Jaleel is attending his first day of classes this month at a middle school opening its doors for the first time that specializes in air traffic control, commercial drones and engineering.

His parents decided not to send him to the majority-Black, F-rated campus closer to their home in Fort Bend ISD. Still, they fear their sixth grader may lose out on the community and support that come with receiving an education alongside kids in his neighborhood.

鈥淭his is a very difficult thing,鈥� Mikole Montgomery, Jaleel鈥檚 mother, said of the choice to bypass . 鈥淚 don’t take the decision lightly.鈥�

Black children attend schools labeled as failing by the Texas Education Agency at a far higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group. Majority-Black schools are the least likely to achieve the state鈥檚 highest academic rating.

Of the roughly 300 such campuses last year, 20 received an A. By contrast, 105 scored a D or an F.

On Aug. 14, Texas releases the next round of school accountability ratings, largely based on how well students perform on the STAAR exam. Those ratings, promoted as a tool to identify and hold underperforming schools accountable, also serve as an annual reminder of Texas鈥� struggles to provide Black students a high-quality education, parents say.

That leaves families like Montgomery鈥檚 weighing whether to enroll their children in schools where they may benefit from rigorous academic opportunities but see fewer kids and teachers from their communities 鈥� or keep them on high-need campuses lacking in resources but abundant in love and understanding.

About 60% of majority-Black schools scored a C or better last year, which Texas defines as acceptable performance. By comparison, nearly all majority-Asian schools met that threshold, as did 91% of majority-white schools and 79% of majority-Hispanic schools.

Texas public schools educate north of 700,000 Black children 鈥� more than any other state in the country. And negative outcomes among a disproportionate share of majority-Black schools means thousands of kids could leave without the knowledge they need to thrive, even as state leaders often say that and have restricting the consideration of race in education policy.

Education Commissioner Mike Morath acknowledges that academic gaps between Black children and their peers have long existed in the state. However, he points to the preeminent showing Black students in Texas scoring higher than those in most of the country.

鈥淭hat being said,鈥� he added, 鈥渢he results are still unacceptable.鈥�

Texas must improve the quality of schools and support for all children 鈥� not just some children, Morath said.

鈥淭his is where the A-F indicators are important,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he state’s investment in this is to make sure that our local school districts are changing practices as rapidly as possible to improve these learning outcomes.鈥�

Meredith Anderson, a native Texan who researches K-12 education for the United Negro College Fund, sees the racial disparities in the state鈥檚 accountability ratings as 鈥渁larming.鈥�

Majority-Black schools tend to suffer from inadequate local and state funding, as well as from limited access to rigorous courses that help raise student expectations and learning, Anderson said. Schools broadly also do not employ enough , which can improve learning for all children, she added.

鈥淲e often think about it as more so academic gaps when we just look at the accountability ratings, without looking at some of the underlying causes that contribute to them and widen those gaps,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淓ven if we have these bright spots, overwhelmingly the state isn’t serving our Black students well.鈥�

When Black parents choose not to enroll their kids in neighborhood campuses as a result, that could also mean the students who remain end up worse off.

Texas funds schools based on attendance, which means they lose money to pay for academic supports as families leave. That also often means the loss of involved parents and students who otherwise could help usher in improvements. Meanwhile, negative perceptions of majority-Black schools can contribute to a broader narrative that students at such campuses do not deserve positive attention or investment, parents and advocates say.

鈥淚 certainly recognize the value in these kids,鈥� Montgomery said. 鈥淚 recognize me sending my son to the other side, it says something about how I feel about the kids as well 鈥� whether it’s intentional or not.鈥�

Pressure to improve

The Texas Education Agency evaluated more than 9,000 campuses last year, with roughly 15% of schools receiving the lowest grades.

Of the 302 majority-Black schools in Texas, 35% scored a D or an F, by far the largest share of any racial or ethnic group. No majority-Asian schools received such ratings, while 8% of majority-white schools and 19% of majority-Hispanic schools did.

