2020 -- S 2163

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LC004118

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING CURTIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND,

ON BEING NAMED A 2019 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL

     

     Introduced By: Senators Cano, Conley, Crowley, Nesselbush, and Ruggerio

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2020

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

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     WHEREAS, Being named a National Blue Ribbon School is the pinnacle of national

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awards for schools in the United States. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program began in

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1982 as a way to recognize public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on

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their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps. This prestigious

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award was only presented to the 362 highest performing schools across the country; and

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      WHEREAS, Curtis Elementary School, a Title 1 school, has approximately 390 students,

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attending grades K-6, and has earned the recognition of being named a National Blue Ribbon

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School in the category of “exemplary achievement gap closing schools,” which means that it was

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among the highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between various student

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groups and all students. In other words, none of the school's students, including multilingual and

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special education students, were low performing on the latest round of the RICAS; and

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     WHEREAS, This official recognition by the United States Department of Education is a

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momentous achievement and validates the school's strong commitment and the dedicated support

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of its principal, teachers, students and parents to constantly improve what is already an exemplary

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school; and

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     WHEREAS, Curtis Elementary School impressed officials representing this prestigious

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national program with such innovative efforts as the school's organized weekly grade-level

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professional learning communities, and with the fact that 72 percent of the school's students

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showed high growth in mathematics on the initial Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment

 

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System exam for the 2017-2018 school year; now, therefore, be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is

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hereby pleased and proud to congratulate Curtis Elementary School on being named a 2019

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National Blue Ribbon School; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Cheryl McWilliams, Interim Superintendent,

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Pawtucket School Department, and Michael Lazzareschi, former Curtis Elementary Principal.

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LC004118

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