Building on Secondary Education Momentum, Commissioner Infante-Green Launches "Ready for Excellence" Initiative to Expand Opportunities and Raise Expectations
Published on Friday, October 02, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI – At the September 29, 2026, Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education monthly meeting, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) launched "Ready for Excellence," a comprehensive initiative designed to build on the state's nationally recognized efforts to reimagine the high school experience and ensure every student graduates prepared for success in college, career, and life.
The “Ready for Excellence” initiative includes proposed policy and regulatory changes aimed at expanding access, increasing participation, and accelerating academic excellence for high school students across Rhode Island.
"Today's students are capable of more, and they are asking for more," said Governor Dan McKee. "Ready for Excellence is about ensuring every student, regardless of ZIP code, background, or pathway, has access to the opportunities and experiences that will open doors for their future. Our goal is simple: to ensure all students are ready for excellence."
"Rhode Island has spent the last several years reimagining what it means to prepare students for the future, and the results speak for themselves: our graduation rate has reached a historic high, we’re leading the nation in Advanced Placement growth and success, we have doubled Career and Technical Education opportunities, and our high school transformation efforts have earned national recognition," said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. "These achievements reflect a simple truth: when we raise expectations and expand opportunity, students rise to meet the moment and succeed. Ready for Excellence builds on that momentum by ensuring every student has access to rigorous coursework, meaningful career-connected learning, and the tools they need to succeed in college, career, and life."
Through Ready for Excellence, RIDE is proposing a series of changes designed to ensure all students have access to high-quality opportunities that prepare them for life after graduation. The proposal includes:
- expanding access to advanced coursework,
- increasing transparency for enrollment in CTE and dual enrollment programs,
- supporting work-based learning experiences,
- and ensuring every student develops a clear plan to earn a postsecondary success credential before graduation.
"Ready for Excellence" builds on the foundation established by RIDE’s Readiness-Based Graduation Requirements, adopted unanimously in 2022, which set a new baseline expectation for all high school students to graduate ready for both college and career. With that foundation in place, we are able to provide schools with greater flexibility to innovate and create opportunities that push students beyond the baseline.
The initiative also includes a broader vision for excellence that extends beyond regulatory changes. “Ready for Excellence” will engage school communities in developing statewide "Profiles of Excellence" and launch a statewide design challenge, made possible through the XQ+RI partnership, that will invest $1 million in innovative approaches to helping schools ensure all students graduate with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed for success.
The proposed changes will be considered by the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education as part of the public rulemaking process, which will include opportunities for stakeholder engagement and public comment.
According to preliminary College Board data, Rhode Island leads the nation in Advanced Placement participation growth over the past decade.
Additionally, Rhode Island has increased the number of approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs from 203 in 2019 to 365 today, while concurrent enrollment participation has increased by approximately 200 percent.
Rhode Island has also made significant investments in school counseling, advanced coursework, financial literacy, civics education, and college and career readiness. As a result, the state has been recognized as a national leader in the future of high school in a 50-state study, climbed to eighth in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's high school rankings, and gained national recognition for its innovative approach to redesigning secondary education.