Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Burrillville reports higher test participation and proficiency gains across grades, district says
Summary
At its Nov. 18 meeting the Burrillville School Committee heard state assessment results showing 99% PSAT/SAT participation and districtwide gains in ELA, math and science, with notable subgroup improvements; administrators emphasized growth measures and curriculum changes as drivers.
At the Nov. 18 Burrillville School Committee meeting, district staff presented state assessment results showing higher participation and measurable gains across several grades and subgroups.
The presentation, led by Mr. Mabio, highlighted that 99% of Burrillville students participated in PSAT and SAT testing this year, compared with a statewide participation rate of about 96. "That high participation really reflects a strong student engagement," he said. He reported districtwide RICAS (grades 3–8) ELA proficiency at about 29%, up from 25% last year, a roughly 3.8 percentage‑point increase; math proficiency was about 27.1%, up from 23%.
Superintendent and district presenters framed the results as both proficiency and growth wins. They pointed to the district student growth index showing that roughly 65% of students in grades 4–8 made at least typical growth in ELA and 67% did so in math. "When we focus on student growth, we see how our students are developing skills and confidence and readiness for what's next," Mr. Mabio said.
The presentation singled out Grade 11 science (proficiency rising from 17% to 27%), strong gains in fourth and sixth grades in multiple subjects, and reduced shares of students at the lowest achievement level (the percentage classified as Level 1 fell from 41% to 17% in one measure). District staff credited sustained curriculum implementation — ELA K–12 fully in place, math K–12 with recent Eureka updates, and a phased rollout of OpenSciEd for middle grades — along with targeted interventions and professional learning.
Administrators also highlighted subgroup progress: students with individualized education programs (IEPs) showed a 10‑point gain in PSAT ELA proficiency; economically disadvantaged students rose about 15 points in PSAT math; students coded as homeless increased proficiency roughly 20 points in PSAT ELA and math; and Hispanic students improved by about 24 points in SAT ELA. The district said it uses intervention maps and the high‑school Bronco Focus Hour (including Khan Academy resources) to accelerate students near proficiency.
Committee members praised teachers and asked how state accountability ratings (star ratings published by the Rhode Island Department of Education) factored into the public picture. Mr. Mabio acknowledged that the district overall was mid‑level on RIDE's 14 accountability indicators, noting particular strengths in postsecondary success and low teacher chronic absenteeism, but that the high school's star rating fell from 3 to 2 this year because it missed one indicator by a narrow cohort. He said the district will continue curriculum and targeted support work to improve that metric.
The superintendent/principal team said the district will present a draft FY27 budget at the committee's December meeting that reflects these priorities and work to reduce an initial projected increase before formal submission to the town council and the budget board.
