Rhode Island Charter School Performance Framework¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 8 claims (8 for) · 3 studies (2 causal, 1 qualitative),q2–q3· 0 of 3 report an effect size · 8 claims rest on one study
Description¶
A performance-accountability framework created and administered by the Rhode Island Department of Education to evaluate charter schools from initial application through renewal.
Components¶
- Rhode Island's new performance framework sets rigorous, multidimensional quality standards across academic achievement, governance, financial stability, and mission alignment: The article describes an enumerated set of quality standards that the new performance framework imposes on existing charter schools. Schools must "demonstrate strong academic gains, measured through standardized assessments" and match or exceed sending district performance; governing boards are accountable for oversight and culture; schools must show long-term financial viability; and they are evaluated on mission fulfillment and service to diverse populations including English learners and students with disabilities. The framework applies these standards from the initial application through renewal, with annual dashboards supporting continuous improvement. (Margaret E. Raymond et al. (2025))
- Rhode Island Charter School Performance Review System (2017 updated framework): The Charter School Performance Review System is Rhode Island's framework defining processes for approving, renewing, and revoking charter schools, first created in 2010 and updated in 2016–2017. The updated version established "data-driven and transparent reviews" with authorization decisions founded on objective, standardized criteria, stricter accountability described by officials as "tough" and "complex but clear," annual performance dashboards, stakeholder engagement, and a more supportive customer-service role for RIDE. Development was led by RIDE in partnership with local stakeholders and aligned with National Association of Charter School Authorizers best practices. (Margaret E. Raymond et al. (2025))
Claims¶
- Key officials report that Rhode Island's new charter performance framework reduced political interference through standardized, transparent data and consistent processes [+M]
- Officials raised equity concerns that closing low-performing charter schools may not better serve students when alternative district schools perform even worse [+W]
- Officials report the new framework's transparency and annual dashboards reduced surprise and stress and enabled focus on continuous improvement [+W]
- Demand for Rhode Island charter seats surged, with 30,000 applications submitted for 2,500 available seats in 2024–2025 [+W]
- Key officials describe a shift from a punitive top-down accountability approach to a collaborative, improvement-focused model that fostered trust and communication [+W]
- National studies cited in the report found Rhode Island charter students outperformed traditional public school peers in reading and math [+W]
- A larger share of Rhode Island charter schools outperform local options (43% reading, 57% math) than the national rates found in the 2013 CREDO Study (25% reading, 29% math) [+M]
- Charter learning gains in each of the three growth periods do not differ statistically from TPS peers [+M]
Related Products and Programmes¶
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Key Sources¶
- Margaret E. Raymond, PhD; Marzena Sasnal, PhD. (2025). The Impact of Rhode Island's Charter School Performance Review System on the Education Landscape. Center for Research on Education Outcomes, Stanford University. https://credo.stanford.edu/reports/item/rhode-island-2025/
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
rhode-island-charter-school-performance-framework |
aliases |
rhode-island-charter-school-performance-review-system |
title |
Rhode Island Charter School Performance Framework |
description |
A performance-accountability framework created and administered by the Rhode Island Department of Education to evaluate charter schools from initial application through renewal. |
status |
review |
moved_from |
design/ri-charter-multidimensional-quality-standards-pattern |
product_kind |
framework |
generated |
by process:sweep-kinds on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — margaret-e-raymond-2025 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.