Providence Public School District Highlights Progress in 2024 Year in Review

Published on Thursday, January 02, 2025

PROVIDENCE, RI – The Providence Public School District (PPSD) has achieved notable progress in 2024, carrying out historic investments in facilities and infrastructure enhancements, expanding innovative educational programs, leading the state in improving student attendance, promoting better academic performance, and enhancing support for multilingual learners. In alignment with the Providence Turnaround Action Plan (TAP), in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), PPSD has made a concerted effort to implement changes that improve student outcomes and better engage the school community.  

"I’m incredibly proud of the progress Providence public schools made in 2024 thanks to the hard work of countless students, teachers, and administrators, and I’m excited for what is ahead in 2025." said Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “From opening the doors to several new school buildings to developing long-term strategies to better meet the academic and social emotional needs of our students, PPSD is on the move. RIDE will continue to work closely with State, City, and PPSD leaders to ensure we build on the momentum the District has as we push to offer every student an excellent education.” 

"Our  teachers and school leaders are working diligently to provide all students with the world-class education they deserve and there are clear signs that their efforts are yielding positive results for PPSD” said PPSD Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez. “Among many achievements for PPSD this year, we are proud that for the first time in our District’s history one of our elementary schools was recognized as a prestigious Blue Ribbon School for their progress in closing the achievement gap! This national recognition and many other awards and milestones for PPSD exemplify what is possible when we prioritize our students and work in close collaboration with our partners. We believe in the promise of ALL of our students and have invested significant time, resources, and support to lead them on a path to success." 

Academic Performance 

  • In the 2024 Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS), PPSD students demonstrated gains. Providence Public Schools was the only local school district in the state to improve their outcomes on RICAS ELA and Math and SAT ELA and Math. We are clear-eyed that much more work is needed, however, these modest improvements demonstrate positive momentum and reflect the District's ongoing efforts to enhance academic outcomes. 
  • The 2024 school and district accountability results showed that seven PPSD schools increased their Star rating and the District decreased the number of schools designated for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), from 11 to nine. Compared to 2019 accountability results prior to the State intervention, the percentage of Providence students learning in CSI schools, a federal designation for the State’s lowest performing schools, decreased from 37.5% to 29.3% in 2024. This represents a decrease from 13 CSI schools in 2019 to nine currently and accounts for approximately 3,000 fewer Providence students learning in CSI schools. 

National Blue Ribbon School 

  • PPSD was proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Education named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School was recognized as an Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing School, a testament to its dedication to reducing disparities in student achievement. MLK is the first elementary school to receive a National Blue Ribbon School distinction and only the second in District history with Classical High School being recognized in 2017. 

Facilities and Infrastructure Enhancements 

  • PPSD unveiled the newly remodeled Pleasant View Elementary School, marking the fourth new or like new school opened by the District in the past two years. These projects are part of the District's ambitious $1 billion school facilities plan, aiming to ensure that all students learn in new or like-new schools by 2030. Additionally, ground was broken for the transformation of Harry Kizirian, Frank D. Spaziano, and Mary Fogarty Elementary Schools into PreK-8 campuses. 

Educational Innovations 

  • PPSD launched five redesigned schools—Hope High School, Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex, Mount Pleasant High School, DelSesto Middle School, and Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School. These institutions feature enhanced academic programs, project-based learning, and new opportunities for student engagement that meet student and family interests, aligning with the District's Turnaround Action Plan to boost academic excellence and prepare students for future success.  

Expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Opportunities 

  • Enhanced collaboration with community and university partners has led to significant increases in CTE credential attainment, with the percentage of CTE students graduating from PPSD with RIDE completer status rising from 3% in 2019 to 42% in 2024. During the State intervention, the number of CTE programs across the District has increased by 40%, growing from 18 programs in SY20 to 29 programs SY25. 

Support for Multilingual Learners 

  • In November, PPSD reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to exit federal monitoring of 8,000 multilingual learners that began in 2018, while PPSD was under City control. Since entering the agreement, PPSD has invested millions in student and educator supports and worked diligently to ensure compliance with its terms and ensure it properly serves multilingual students and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) parents. The District has increased its annual, recurring investments in support of multilingual learners by over $5 million including additional funds for staffing, certification, translation and interpretation services, and high-quality curriculum and professional development. PPSD is set to end their Settlement Agreement with the DOJ ahead of neighboring communities. Boston Public Schools entered a Settlement Agreement for MLLs with the DOJ in 2010.  

Improved Student Attendance 

  • The District achieved a significant reduction in chronic absenteeism, decreasing from 48.4% in the 2022-2023 school year to 36.2% in 2023-2024. This 12.1 percentage point decline marks a 20.9 percentage point decrease from the District's highest rate of 57.1% in 2021-2022 and brings the current rate below the pre-pandemic level of 37.3% in 2018-2019. 

Financial Developments 

State Intervention Status 

  • The Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education voted to extend the State's intervention in PPSD through 2027. Independent reviews from SchoolWorks and the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University indicated that the District, despite unprecedented challenges faced during the pandemic, made notable progress under the State intervention but areas of needed improvement persist. The extension provides stakeholders an opportunity to develop and initiate a transition plan that will ensure that a long-term foundation is in place to sustain PPSD’s progress when the district is returned to local control. The extension identified five clear areas of focus, based on the findings from the independent reviews and community feedback, that must be prioritized and addressed by local leaders as part of any transition planning.  

As 2024 concludes, PPSD remains dedicated to fostering an inclusive, innovative, and high-quality educational environment for all students, building upon this year's achievements to ensure continued success in the years ahead. Providence Public Schools is committed to providing a world-class education for all students, preparing them for success in college, career, and life.  

For more information about Providence Public Schools, visit www.providenceschools.org. Follow Providence Public Schools on Facebook, X (@pvdschools), or Instagram (@pvdschools) for timely updates.  

###