RICAS results in Johnston ‘disappointing’

In Johnston, nearly one-quarter of all students are failing to meet expectations, following the release of the latest round of Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) testing results.

In English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA), only 27.7% of Johnston’s students are “Meeting or Exceeding Expectations.” And in Math, only 20.2% of students are “Meeting or Exceeding Expectations.”

“The results of the test scores released today are disappointing,” said Johnston Public Schools Superintendent Bernard DiLullo Jr.

Johnston’s school leaders had hoped for better scores this round.

“The district has purchased high-quality curricula that spans grades Kindergarten through 12 in both English Language Arts and math,” DiLullo explained earlier this week. “We have instituted these programs over the last four years.”

For ELA, 2023-24 RICAS results show, of all Johnston students who took the latest round of tests (1,414 students), 23.3% did not meet expectations.

“We have reading specialists and math interventionists in all schools,” DiLullo said. “The administrators in all schools and at the district level are participating in focus walks where classrooms are observed for fidelity of instruction as it relates to the high-quality curricula materials. Engaged, well-behaved students and instruction that is executed with fidelity has been observed on these walks.”

For Math, 2023-24 RICAS results show 21.3% of Johnston’s students did not meet expectations.

“Screening, interventions, and progress monitoring is being done at set intervals throughout the year,” according to DiLullo. “High Quality Professional Development is offered five times a year and all our teachers are participating in the science of reading training to meet the state mandate for 2025. We anticipated a better outcome this year as a result of these academic initiatives and will continue to analyze where students had challenges on the tests and focus our instruction on these areas. We will continue to strive for student success at all levels.”

Johnston’s performance, however, outperformed the Ocean State’s state-wide RICAS results.

State-wide, 23.6% of Rhode Island’s students are not meeting expectations in Math, and 26.5% of the state’s students are not meeting expectations in ELA, according to results posted on the Rhode Island Department of Education’s (RIDE) Assessment Data Portal.