Reflections on our 2018-2019 Report Card
Last year my son graduated from Barrington High School. I believe he received a five-star education. But last week, when the State of Rhode Island released its annual report card and rated the Nowell Leadership Academy - a public charter school serving pregnant and parenting teenagers - as a one-star school, I was disappointed.
Here are the reasons why.
Nowell received a one-star rating for two primary reasons. The first reason is because RIDE calculates Nowell’s four-year graduation rate as 17% and 11% at our Providence and Central Falls campuses, respectively. RIDE has told our school that the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the state to classify any high school with a four-year graduation rate under 67% as a school in need of comprehensive support and intervention, regardless of the school's size, mission or enrollment practices. Last year when we received a one-star rating, we conducted some internal research on all of our students and found two pieces of data relevant to our four-year graduation rate. First, we found that 89% of our students are over-age and under-credited upon enrollment at Nowell. We also found that, on average, our students have attended three high schools before enrolling at Nowell. Because Rhode Island calculates four-year graduation rates based on the year a student started ninth grade, a school with a student body like ours - one that is overwhelmingly off-track to graduating within four years by design - will always necessarily be classified as a one-star school under RIDE's system.
The second reason Nowell received a one-star rating is because of low levels of proficiency on the SAT assessment. Last year, thirteen of our eleventh grade students took the English Language Arts (ELA) portion of the SAT test, and twelve of our eleventh grade students took the math portion of the SAT test. Most of our students who took the test did not demonstrate proficiency in either subject area. Additionally, eight additional eleventh graders were registered to take the test but did not actually do so. The State of Rhode Island “counts” these students as having also not demonstrated proficiency.
We know as a school that we have much to do to continue improving, and also much to celebrate. This year, for example, our school will absolutely double down on our efforts to make sure that every student who registers for the SAT participates on test day, regardless of whatever life barriers may get in the way.
But there are a few statistics not included in the state report card that I want to make sure you know. Nationally, fewer than 40% of pregnant or parenting teenagers graduate from high school and fewer than 2% earn a post-secondary degree. Nowell maintains among the most rigorous graduation requirements of any high school in Rhode Island and last year, nearly three quarters of our graduates left our school headed to a two- or four-year college or university or a professional certification program. Those are powerful results that we celebrate.
Last year, one of our graduates came to us from Barrington - the same school district from which my son graduated. Neither pregnant nor parenting, she came seeking an alternative, small environment in which to succeed. After graduating, she described how Nowell helped her realize that she was, in fact, smart. None of us who work here will forget the image of her dancing in a long red velvet gown and black boots at Prom or her intense participation in our annual Poetry Slam. I know in my heart that this student received a five-star education, one that she did not feel she could receive in her own community.
As we analyze hard numbers and look for ways to systematically move forward, let’s work to incorporate real student experiences and voices into the equation. Here at Nowell, we will continue the important work of serving over-age and under-credited young adults. We look forward to working with the State to make sure their needs, their experiences and their many accomplishments are better reflected in the accountability system int the years to come.
Tricia Kelly, Nowell Leadership Academy English Language Program Coordinator