Students in PPSD's bilingual programs show greater academic growth and achievement compared to peers in monolingual classrooms, with over 40 years of research supporting the benefits of instruction in students' home languages. However, capacity remains limited and finding bilingual curricula poses challenges. Source: browndailyherald.com
The Class Disrupted podcast returns with a new season exploring critical questions about artificial intelligence in education, examining how AI tools are transforming teaching, learning, and student outcomes in schools including those in Rhode Island.
The principal of St. Peter School has been placed on administrative leave following the resignation of multiple teachers, raising questions about school leadership and working conditions at the Rhode Island Catholic school.
A Newport resident and Narragansett High School educator has been named Rhode Island's 2026 Teacher of the Year, recognizing outstanding dedication, innovation, and impact in the classroom serving Ocean State students.
Rhode Island state officials and Providence Public School District leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of a major remodeling project at Mount Pleasant High School, marking a significant investment in modernizing educational facilities for Providence students.
A new report from Brown University's Annenberg Institute for School Reform recommends significant changes to professional development and teacher learning programs to improve educational outcomes across Rhode Island's school systems.
While a federal court has temporarily blocked government shutdown layoffs, education policy experts warn that key U.S. Department of Education programs remain at risk, potentially affecting funding and support for schools nationwide including Rhode Island.
Rhode Island College (RIC) will waive its $50 application fee on October 15, 2025, for the fourth annual Apply to RIC for Free Day. The waiver applies to all Rhode Island residents applying to undergraduate, graduate, or Bachelor of Professional Studies programs, including transfer students. Applicants should use code APPLYFREE25 when submitting applications except graduate students who do not need a code. RIC President Jack Warner notes the school welcomed 2,000+ new students this fall, the largest incoming class in 15 years. The college recommends beginning applications in advance and saving progress before submitting on October 15. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com
The ACLU of Rhode Island sent a letter to Brown University President Christina Paxson urging her to "forcefully and publicly reject" a new Trump administration "compact" sent to nine universities that would impose conditions to receive federal funding. The compact would restrict university employees from speaking out on political issues, limit foreign student enrollment, and require the university to deny the existence of transgender students while claiming to promote a "marketplace of ideas" that prohibits anything that would "belittle" conservative ideas. ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown argues Brown's previous capitulation has emboldened the administration to demand more, warning that universities' response may determine higher education autonomy for decades. Source: steveahlquist.substack.com
Brown University will eliminate 48 positions and leave 55 vacant jobs unfilled as part of efforts to trim spending by 2.5% and close a $30 million shortfall in fiscal year 2026 operations. The cuts, announced in a September 22 letter from President Christina Paxson and university leadership, come despite an August agreement with the federal government that restored NIH funding in exchange for ideological concessions including binary gender definitions in athletics and housing. Additional cost-cutting measures include consolidating health benefits to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, monetizing real estate holdings, and pausing net-zero carbon emission spending. Source: rhodeislandcurrent.com