North Kingstown hears RIDE LEA accountability results; district shows strengths in graduation and school quality

The North Kingstown School Committee on Dec. 16 received the Rhode Island Department of Education's 2025 LEA accountability report, which ranked the district and its schools using star ratings across multiple indicators including achievement, growth, English-language proficiency, graduation and school quality.

Presenter (speaker 7) told the committee the district performed strongly on graduation rate, diploma-plus measures and school quality and student-success indicators, while achievement, growth and English-language proficiency generally registered at mid-level performance. North Kingstown High School remained a four-star school, with five stars in graduation rate and diploma-plus measures, and four stars in achievement and growth. Davisville Middle School improved from two to three stars this year, credited in part to gains in English-language proficiency. Wickford Middle School fell from four to three stars due to small dips in achievement and growth (ELA and math scores fell short of thresholds by one and two points, respectively), the presenter said.

The presenter highlighted subgroup outcomes: Quinesset Elementary retained a TSI/ATSI designation for Black/African American students and English-language learners largely because the subgroup N-sizes were too small for growth calculations rather than because measured growth was absent; in some cases growth scores could not be counted for cohorts newly tested. At the high school, students with disabilities were again identified as a subgroup requiring attention.

Committee members sought clarification on the time horizon for comparisons and whether the district analyzes cohorts over multiple years. The presenter said staff look at cohorts as they progress and will deepen school-level reviews where subgroup or grade-level declines appear. Several committee members asked for additional teacher feedback and outcome data — for example, how many students are meeting early reading benchmarks under current foundational programs — and requested further reports tying the accountability indicators to local interventions and pre-K participation.

The district framed the star ratings as one piece of the accountability picture, useful for directing resources but not the sole determinant of program decisions. Administrators described ongoing school-level work with principals and teachers to dig into data and align interventions.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the report; the presentation was followed by questions and a transition to subsequent agenda items.