Dear RINI Community,
The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has released the new school accountability system that is required under federal law, ESSA. There are some very valuable metrics included in the report platform and there are some that RINI scored fairly well on. However, the rating system, as expressed by RIDE, was created for schools to be as good as their lowest rating to provide laser focus on areas to improve. We will analyze these metrics thoroughly to inform our strategic decisions that will help students achieve even greater outcomes.
We are disappointed and do not agree with the way the report calculated our graduation rate and assigned RINI a 1-star rating in this area. We were informed that RINI’s graduation rate was calculated differently than other schools because of our old school model. From 2011-2015, students entered RINI in the 10th grade and graduated in a 12th plus year intended to be a college bridge year. In 2016 we transitioned the model to a 9-12th grade span because we recognized we could better serve students if they completed the 9th grade at RINI. RINI is and always was a 4-year high school program, however this report card calculated the graduation rate as a 5-year program. This calculation implies that RINI students repeated high school courses rather than the reality of them taking advanced college courses. We are disappointed with this interpretation of our program and have made that clear to RIDE officials.
The RINI story is much more than what the state’s report card indicates. For many students and families, RINI has changed lives. Many RINI students are the first in their family to graduate high school and first-generation college students. We celebrate what our students have accomplished in the 7 years that RINI has been in existence.
RINI has graduated 243 students in 5 years:
78% of all RINI graduates are in college pursuing nursing or other healthcare related degrees, with the majority attending a 4-year college or university
88% of all RINI graduates are attending a college or university in RI
College enrollment within the first and second years after high school graduation averages equals 74% and 78% respectively, outperforming minority student college enrollment rates nationally for the same years with rates of 59% and 63% respectively.
College persistence rates (students returning to college for their second year) for the class of 2015 is 85% and for 2016 is 91%. These rates outperform RI schools who have 82% and 85% for the same years respectively and outperform the national average for Black and Hispanic students with a 69% rate for both years.
To date, 170 RINI students have earned RI Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) licensure and 3 RINI students have been licensed as EMTs and several others are anticipating licensure upon completion of the national examination.
RINI will remain true to the mission, will maintain graduation requirements beyond the minimal required by RIDE, and will continue to offer a rigorous academic and career readiness program that is aligned with the nursing and healthcare industry. RINI is not just another charter high school diploma program, rather it is an industry driven CTE Nursing College and Career Preparation pathway.
Thank you for your continued support of the RI Nurses Institute Middle College.
Pamela McCue
Chief Executive Officer
Colleen Hitchings
Chief Academic Officer