Texas grades schools based on three primary measures, including how well the campuses perform compared to those with similar percentages of low-income students. Schools typically receive a D or an F if only about a third of students or worse meet grade level on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.

Alongside the reality that Black students in Texas are those most likely to and and the least likely to , many parents see the ratings as further evidence that the education system is failing their children.

鈥淚 don’t think it takes rocket science for folks to figure out,鈥� said Tyrone Howard, a UCLA professor who studies race and education. 鈥淚t’s the fact that the original sin of this country has always been around race 鈥� structural racism 鈥� and all its remnants still remain in place.鈥�

When a school receives five consecutive F ratings, Texas鈥� education commissioner must either replace the school district鈥檚 elected trustees and superintendent or close the campus. Schools that predominantly educate trigger takeovers most often.

Morath, the state鈥檚 education chief, believes that schools consistently receiving unacceptable ratings reflects a failure by local district leaders to sufficiently focus on student learning. The A-F rating system allows his agency to identify those districts and initiate reforms where necessary, he said.

Morath views Houston ISD as evidence that it matters who runs local schools, as Black students have posted large test score gains since he intervened in 2023. Critics of the takeover often accuse HISD鈥檚 commissioner-appointed superintendent of overemphasizing test scores. The critics question the sustainability of the gains given unusually high numbers of teachers and students leaving the district, especially Black children.

Eight of Texas鈥� A-rated, majority-Black campuses serve children in the state鈥檚 largest district.

Morath sees the academic gains as signals that state intervention works.

鈥淚n many cases, our schools are doing very well,鈥� he said of Texas public education. 鈥淏ut our schools need to get better, and they need to get better as fast as possible.鈥�

The Texas Tribune interviewed two Black former principals of D- and F-rated schools who shared details of their challenges on the job. The administrators asked to remain anonymous because they still work in Texas education and feared retaliation for speaking candidly.

The leaders acknowledge they sometimes failed to focus enough on student instruction and helping teachers improve. But that鈥檚 because they often had to extinguish other fires, such as abrupt staff departures, funding cuts and depleted morale.

Compared with predominantly white, Asian and more affluent campuses, the Black school leaders felt they lacked autonomy to make decisions that would improve learning. They say they missed out on community business partnerships, wealthy parent-teacher groups and instructional materials that reflected their students鈥� interests. They also dealt with students enrolling and leaving at high rates throughout the school year, making it difficult to maintain consistent standards.

There鈥檚 also pressure to improve ratings, not necessarily to ensure learning growth but to avoid state penalties, they assert. The Black campus leaders say their schools focused heavily on students most likely to improve their test scores, which meant little time to prioritize the academic growth of children who came to school hungry or without a jacket when it was cold.

鈥淓xternally, it looks like you鈥檙e a poor leader,鈥� said the former principal of an F-rated, majority-Black elementary school. 鈥淎ll you鈥檙e trying to do is serve your kids.鈥�

School officials can make a difference by listening to their local communities and, more importantly, fostering spaces where Black parents feel they can engage, education researchers say. That includes scheduling events at times when most families can participate.

Still, even the best school systems cannot overcome unsupported teachers or a lack of money to fund the initiatives students need, the experts note. Texas leaders must also recognize that addressing racial inequality cannot happen without honest conversations about race, the researchers say.

Legislators recently targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education. Republicans approved such measures out of a belief that schools focused more on gender and race than merit and instruction.

But some who study education contend that the unwillingness to address historical racism hurts Black students the most. Research repeatedly shows they benefit from having , while many Black families place high importance on their children reflected in the books they read.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I think the frustration is for a lot of parents, like, 鈥極K, how can I not name what I might believe to be the primary factor in why some kids don鈥檛 get opportunity?鈥欌�� said Howard, the UCLA professor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just, to me, outright tragic that that鈥檚 where we are.鈥�

More than ratings

Having raised three children and volunteered in the community for more than two decades, Stephanie Brown considers Missouri City Middle School 鈥渢he best-kept secret鈥� in Fort Bend ISD.

