Cumberland reports mostly steady RICAS proficiency; district outlines curriculum changes and supports

CUMBERLAND, R.I. — The Cumberland School Committee heard a 2024 RICAS results briefing on Dec. 12 from Assistant Superintendent Antonio DeMana and district curriculum leaders, who said the district remains broadly proficient while identifying specific grade-level gaps and next steps tied to state accountability.

DeMana told the committee that Cumberland’s districtwide math proficiency has risen since 2015, noting 53.2% proficient in 2022, 57.5% in 2023 and 56.2% in 2024. He said districtwide English/language arts results have been relatively stable in recent years, “hovering around 51.5%.”

The presentation framed those numbers as part of a longer trend of recovery after pandemic-era declines and compared Cumberland with other Rhode Island and neighboring Massachusetts districts to show relative performance. “The least we could do for our kids is to help them try to meet grade-level standards,” DeMana said.

Why it matters: District leaders said the data will feed into RIDE’s (Rhode Island Department of Education) school and district accountability reports, due soon, and that the district is aligning instructional materials and supports to improve student outcomes and to respond to RIDE’s accountability measures.

Most important details - Curriculum changes: The district is in the process of implementing Eureka Math Squared at the secondary level, Wonders for elementary ELA (grades 3–5 are in their second/third year of implementation), StudySync at the middle school and a pilot social studies curriculum. District staff also said new science and health materials were introduced this year. - Instructional supports: The district obtained grant funding to add a middle-school math coach and an additional elementary ELA coach. Mapping sessions, grade-level calibration, and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) remain central to the intervention strategy. - Targeted programs: Middle-school “essentials” classes provide daily targeted instruction in math and ELA for students needing extra support. Elementary schools run a 30-minute intervention block each day as part of a 90-minute math block (60 minutes core + 30 minutes intervention), the committee was told. - Teacher workforce: District leaders reported a 29% teacher attrition rate over the past four years and said mentoring and coaching were added to address consistency and turnover. - Subgroup monitoring and BVP: Staff emphasized subgroup analysis (English learners, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged). DeMana and colleagues said Cumberland now outperforms the local charter program identified in the presentation as “BVP” in overall proficiency and across subgroups in recent years. - Accountability timeline: District leaders said RIDE will publish school report cards and accountability measures in January; the district has invited RIDE staff to review local accountability calculations with committee members.

Additional details and grade-level notes - Middle school math proficiency by grade: the presentation cited grade 6 at about 57%, grade 7 at 47.7% and grade 8 at 51.3%. - Elementary grade-level variation: presenters said grades 3–5 show different year-to-year patterns; some grades outperform peer districts at specific grade levels, and the district continues to examine curriculum pacing and small-group instruction to close gaps.

District leaders described implementation challenges including the pace of state-mandated curriculum adoptions, the volume of new materials being rolled out in a short time, and building-based professional development limits while staff completed the state “Right to Read” requirements. To address those challenges, the district hired coaches, expanded mapping sessions, and emphasized teacher collaboration across schools.

Quotes from the presentation (verbatim) - “Scale scores are a way to measure the strength of a student's aptitude,” Antonio DeMana, assistant superintendent. - “We test about 355 students per grade level,” DeMana (on sample size and comparison with smaller districts).

What’s next: Staff said they will continue implementing coaching supports and MTSS interventions, monitor grade-level outcomes, and meet with RIDE on accountability metrics in January. Committee members asked for copies of the slide deck for closer review.

Ending note: Committee members praised the presentation and recognized teachers and staff for district performance while pressing for continued attention to subgroup outcomes and implementation consistency.