$[CREDIT: RIDE] Coventry Schools math program test results on the RICAS show a steady improvement in math proficiency.$

COVENTRY, RI — Gov. Dan McKee and RIDE Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green met school and community leaders at Providence’s Asa Messer Elementary School Thursday, announcing $2.8 million in Learn365RI grants, with $55,000 for Coventry Schools math programs.

Officials took the opportunity to also launch the launch the statewide Math Matters RI campaign, which aims to promote the importance of mathematics.

‘We are excited about the opportunity and looking at how we can use the $55,000 in state funding to target mathematics.’ — Coventry Schools Superintendent Don Cowart

As part of the launch, Governor McKee and Commissioner Infante-Green awarded the latest round of Learn365RI grants, which will provide 38 communities with $2,125,000 in grant funding aimed at improving math skills. Additionally, $725,000 has been allocated as a State set-aside for statewide intervention and support. Asa Messer Elementary was chosen to host the event because the school saw one of the highest increases in math proficiency, with a more than 12 percentage point improvement in students meeting or exceeding expectations in the 2024 Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) results.

Coventry Schools Math Programs ratings

In Coventry, the grant funding will aid the district in maintaining the steady progress Coventry Schools have shown in math proficiency in RICAS results during the 2019, 2023 and 2024 years, with a 3.8 percent improvement to 40.9 in 2024. Conversely, there was a reverse trend in SAT math scores, partly attributed to changes in the design of the SAT test.

“While some of our students are seeing positive momentum in math and have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement, we have to double down on our efforts to promote math to help all students get back on track,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “RIDE is working diligently to expand access to high-quality math instruction for students and math-focused professional learning for teachers, and we know that the funds made available to communities through the Governor’s Learn365RI initiative will complement and strengthen our efforts to improve math understanding and skills. RIDE is excited to kick off the Math Matters RI campaign alongside math teachers, coaches, champions, and representatives from cities and towns throughout Rhode Island.”

“The Coventry Town Manager recently shared this information with us,” said Superintendent Don Cowart, “We are excited about the opportunity and looking at how we can use the $55,000 in state funding to target mathematics. Coventry will use the Learn365RI funding to support out-of-school math-focused programming such as tutoring or summer learning opportunities.”

State leaders emphasized the need to focus on improving math instruction and learning, citing positive trends in math RICAS results that have rebounded past pre-pandemic levels of achievement with 30.1% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in 2023-2024 results compared to 29.8 percent in 2018-2019. However, math SAT results remain below pre-pandemic levels, with 21.7% of secondary students meeting and exceeding expectations compared to 31.2 percent in 2018-2019. At the national level, NAEP, known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” underscored a need to focus on math with 2024 national math scores declining by 5 percentage points in grade 4 and 8 percentage points in grade 8 compared to 2019.

“In every home, every day, learning matters and we are launching our statewide Math Matters RI campaign to place an extra emphasis on math instruction and learning,” said McKee.

A table showing the Learn365RI grants for each city and town is embedded below:

Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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