Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Education

Content Standards Review and Revision Process

RIDE engages in a review and revision process for the content standards for mathematics, English language arts, science and technology, history and social studies, world languages, and the arts on a four year cycle.

Content standards define what students should know and be able to do. Changes in the college and career landscape, as well as new findings in educational research necessitate the periodic review and potential revision of academic standards. Furthermore, there is the continual need to ensure that content standards and the assessments used to measure students’ proficiency in attaining those standards are aligned. In recent years, Rhode Island has transitioned to a new suite of state assessments which will be in place until 2029 as outlined in Rhode Island law RIGL§ 16.22.30-33, passed in 2019. With the passing of RIGL§ 16.22.30-33, RIDE saw an opportunity to revisit the state’s content standards in order to better align them with mandated assessment requirements, to clarify any vague language present in the standards, and in the case of history and social studies to undergo a total revision.

RIDE has completed a review and revision of the content standards for English language arts and mathematics resulting in the endorsement of the Rhode Island Core Standards for ELA/Literacy and Mathematics by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education on March 9, 2021. The review process was open and consultative and will be replicated for science and technology, history and social studies, world languages, and the arts. Specifically, during the process RIDE solicited public comment and drew on the content expertise of review committees composed of Rhode Island educators. Feedback was used to craft sets of content standards that are focused, coherent, and rigorous and are designed to ready students for college and career.

COUNCIL PRESENTATION - MARCH 9, 2021

Cohesive and aligned standards, curriculum, and assessment are critical to increasing student achievement. RIDE is seeking to ensure optimum alignment between the content standards, RIDE’s approved high-quality instructional materials, and the state assessment which will support effective teaching and learning for Rhode Island students.

Rhode Island transitions to the Rhode Island Core Standards for English Language Arts/Literacy from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) 

Cohesive and aligned standards, curriculum, and assessment are critical to increasing student achievement. Rhode Island transitioned to the Rhode Island Core Standards for English Language Arts/Literacy from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on March 9, 2021. 

The Rhode Island Core Standards for English Language Arts are tightly aligned to the assessments in the Rhode Island comprehensive assessment system, including the RICAS assessment. These standards maintain the focus, coherence, and rigor of the CCSS, while providing greater clarity and highlighting connections among the standards.

RIDE has created standard-by-standard comparison tables to highlight the differences in content between the CCSS and the Rhode Island Core Standards. These tables should assure users of high-quality instructional materials of the overall alignment of their curriculum while providing guidance on where minor adjustments may need to be made within instruction.

RIDE is currently developing a curriculum framework for English Language Arts/Literacy which will include a comprehensive vision for implementation of the standards through curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Opportunities for the public to engage in this work will be forthcoming.

Rhode Island transitions to the Rhode Island Core Standards for Mathematics from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

Cohesive and aligned standards, curriculum, and assessment are critical to increasing student achievement. Rhode Island transitioned to the Rhode Island Core Standards for Mathematics from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on March 9, 2021. The Rhode Island Core Standards for Mathematics are tightly aligned to the assessments in the Rhode Island comprehensive assessment system of which the RICAS assessment is an integral part. The new standards maintain the focus, coherence, and rigor of the CCSS, but strive to add clarity while incorporating content adjustments of only about 3%. To highlight the differences in content between the RI Core Standards and the CCSS, RIDE has created standard-by-standard comparison tables. These tables should assure users of high-quality instructional materials of the overall alignment of their curriculum while providing guidance on where minor adjustments may need to be made.

RIDE is currently developing a curriculum framework for mathematics which will include a comprehensive vision for implementation of the standards through curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Opportunities for the public to engage in this work will be forthcoming.

Following the completion of the mathematics standards review/revision process and the acceptance of the updated standards by the Rhode Island Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, RIDE will engage in a process to align the high school content standards to specific courses, i.e.,  Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. There is a provision on the Standards Review Advisory Committee Application to indicate your potential interest in this initiative. More details and additional opportunities to express interest will be forthcoming.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Since Rhode Island adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013, public schools across the state have worked toward full implementation by aligning curriculum and instruction with the NGSS’s three-dimensional model of science teaching and learning.

In 2024, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) conducted a review of the NGSS to ensure they met the requirements set forth in Rhode Island General Law (RIGL) § 16-22-31, established under Title 16, Chapter 97 – The Rhode Island Board of Education Act. Following a thorough and satisfactory review process, the Rhode Island Board of Education reaffirmed its approval of the NGSS as the state’s official science and technology standards.

The NGSS were developed through a national partnership among the National Research Council (NRC), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Achieve. In 2011, the National Academies of Sciences published the Framework for K–12 Science Education, which is grounded in research on science learning and identifies the essential scientific knowledge and practices all K–12 students should develop.

Using this Framework, Rhode Island—along with 26 other states—played a leading role in developing the NGSS. These standards are designed to actively engage students in scientific and engineering practices, applying crosscutting concepts to deepen their understanding of core ideas in science. The Rhode Island Department of Education is proud to have served as a Lead State Partner in this national effort, contributing input and expertise throughout the NGSS development process.

Rhode Island Social Studies Standards

Social Studies education helps students understand the world in which they live and prepares them with the knowledge and skills to become informed, thoughtful, and active citizens in a culturally diverse democratic society and complex world. 

Social Studies draws upon anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences (adapted from the National Council for the Social Studies [NCSS] definition of Social Studies). 

RIDE creates conditions for every Rhode Island student to think critically and collaboratively, and act as a creative, self-motivated, culturally, and globally competent learner. Rhode Island students are prepared to lead fulfilling and productive lives, succeed in academic and employment settings, and contribute meaningfully to society (RIDE Strategic Plan, 2021-2027). 

Revised Rhode Island Social Studies Standards were endorsed by the Council for Elementary and Secondary Education in February 2023. Please visit the Social Studies landing page for information about the new Standards.