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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Rhode Island leans on shared national frameworks rather than writing its own from scratch. Math and reading follow the Common Core, science is built on the Next Generation Science Standards, and social studies runs on a state framework refreshed in 2023. The spring testing program borrows directly from Massachusetts, which gives parents a clear point of comparison with a neighboring state that uses the same test design.

  • Common Core
  • NGSS
  • RI Social Studies Standards
Source: Rhode Island Rhode Island Core Standards
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Math and reading run on the Common Core from kindergarten through high school, so the work looks familiar to anyone who has seen a Common Core worksheet in another state. Science is anchored in NGSS and treats science as something students do, building models and explaining what they see, not just memorizing facts. Social studies was rewritten in 2023 to give civics a stronger place in the sequence.
How students are measured
The main spring test is RICAS, a reading and math exam in grades 3 through 8 that is modeled on the Massachusetts MCAS. Science gets its own computer-based test in grades 5, 8, and 11. Every 11th grader sits for the SAT on a school day at no cost, with the PSAT offered in grades 9 and 10 as a warm-up. A sample of fourth and eighth graders also take the federal NAEP every other winter.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
Mathematics
Rhode Island Core Standards
2010View
English Language Arts
Rhode Island Core Standards
2010View
Science
Rhode Island Core Standards
2013View
Social Studies
Rhode Island Core Standards
2023View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

RICAS: ELA/Literacy (Grades 3-8)

Rhode Island's spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8, modeled on Massachusetts's MCAS and aligned to the Rhode Island Core Standards for ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

RICAS: Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

Rhode Island's spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, modeled on MCAS and aligned to the Rhode Island Core Standards for Math.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Next Generation Science Assessment (Grade 5)

Computer-based science assessment in grade 5, aligned to the NGSS-based Rhode Island Science Standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Next Generation Science Assessment (Grade 8)

Computer-based science assessment in grade 8, aligned to the NGSS-based Rhode Island Science Standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

Next Generation Science Assessment (Grade 11)

Computer-based science assessment in grade 11, aligned to the NGSS-based Rhode Island Science Standards.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National College Readiness

PSAT 9/10

PSAT for grade 9 and grade 10 students as a college readiness benchmark.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National College Readiness

SAT School Day

Rhode Island administers the SAT School Day to all 11th-grade students free of charge as part of the state's accountability system.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
4
Grade levels
13
Standards on file
949
Assessments tracked
8
Most recent adoption
2023
Common questions
  • Does this state use Common Core?

    Yes. The reading, writing, and math standards are based on the Common Core, adopted in 2010. Science follows the Next Generation Science Standards from 2013, and social studies was updated more recently in 2023.

  • What's the spring test, and who takes it?

    Students in grades 3 through 8 take RICAS in reading, writing, and math each spring. It is modeled on Massachusetts's MCAS. Students also take a science test in grades 5, 8, and 11.

  • Do high school students take a state test?

    Yes. Every 11th grader takes the SAT School Day for free during the school day, and it counts as part of the state's accountability system. Ninth and tenth graders take the PSAT.

  • Which subjects have official state standards?

    Four: reading and writing, math, science, and social studies. Other subjects like the arts, world languages, and computer science are handled at the district level.

  • How often do the standards change?

    Not often. The reading, writing, and math standards have been in place since 2010, and the science standards since 2013. Social studies is the most recent update, from 2023.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments