The Urban Education Task Force recommends that RIDE, the school districts that are the focus of the Task Force, charter school leaders, including the League of Charter Schools, the Mayoral Academies and charter school directors, work collaboratively to develop the infrastructure and policies that will support innovative practices in our schools.

SAMPLE ACTION STEPS The Center would disseminate information about successful programs and practices and facilitate cooperative efforts among institutions of higher education, government agencies, community-based organizations, and school districts to evaluate and disseminate programs and practices in new, innovative schools.

Self-governing district schools could be created new or by converting poorly performing schools.

• Develop a Center for Innovation, which would help identify, develop, support and spread innovative educational efforts in Rhode Island’s urban districts and throughout the state.
  
  
• Enact legislation as soon as possible to create a “Zone of Innovation” — including Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket — that provides a policy environment in which school districts and educational entrepreneurs are encouraged to create new, different schools.

Downloads

• Innovation for Successful Schools Recommendations and Action Steps [PDF: 8 pages]
  Introduction, promising work under way in Rhode Island, recommendations, short- and long-term action steps
  
  
• Executive Summary [PDF: 16 pages]
  Introduction, outline of the recommendations
  
  

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