Project Summary

With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Education Alliance worked with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) to enhance the statewide assessment system with a process for high school students to demonstrate proficiently what they know and can do. It seeks to ensure that every student leaving RI public schools be prepared for college and work.

The Education Alliance and RIDE have facilitated three high school networks of 12 to 15 schools, each focusing on three performance measures that can serve as graduation requirements: Common Tasks, Student Exhibitions and Portfolios. The intent of these networks is to:

• Develop the Rhode Island Diploma System Local Assessment Toolkit that will serve as common tools and guidance to all RI high schools in implementing the Regents' Regulations
• Support schools working on similar strategies
• Bring together demonstration sites to develop and refine implementation strategies
• Create and sustain the school capacity necessary to implement graduation assessments
• Provide some of the necessary ongoing professional development on curriculum, instruction, and assessment

More than 15,000 Rhode Island high school seniors are reached by this project.

The Alliance's web team designed and developed the project web site in collaboration with teachers and administrators throughout the state.

Web site: http://www.ride.ri.gov/HighSchoolReform/DSLAT

See also:

• Rhode Island Diploma System Local Assessment Toolkits