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Pawtucket officials say Slater Middle School redesign is showing progress under RIDE oversight
Summary
Superintendent Buck told the school committee that Slater's redesign indicators have been met after a detailed response and capacity interview, citing declining chronic absenteeism and expanded professional learning. The district plans a quarter-four milestone review with RIDE on June 18 and a Paxton Patterson CTE lab this summer.
Superintendent Buck said Tuesday that the Pawtucket School Department has made measurable progress implementing the Slater Middle School redesign called for under its memorandum of agreement with RIDE, the state education agency.
"The evidence demonstrates meaningful progress," Buck said, describing revised applications, a seven-page response to RIDE, and a capacity interview that together led the district to meet every redesign indicator for Slater. He told the committee the work is not finished but framed the developments as a foundation for further improvement.
The superintendent and district leaders pointed to several specific indicators: reductions in chronic absenteeism across multiple CSI schools (Shea down 8.5 percent, Tolman down 15.8 percent, Jenks down 10.8 percent, Slater down 3.6 percent), expanded instructional monitoring and walk-throughs, and new professional learning. Buck said Slater teachers have completed about 30 hours of redesign-related professional learning and that a 38-hour summer professional-learning plan has been submitted to RIDE.
Principal Voral described classroom-level changes and early results, noting behavioral and attendance improvements. "In the first week implementation alone, we reduced our trash waste from 88 pounds to 3.7 pounds," she said, citing a tangible outcome from new school systems.
The district also announced a planned Paxton Patterson Career Exploration Lab at Slater to support a new CTE exploratory program; Buck said that the lab will be built this summer with a 2026 Capital Grant award and that Slater would be among the first schools in the region to use that equipment.
Bridget Boucher, director of secondary transformation, outlined the network of supports behind the work: community advisory boards, partnerships with Mass Insight and SchoolWorks, and expanded coaching and attendance teams. Buck said the district will present updated evidence during a June 18 quarter-four milestone review with RIDE.
What happens next: Buck said district and school leaders will participate in the June 18 review, finalize summer professional learning and continue implementing the redesign with monitoring and reporting back to the committee.
Sources and provenance: Superintendent Buck, Bridget Boucher and Principal Voral presented the update (transcript SEG 1876—SEG 2343).