What it lacks in resources, it makes up for in dedicated teachers and administrators, she said. Brown believes that if district leaders granted students access to benefits such as commercial drone classes or before- and after-school programs that other children in the district receive, Missouri City Middle School would see similar results.

Brown wants students to know that they are more than standardized tests and accountability ratings.

For the last two years, she has helped organize summer trips to a free engineering camp at Prairie View A&M University, where high school students and middle schoolers stay in dorms and learn about robotics and computer science. She wants to show Black families that they do not need to leave to find a quality education. And the community needs to realize that sometimes, it is not 鈥渂etter on the other side,鈥� Brown added.

鈥淲hatever the data is showing that we鈥檙e lacking, it needs to be on our campuses,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲e should not have to seek outside resources in order to get it if this data has been showing this all over the country. Because think about it: God didn鈥檛 make one race smarter than the other. So what is really going on here? Where does it start?鈥�

In a statement to the Tribune, Fort Bend ISD officials said students at all of their campuses deserve access to a high-quality education, as well as the opportunities and support necessary to succeed, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or ZIP code.

鈥淭he district continually evaluates student needs, academic performance and campus resources to identify where additional support and intervention may be needed,鈥� district officials said. 鈥淔ort Bend ISD remains committed to providing equitable educational opportunities for all students and will continue working alongside our educators, families and community to strengthen student achievement across the district.”

, located southwest of Houston, educates about 78,000 students 鈥� 28% of whom are Black. In 2025, Fort Bend ISD moved up one letter grade to a B and had than in the previous year. Missouri City Middle School was 1 point shy of a D.

When state lawmakers more than a decade ago, Sen. worried that it would disproportionately penalize schools that lacked sufficient resources to achieve an acceptable rating. That aspect of the system continues to bother him, West said.

Given that Texas has fewer than two dozen A-rated, majority-Black campuses, the Dallas Democrat agrees with families who say the education system is failing Black children. But he disagrees with those who say Black parents should keep their children in schools that do not serve them.

鈥淚f they believe the best thing is to take them across the street, then fine. Let them take them across the street,鈥� West said. 鈥淯nfortunately, the downside is that a lot of kids鈥� parents can鈥檛 take their kid across the street, and they鈥檙e left in a desperate situation.鈥�

Local school leaders and teachers must do everything they can to provide a quality education for those kids, West added.

As for the failures of Texas public education, Montgomery said, 鈥淚 think the goal is to keep our kids uneducated.鈥�

That belief fueled her family鈥檚 decision for Jaleel to attend the new Amy Coleman Middle School farther away from their home. She believes Missouri City Middle School employs passionate educators who care about children, but she is concerned about how Fort Bend ISD officials distribute resources.

For example, Coleman has an aviation and aerospace program while Missouri City has one focused on first responders. Those are admirable professions, Montgomery notes, but kids already interact with police officers and firefighters. The disparity in offerings communicates to Black kids at Missouri City that they should not dream bigger, she said.

Montgomery witnessed a fight and misbehaving children while volunteering at the F-rated middle school last year, which she admits factored into her decision to enroll Jaleel elsewhere. But she also recognizes that Jaleel benefits from tutoring, summer programs and field trips that his parents can afford and have time to provide. Not all children in the community experience the same privileges, she noted.

And while Jaleel leaving his neighborhood causes her significant concern, her decision centered on providing him what she is convinced state leaders do not want him to have.

鈥淲hen we think about our son’s education, we think about moving out of Texas,鈥� Montgomery said. 鈥淚 don’t think that these people have my son’s best interests.鈥�

Disclosure: Prairie View A&M University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in The Texas Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete .

This first appeared on .

But over 40% of those planning to launch new schools in the coming years are Black, according to the latest national report on the growing sector of small, unconventional learning programs. Just 18% of current school founders are Black.

New leaders include Monette Mottenon, a retired educator who will open in Montgomery, Alabama, this summer. It鈥檚 a goal she鈥檚 had for 15 years, ever since realizing her middle schoolers would 鈥渂omb the test鈥� because they could barely read.

