PrepareRI Readiness Project
As part of the PrepareRI initiative, the Readiness Project facilitates collaboration between K-12 and postsecondary educational institutions in Rhode Island to increase students’ readiness for college. Specifically, the project aims to increase academic readiness for college, streamline matriculation, and improve communication to students and families about postsecondary options.
Increasing Academic Readiness:
Readiness Courses: RIDE partnered with WestED, a national expert in research-based teaching and learning, to develop three Readiness Courses for middle and high school students in Rhode Island. These courses supplement core instruction by strengthening key skills students will need for the next step—whether high school or college— and reinforcing content from previous grades. Students can take Readiness Courses in-school as an elective, or outside-of-school-time through the All Course Network. Schools interested in learning more about Readiness Courses can visit our website or email allison.peters@ride.ri.gov.
Streamlining Matriculation:
Alignment of Requirements: Rhode Island’s state-level course requirements for high school graduation are not aligned with the admissions requirements for Rhode Island College and University of Rhode Island. This means that students might graduate from high school without completed all the courses they need to apply to RIC or URI, especially if they are interested in a math or science major. This guide will help students and families ensure that they take the classes they need to apply to RI’s 4-year public colleges.
CTE college credit: RIDE has included dedicated funding streams into the Perkins V budget to encourage postsecondary articulation agreements for credentials in each of the 8 prioritized CTE Board Standards in STEM fields.
FAFSA completion: RIDE and OPC are working to increase statewide FAFSA completion rate to 85%, with every high school above 70% completion during the 19/20 cycle.
Communication:
College eGuide: This guide for 6-12th grade students and their families and educators provides tips and resources for preparing for college and completing the application process.
RISE: The RISE tool can help middle and high school students plan for their future by linking high school pathways, career and technical programs and early college course options to majors at RIC, CCRI and URI and eventually to future careers.
Why is this project necessary? a ten-year look at the postsecondary outcomes of rhode island’s high school class of 2011
The following diagrams show what happened to the graduating class of 2011. This data suggests that 72% of students enrolled in postsecondary education, which is higher than the national average. However, only 34% had obtained their degree within 4 years. This disparity is even more pronounced for some of our student subgroups. The Readiness Project seeks to address some of the key barriers students face to both college access and degree competition, including academic readiness for college and accessing financial aid through FAFSA.
Use the buttons below to explore outcomes for students from different subgroups.
Additional Resources
If you have questions, comments, or would like to learn more about the PrepareRI College Readiness Project, please contact Allison Peters at allison.peters@ride.ri.gov