Woonsocket Radio News Room

Governor McKee, Rhode Island Department of Education Award $5 Million in Funding for ELA, Math Instructional Coaching

Awards given to 24 local education agencies to help further support educators with professional development, high-quality curriculum materials

PROVIDENCE, RI – As Rhode Island prepares for the 2024-2025 school year, Governor Dan McKee, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced $5 million in funding for instructional coaching in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) for more than 20 schools and districts across the state, with $4 million going towards staffing and the remaining $1 million going towards accompanying professional development.

Approved by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor in June, the funding is part of the FY25 #TeamRhodeIsland budget, which continues to put Rhode Island on a path to improve educational outcomes, with a particular emphasis on increasing reading and math proficiency.

“Through this grant program, we are providing Rhode Island schools with the additional support needed to help propel students towards success,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Just as AttendanceMattersRI, reading matters and math matters, and we are committed to ensuring our students receive an engaging and comprehensive education. Each educational investment we make is an investment in the future of Rhode Island.”

“Rhode Island has made strides in ELA and math in the wake of the pandemic, and with the expiration of federal relief funds, it is critical we support our schools to continue to make gains,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “We have heard loud and clear from our school communities that instructional coaches make a difference, and we are pleased to be able to provide these additional resources.”

The anticipated awarding of approximately $4 million in grants will cover the hiring of 26 full-time and 9 part-time coaches for a total of 35 instructional coaches across 24 local education agencies (LEAs). The remaining $1 million will fund additional supports around high-quality curriculum materials (HQCM) implementation. RIDE will solicit vendors to provide professional learning and supports to coaches. RIDE will also solicit vendors through a second RFP to facilitate the development and implementation of protocols and professional learning for schools and districts around HQCM and differently-abled students.

Instructional coaching fosters long-term support and stability for new and veteran educators by promoting strong collaboration and planning in order to increase student learning goals. With coaching, educators are able to refine their learning strategies to better meet students’ needs academically and eventually improve their achievement. In October 2023, results from the Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) demonstrated that there was an increase in both math proficiency and ELA proficiency, by approximately 2.7 percentage points and 2 percentage points, respectively.

Coaches hired will attend up to 10 days of professional learning facilitated by the selected vendor and RIDE to enhance their coaching methods and use of protocols for lesson internalization and enhancement as part of an effective HQCM implementation. These comprehensive supports promote an effective school environment where both the students and educators can thrive.

“This instructional coaching grant funding will allow Rhode Island students to make continued progress in ELA and math during the upcoming school year,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “I am grateful for RIDE, Governor McKee, and the General Assembly’s leadership and collaboration in allowing districts to receive the best educational supports possible.”

“As an educator, I know how crucial it is for students to feel supported in the classroom,” said 2025 Rhode Island State Teacher of the Year Milissa O’Neil. “Math and ELA are the foundation of a well-rounded academic career, and these skills begin at an early age. I am thrilled that schools across the state will receive this funding to further support their efforts in achieving success.”

Each year, RIDE releases a Curriculum Survey Report that provides data on LEAs and their usage of HQCM. Highlights from the 2023-24 school year include 99.8 percent of students having access to ELA HQCM at the elementary level, 98 percent at the middle level, and 99.6 percent at the high school level. Further, 98 percent of LEAs have adopted ELA HQCM at the elementary level, 96 percent of middle schools, and 96 percent of high schools. For math, 100 percent of elementary students have access to math HQCM, 98.2 percent of middle school students, and 100 percent of high school students. One hundred percent of LEAs at the elementary and high school level have adopted HQCM for math, while 98 percent of middle schools have.

“While Rhode Island has made great progress in the adoption of curriculum materials that ensure grade-level access to all students, the more challenging work of implementation must continue,” said Commissioner Infante-Green. “Coaches play an important role, working with educators to deeply understand the design of new materials and the implementation steps necessary for all learners in our classrooms.”

The following LEAs were awarded coaching grants:

·     Blackstone Academy Charter School

·     Bristol-Warren Regional School District

·     Burrillville Public Schools

·     Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy

·     Central Falls School District

·     The Compass School

·     Cranston Public Schools

·     Cumberland School Department

·     East Providence School Department

·     Excel Academy

·     Johnston Public Schools

·     Middletown Public Schools

·     Newport Public Schools

·     North Kingstown School Department

·     Paul Cuffee School

·     Pawtucket School Department

·     Providence Public Schools

·     RISE Prep Mayoral Academy

·     Scituate School Department

·     Segue Institute for Learning

·     Smithfield Public Schools

·     Warwick Public Schools

·     West Warwick Public Schools

·     Westerly Public Schools