鈥淭hey knew the material, but they couldn’t understand what the questions were asking,鈥� she said. When she learned more about microschools at a conference in Atlanta, she thought, 鈥淚 have found my people.鈥�

The National Microschooling Center鈥檚 annual update also shows that a slightly higher percentage of Asian and Hispanic leaders plan to open microschools. The latest analysis doesn鈥檛 include the racial and ethnic makeup of students served, but Don Soifer, the center鈥檚 CEO, plans to gather that data in the future. 

Microschools are 鈥渟hifting to more closely reflect the communities in which they operate,鈥� he said. One reason is because 鈥渓eadership positions for educators of color are lacking in many communities and states.鈥�

The report, based on a survey of 1,000 microschools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, also covers topics such as tuition, enrollment and government regulations. Here are some of the other top findings:

Half of all microschools receive more than a quarter of their tuition funds from state private school choice programs.

That鈥檚 a big increase over last year, when 38% of microschool leaders said their students use state school choice funds, like education savings accounts. Another 18% said they have students who use an ESA for a portion of tuition and pay the rest themselves.

Soifer attributed the jump to the proliferation of ESA programs like , which went into effect this school year, and the addition of more survey respondents in states with existing ESA programs.

Next year, the percentage could be even higher. Texas鈥� program launches this fall. In addition, during this year鈥檚 legislative season, a restriction on microschools participating in the state鈥檚 private school choice program. 

In South Carolina, however, some families are in limbo. The state has allowed one segment of homeschoolers, known as 鈥渦nbundlers,鈥� to receive ESA funds. These families often supplement homeschooling with a couple days a week in a microschool. But lawmakers are that would lock unbundlers out of the program. Some homeschool advocates, worried about government involvement in homeschooling, pushed for that provision in the law. 

Over 1,000 families are now 鈥渆agerly waiting and wondering鈥� what the legislature will do, said Ryan Dellinger, director of education policy at the Palmetto Promise Institute, a school choice advocacy group. If the proposal passes, the unbundlers might be restricted to homeschooling only or 鈥渕ay need to scramble to get themselves on a waiting list and find a private school or a charter school鈥� for the fall, he said. 

Future microschool leaders are heavily focused on nonacademic learning.

In a subsample of 199 鈥減relaunch鈥� founders, 172 said their greatest hope for students is growth in nonacademic learning. Specific skills might depend on the school鈥檚 model, Soifer said, but would likely range from self-management and social awareness to resilience and workforce readiness. That category was followed by 163 who said students鈥� academic proficiency or mastery was their top goal. 

A from the center last December highlighted a few schools using online platforms, such as IXL and i-Ready, to track progress.

But the field still lacks independent comparisons between microschool students and their peers in traditional schools. Last year, the Rand Corp. said it was 鈥渘early impossible鈥� to measure the impact of attending a microschool on students鈥� academic outcomes. A lot of schools didn鈥檛 have enough assessment data to determine growth in reading and math over time.

1 in 5 microschools have been open at least six years.

The largest share, 45%, have been in operation for three to five years. While the movement exploded during the pandemic, the numbers show that the small programs are more than a short-term solution to a crisis. 

The Success Center, operating out of a former courthouse in South Carolina鈥檚 Lowcountry, began as a tutoring service and expanded to offer a microschool when COVID hit. Joining the state鈥檚 independent school association was a way to 鈥渁void looking like we just put out a shingle,鈥� said Alicia Dickerson, who co-founded the program with her husband Doug. 

The small schools can also form close relationships with families, which contribute to a longer lifespan for a program, Alicia said. According to the report, the majority of current microschool leaders, 70%, said they expect to operate for 10 years or more.

Those who have closed their microschools are staying in the business.

Microschools shut down for a variety of reasons. The lease on a facility might run out, or the founders鈥� children age out of the program, Soifer said. 

Some leaders lack the skills to run a business, said Allison Serafin, vice president of the Building Hope Impact Fund, which offers loans and financial tools to founders. Tasks like budgeting, invoicing and getting business insurance are time-consuming, she said, 鈥渂ut they make the business durable.鈥�

But 78% of former microschool leaders said they鈥檙e still part of the movement.

