The latest round of grants aligns with the state’s math and attendance campaigns as RI sees math scores rising and attendance improving
PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced the awarding of the fourth round of Learn365RI grants, which will provide 38 communities with $1,390,000 in funding aimed at improving math skills and student attendance as part of the state’s Math and Attendance Matters campaigns.
This investment follows Rhode Island’s rebound beyond pre-pandemic achievement levels in RICAS math, steady gains in SAT math performance, and recognition as the leading state in New England for post-pandemic academic recovery, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth. Rhode Island has also become a national and international leader in decreasing chronic absenteeism, curbing it by 12 percentage points since the state’s highest point.
Funding for the latest round of Learn365RI Municipal Learning Project grants will support high-quality out-of-school time learning programs. 50% of these programs must have an explicit focus on critical skill development in mathematics as part of the Math Matters RI initiative; the other 50% can focus on English Language Arts (ELA), RICAS prep, and attendance.
“We are doubling down on what’s improving outcomes for Rhode Island students, and that means continued investment in learning acceleration as part of my administration’s Learn365RI initiative,” said Governor Dan McKee. “This latest round of math and attendance-aligned funding will sustain our momentum and support our goal of closing the achievement gap with Massachusetts.”
“Rhode Island students continue to make steady gains because we not only believe in their potential – we invest in it!” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “These additional state grants, focused on attendance and intensive math programming, are a critical part of our statewide campaigns, which are helping to promote attendance and elevate math statewide.”
A recent report from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University shows RIDE’s recent summer math camps helped Rhode Island students boost their scores and skills. The report looked at the impact of Algebra 1 Summer Readiness Camps at schools in Burrillville, Newport, Smithfield, Woonsocket, and Paul Cuffee School. Researchers found that students in the camps had test scores that were 4.5 percentage points higher than those of students who did not participate.
“Our state is leading New England in the pace of academic recovery, and our math and attendance progress are a clear example of what we can achieve through partnership,” said Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Patti DiCenso. “This round underscores the statewide support for expanding learning time beyond the traditional 180 school days.”
In April 2023, Governor Dan McKee announced a new out-of-school learning initiative, Learn365RI, which is designed to shift learning from the traditional 180 school days to 365 days of learning by supporting partnerships between municipalities, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to expand high-quality, expanded learning experiences. In partnership with the Governor’s Office, RIDE has been engaging with city and town leaders statewide to strategize and advance the priorities of Learn365RI.
Learn365RI Municipal Learning Project - Round 4 Funding Amounts
City of Central Falls - $65,000
City of Cranston - $65,000
City of East Providence - $40,000
City of Newport - $65,000
City of Pawtucket - $65,000
City of Providence - $90,000
City of Warwick - $65,000
City of Woonsocket - $65,000
Town of Barrington - $40,000
Town of Bristol - $20,000
Town of Burrillville - $40,000
Town of Charlestown - $10,000
Town of Coventry - $40,000
Town of Cumberland - $40,000.00
Town of East Greenwich - $40,000
Town of Exeter - $10,000
Town of Foster - $10,000
Town of Glocester - $20,000
Town of Hopkinton - $20,000
Town of Jamestown - $10,000
Town of Lincoln - $40,000
Town of Little Compton - $10,000
Town of Middletown - $20,000
Town of Narragansett - $10,000
Town of New Shoreham - $10,000
Town of North Kingstown - $40,000
Town of North Providence - $40,000
Town of North Smithfield - $20,000
Town of Portsmouth - $40,000
Town of Richmond - $20,000
Town of Scituate - $20,000
Town of Smithfield - $40,000
Town of South Kingstown - $40,000
Town of Tiverton - $20,000
Town of Warren - $20,000
Town of West Greenwich - $10,000
Town of West Warwick - $40,000
Town of Westerly - $40,000
Providence Public Schools - $90,000
