
  (Please note: this is a 4GB file)
• Executive Summary (PDF): English / Spanish / Khmer / Chinese

Other Documents

• Aramark Letter on August 19 to Commissioner Infante-Green and Mayor Elorza (PDF)