With a background in management consulting, Sheila Banister didn鈥檛 struggle with the administrative aspects of the microschool she co-launched in the Huntsville, Alabama, area during the pandemic. But there were other rough patches.

鈥淚t’s definitely a challenge finding a teacher who is willing to teach in this type of environment because it’s so different from public school,鈥� she said. The teacher they hired had experience in early childhood, but lacked the skills to teach higher-level math skills to older students. 

Banister鈥檚 expectations for the program also didn鈥檛 line up with those of the other parents who co-founded the school. 

鈥淚 think they wanted more of a co-op experience, not necessarily focused on academic growth,鈥� Banister said.

They decided to discontinue the program at the end of this school year. But Banister said she still believes in the microschool approach. She leads the state鈥檚 affiliate of Love Your School, a nonprofit school choice advocacy organization that began in Arizona, and coaches prospective founders on administrative aspects of the business, like how to incorporate.

Like many former microschool leaders, she said opening another one is 鈥渘ot off the table.鈥� 

Public microschools are bigger than private ones.

The median number of students attending private microschools is 20. But with more districts and charter schools launching small, individualized programs, this year鈥檚 report notes that the median enrollment figure for public microschools is 30. 

There鈥檚 growing interest from public school leaders in opening microschools. Some examples include in Middletown, New York, in the Hudson Valley region, and a new in the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank district in North Carolina. But Soifer said it鈥檚 too early to get an accurate count. 

The Eastern Hancock district, in a rural community outside Indianapolis, enrolled 62 students in Nature鈥檚 Gift Microschool this school year, with 140 students on a waitlist. Several more public microschools will launch across Indiana this fall, and Superintendent George Philhower said he鈥檚 鈥渋n discussions鈥� about creating a multi-state collaborative.

The term microschool, he said, has more to do with a 鈥渕indset鈥� that emphasizes personalization and flexibility than with a specific enrollment number.

93 hours per year 鈥� that鈥檚 the average amount of time microschool leaders spend on compliance issues.

Getting government approval, whether that鈥檚 obtaining a business license or passing an inspection, takes up about 20% of that time, the respondents said. Business permits, zoning and facility regulations, and fire or safety code requirements top the regulatory categories that microschool leaders would like to see eliminated.

While standardized test requirements and ESA reporting rules only apply to some microschools, 8% of founders said they would like to see these requirements go away. 

School choice advocates argue that state and local laws haven鈥檛 kept up with the . The Institute for Justice, for example, which has won major school choice cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, also provides legal assistance to microschool founders originally meant for traditional schools.  

of the movement say those rules exist to protect students and that if microschools receive ESA funds, the public should know how the money is spent and whether children are learning.

Some states have tried to make it easier for founders to open and operate. Because of a legislative change this year, microschools registered as private schools will be able to operate out of former churches, libraries or other community facilities without getting zoning changes or making facility improvements. 

But many other jurisdictions require extensive renovations to run a school during the week in the same church classrooms used for Sunday school, Serafin said. 

鈥淟ife safety is critical, no argument there,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I’m not sure the International Building Code leaders or local planning commissions envisioned a world of 20- to 50-student schools.鈥�

Homeschooling in recent years, . But researchers are still exploring why parents choose to homeschool their children.

Looks like we鈥檙e going to spend 2025 debating which bathrooms different kids should use when they need to relieve themselves and whether we really want to follow through on the administration鈥檚 plans to allow armed immigration enforcement actions on school campuses. Jury鈥檚 still out on whether or not the U.S. Department of Education survives the year 鈥� let alone Trump鈥檚 entire term. 

One thing鈥檚 certain, though: the biggest issue facing U.S. public schools will remain fiscal. As Chad Aldeman has repeatedly noted here at 社区黑料, falling enrollment is a problem for local education leaders across the country 鈥� and most haven鈥檛 confronted the ensuing budget problems because those make for difficult politics. 

