Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

So what sets these two charter schools apart from their urban peers? Both schools are small, which encourages closer relationships between students and teachers. Last year, Times2 had only 30 graduates while Textron had 46. Compare those schools to a typical Providence High School, where it isn't uncommon to have 300 students per class year.

"Students believe that their teachers have their best interests at heart," said David Estes, the head of the middle and high schools at Times2. "We keep class sizes small and all students take the same courses."

At Times2, every child is on the college track and the course sequence is rigorous. Students take Algebra 1 in eighth grade. In high school, they move from geometry to advanced college math or advanced-placement calculus if they are interested. There is no social promotion.

One of the biggest advantages is that Times2 offers continuity: students who arrive in elementary school are prepared for the course work in middle school and so forth. And there is a relentless focus on college, starting in the earlier grades.

"We devote a lot of resources to non-academic needs," said Lawrence E. DeSalvatore Jr., Textron's head of school. "We have a guidance counselor and two deans who address the issues that can derail a student. We look at the whole child."

Textron, which is a high school only, recognizes that many students are performing well below grade level. To meet that need, the school provides double periods of math and English in ninth grade and places students who are really far behind in classes with only 10 to 12 students.

A big challenge for many urban teenagers is the need to balance school with work. At Textron, juniors are expected to find after-school jobs, and seniors must participate in internships that culminate in a 90-minute exhibition before family and faculty members.

Peter McWalters, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education, always points out that Rhode Island is the second most urban state in the nation, after New Jersey. Statewide graduation rates won't improve, he says, until the urban districts get more students to walk the stage.