Articles from Rhode Island Education News

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Court: Providence Schools Compliant With Preschool Special Ed Settlement

Independent court monitor determines Providence Public School District achieved substantial compliance with August 2023 settlement agreement, closing federal class action lawsuit over special education services for preschoolers. Settlement required timely evaluations and placement in IEPs for 3-to-5-year-olds with disabilities, hiring additional evaluation teams, and allowing parents to seek outside evaluations at district expense. ACLU and RI Center for Justice brought suit after investigation revealed hundreds of students were denied or delayed special education services guaranteed under federal IDEA law.

https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/11/05/court-monitoring-determines-providence…

Will Providence Get Its Schools Back Sooner or Later? Depends Which Side You Ask.

The Providence School Board says it's on track to complete professional development training required to regain control of city schools by next year, but the Rhode Island Department of Education insists more work is needed. The state took over Providence schools in 2019, with the takeover extended through 2027, though it could end sooner if specific conditions are met. Tensions remain over budget gaps, governance issues, and the timeline for returning local control. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com

https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2025/10/30/will-providence-get-its-schools-back-s…

Rhode Island Prepares for a Hungry World Without SNAP

Governor McKee declared a state of emergency as the Trump Administration threatens to halt SNAP funding beginning November 1, affecting approximately 145,000 Rhode Island residents who receive $29 million monthly in food assistance. The state is deploying up to $6 million in TANF funding for emergency payments to families with children, $200,000 to the RI Community Food Bank, and the Rhode Island Foundation is earmarking $1 million in emergency grants to help feed people during the crisis. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com

https://steveahlquist.substack.com/p/rhode-island-prepares-for-a-hungry

Wang, Almquist: How We Ensure AI Delivers for Students and Educators

Researchers from OpenAI and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative argue that AI-powered education tools lack proper evaluation infrastructure to assess instructional quality. They developed automated evaluators with partners including Student Achievement Partners and Achievement Network to help educators assess key dimensions like text complexity, ensuring AI tools truly enhance education rather than providing unvetted content that could slow student development. Source: the74million.org

https://www.the74million.org/article/how-we-ensure-ai-delivers-for-students-and-…

Rhode Island K-12 Arts-in-Education Program Grants

The Rhode Island Foundation's Arts in Academics Fund offers grants of $500 to $1,000 for K-12 public school teachers, artists, and nonprofit organizations to support educational projects that integrate art disciplines into core academic subjects. Funded by retired Rhode Island art educator Karel Greenblatt Gertsacov, the program supports collaborations between artists and educators that promote arts as an integral part of the learning process. Source: youthtoday.org

https://youthtoday.org/2025/10/rhode-island-k-12-arts-education-program-grants

The Providence City Council Special Ward 2 Election Candidate Forum

Five candidates are competing in Providence City Council Ward 2 special election with early voting already underway. A public candidate forum was held on October 28 at Temple Beth-El, featuring discussions on local issues including education, housing, public safety, and community involvement. The Democratic primary is scheduled for November 4, with the general election on December 2. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com

https://steveahlquist.substack.com/p/the-providence-city-council-special

Science Teacher Education Program Celebrates 30 years, New Location with Open House Oct 29

URI's GEMS-Net science teacher education program celebrates 30 years and relocates from the Bay Campus to the Kingston Campus. The program now supports 766 teachers and nearly 20,000 students across 15 Rhode Island school districts with phenomena-based science learning and professional development. An open house will be held Oct 29 from 4-5:30 PM at Pastore Hall. Source: uri.edu

https://www.uri.edu/news/2025/10/science-teacher-education-program-celebrating-3…

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