This is only going to get worse: the Biden administration鈥檚 pandemic recovery funds are and increased public investment in private school choice programs is putting pressure on public K鈥�12 budgets . What鈥檚 more, falling birth rates were already producing drops in U.S. K鈥�12 enrollment in communities across the country.

Long story short: whatever鈥檚 happening in national education politics, the central education dilemma for many school districts will be trying to attract and retain students so that they don鈥檛 face stiff cuts in state and federal funding. suggests that pre-K programs could be a useful tool in that effort. 

The analysis explores whether Washington, D.C.鈥檚 universal pre-K system for 3- and 4-year-olds could be part of the reason why 鈥渢he District of Columbia (DC) stands out as one of the few jurisdictions that did not experience declines in public K鈥�12 enrollment between fall 2019 and fall 2021.鈥� 

D.C.鈥檚 pre-K program was a leader that just preceded in public early education investments. It as part of District of Columbia education reforms designed to improve outcomes and raise enrollment. This was years ahead of similar efforts in , , , and . 

The program isn鈥檛 just old 鈥� it鈥檚 compared to its peers. The city per pre-K student than any U.S. state, serves both 3- and 4-year-olds and integrates the large majority of its programs into K鈥�12 campuses. That means that pre-K students generally continue into kindergarten (and first grade, and beyond) classrooms that are overseen by the same leaders who run their pre-K programs. This permits for greater from early childhood into elementary school 鈥� and, to drop the jargon, it makes parents鈥� lives way easier. 

Using D.C. enrollment lottery data, the Urban Institute paper found that students who attended pre-K as 3-year-olds before the pandemic 鈥渨ere 9.8 percentage points more likely to remain enrolled鈥� in D.C. schools between 2020 and 2022 than children who did not attend. This was especially true for students who were in kindergarten or first grade during the pandemic period. Further, the enrollment boost effect was particularly strong for D.C. pre-K alumni from low-income communities; they were 25% more likely to remain enrolled, compared to students from higher-income communities

鈥淧ublic prekindergarten 鈥� especially when starting as early as 3 years old 鈥� can promote student persistence by providing early exposure to a classroom setting and fostering foundational academic and nonacademic skills,鈥� the researchers conclude. 

The Urban Institute鈥檚 findings also echo prior studies indicating that D.C.鈥檚 pre-K program has impacts well beyond improving children鈥檚 development and well-being. Others have found that it shapes a wider range of families鈥� decisions and behaviors. It offers a full-day schedule that matches the city鈥檚 K鈥�12 schools and their academic calendars. A 2018 study linked this breadth of coverage to 鈥� that is, D.C.鈥檚 pre-K investments made it easier for moms to work. 

As noted above, the program is relatively well aligned with research on quality early education, so it鈥檚 no surprise that it鈥檚 producing a host of positive effects for kids and families. I鈥檝e written about the program from that standpoint. 

But I鈥檓 also a father of three D.C. pre-K alumni, and as their primary caregiver (over most of our parenting journey), I鈥檝e gotta tell you: these effects almost assuredly underestimate the program鈥檚 benefits. D.C. pre-K has saved our family immeasurable money and stress over the years. By the end of the pandemic 鈥� when our youngest was due to enroll 鈥� we knew that leaving the city for almost any other community would have meant paying for two more years of private early childhood care. In D.C., average child care costs are , and costs in nearby towns are only slightly lower 鈥� staying in the city saved us tens of thousands of dollars. 

Shoot, without the four years (two per child) of child care savings D.C. pre-K had bestowed upon us when we enrolled our two older children, we might never have gone ahead and chosen to have that third kid at all. 

Which, incidentally, brings us back to 2025 education politics and how the country鈥檚 shrinking pool of children is going to produce smaller K鈥�12 enrollments and school budgets. While other urban school districts are shrinking, , with a third consecutive year of enrollment growth bringing the total to just shy of 100,000 students. 

If civil rights advocates are able to stop the administration鈥檚 from sending ICE agents to K鈥�12 campuses and making LGBTQ students , leaders curious about how to better support families in having children 鈥� and enrolling them in public schools 鈥� might take a look outside the White House at the innovative pre-K program surrounding them.

