Rhode Island Wins Portion of DeVos’ "ReThink K-12" Initiative Grant Monies

Rhode Island Wins Portion of DeVos’ "ReThink K-12" Initiative Grant Monies

In April, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced more than $300 million in discretionary grant funds for states to use to create adaptable, innovative learning opportunities for K-12 and postsecondary learners in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. The grants are funded through the Education Stabilization Fund (ESF), authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump.

This week, Rhode Island officials announced the state would receive $10 million under the program.

"If our ability to educate is limited to what takes place in any given physical building, we are never going to meet the unique needs of every student," said DeVos. "The current disruption to the normal model is reaffirming something I have said for years: we must rethink education to better match the realities of the 21st century. This is the time for local education leaders to unleash their creativity and ingenuity, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do to provide education freedom and economic opportunity for America's students." 

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Specifically, the CARES Act provides $307.5 million for these discretionary grants, which the Department will divide between two competitions: $180 million for the Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant and $127.5 million for the Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grant.  

Grant Model

The Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant is aimed at opening new, innovative ways for students to access K-12 education with an emphasis on meeting students' needs during the coronavirus national emergency. 

“This is outstanding news for the students and families of Rhode Island,” said Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “This grant will allow us to continue our efforts to reimagine education in our state, even as we address the realities of COVID-19. These funds will be especially powerful in supporting our work to make more and richer learning options available to our middle and high schoolers.”

The goals of the three-year grant are to increase the rate of Rhode Island students graduating with college credit or industry-recognized credentials by 25 percentage points; double the percentage of students who enter college without requiring remedial coursework, and increase the proficiency rates for students in virtual English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics high-quality instructional material classes by 5 percent.

RI’s grant funds will be used to:

- Expand significantly the number of free courses available on RIDE’s popular Advanced Course Network (ACN), which allows Rhode Island students to earn college credit or an industry-recognized credential. Thousands of additional students will now benefit from the program.

- Add high-quality instructional materials in core subject areas to the ACN so tens of thousands of students can access them entirely online, and expand RIDE’s Readiness courses to address student skill gaps in Mathematics and ELA.

- Embed more school counselors in schools that serve communities with high levels of poverty, to help students navigate these new course opportunities and connect them to their Individual Learning Plans.

- Hire part-time parent and student “ambassadors” to reach out to their peers to help more families access these programs. This builds on the successful PrepareRI Ambassador program.

- Help build a user-friendly online platform that will serve as a one-stop-shop for families seeking to access any of RIDE’s statewide course options.

“This award is a testament to our team at RIDE,” added Infante-Green. “Even as we worked to plan for the safe reopening of schools during a pandemic and oversee the transformation of Providence schools, among other major tasks, they quickly responded to put a first-class application together. As a result, tens of thousands of Rhode Island students will benefit for years to come.”