Rhode Island's chronic absenteeism rate for public school students fell to 22.1% in 2024-25, marking the third straight year of decline. Providence Public Schools saw particularly significant improvement, with their chronic absenteeism rate dropping nearly 7 percentage points from 36.2% to 29.3%, though rates remain above pre-COVID benchmarks of under 20%.

Hundreds of Providence Public School students began their semester in temporary "swing spaces" as multiple schools undergo major construction projects. These efforts are part of a larger collaboration between PPSD, the Rhode Island Department of Education, and the city as part of an ambitious $1 billion school facilities improvement plan.

The Trump administration has agreed to release $29 million in frozen federal education funds to Rhode Island by October as part of a settlement with 24 states. The funds were originally intended to support after-school programs, summer offerings, teachers' professional development, and English language acquisition programs before being frozen earlier this summer. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com

Little Compton School District has received $550,000 in state funding to install water treatment systems that remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water, serving as a model for other Rhode Island schools. The project addresses elevated levels of these "forever chemicals" in the water system serving 450 students and faculty members. Source: providencejournal.com

Anthropic releases a comprehensive report examining how teachers and educational institutions are incorporating Claude AI into their instructional practices. The study explores various applications including lesson planning, student assessment, and personalized learning support, providing insights relevant to Rhode Island educators considering AI integration. Source: anthropic.com