PROVIDENCE 鈥� Less than half of Rhode Island students said they felt their education was preparing them for college or a career when asked by the Department of Education in a recent survey.

Only 17% of students between grades three and five said they talked about jobs and careers or college in class frequently or almost always in the questionnaire. That percentage jumped to 35% for those between grades six and 12.

State officials revealed the survey results at a ceremony in the Sgt. Cornell Young, Jr., and Charlotte Woods Elementary School Tuesday morning. The annual survey queries parents, educators, and students about their educational experiences to determine how to adjust plans moving forward. Rhode Island Department of Education spokesman Victor Morente said in an email the data was first collected during the 2016-2017 school year.

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State officials said they saw the students鈥� willingness to participate and give voice to their concerns as a positive outcome.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e thinking about what they are going to need for their future,鈥� Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Ang茅lica Infante-Green said, in comments to the press after the results were released.

When divided by race, among students in grades three to five, 19% of white students said they talked about college and careers frequently or almost always. That is significantly less than students of color 鈥� 26% of American Indian respondents said they talked often about the future while 31% of Black students, 30% of Latino, 32% of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and 19% of Asian respondents said they did so.

The data was divided by linguistic groups for those in grades six to 12. Those who spoke Spanish at home were most likely to feel they were being prepared, with 40% saying they spoke about college and careers in class almost always or frequently. Haitian Creole and Italian speakers responded positively 38% of the time, Portuguese and Khmer 36%.

Those who spoke English at home said they talked about the future almost always or frequently 33% of the time. Only 27% of Chinese speakers said they spoke of the future almost always or frequently.

鈥淭his is a work in progress,鈥� Gov. Dan McKee said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything alarming at all.鈥�

Officials focused on the high number of responses, 122,672 statewide, representing about 93% of all public school students in the state, in remarks to the 200 or so students, administration, and faculty at the school.

Young and Woods Elementary saw the highest increase in response rates from families 鈥� meaning parents and guardians 鈥� in Providence. That 17 point increase, from 30% in 2022 to 47% in 2023, was why the school was selected for the announcement.

鈥淵our families did a marvelous job in filling out the surveys,鈥� Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos told the students at the ceremony in English and Spanish.

Providence saw the highest rate for family engagement in the state, with 30% responding compared to the state average 25%.

The top school in the state for family participation was Wawaloam Elementary School, in Exeter, at 98%. Other top performers included: Hope Valley Elementary School, in Hopkinton, at 91% Greystone School, in North Providence; 90%; Capt. E. Harold Hunt Elementary School, in Central Falls, at 89%; and 85% at the Agnes E. Little Elementary School in Pawtucket.

Social and emotional learning sees high approval

Families overwhelmingly approved of the social and emotional learning initiatives at schools statewide, with 70% responding favorably. That held true across racial groups with no category going under 69%.

Among students in grade three to five, 64% of students held favorable opinions of social and emotional learning at their schools and 52% of students grades six to 12 responded favorably.

Staff had the lowest approval ratings, with 48% of teachers answering favorably on questions related to social and emotional learning and 44% of support staff responding favorably.

鈥淪ocial emotional learning is a critical component to K-12 education,鈥� Stephane DeSilva Mandeville, communications director for the National Education Association of Rhode Island, said when asked for comment. 鈥淲e know the pandemic had an impact on students鈥� coping skills and how they interact, and the Surveyworks results demonstrate a need for more meaningful skill-building at the district level.

鈥淭he mental and behavioral health of our students 鈥� and educational staff 鈥� is a priority for NEARI. We support an increased focus on services around SEL and welcome continued coordination with the State and LEAs.鈥�

Providence School鈥檚 Superintendent Javier Monta帽ez said the hard work of reaching out to families paid off and now, the district can figure out how to better serve them.

鈥淚 am so proud of all the hard work our Providence community has put in to improve student outcomes in our schools,鈥� Monta帽ez said. 鈥淭heir hard work is paying off.鈥�

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