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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Rhode Island adopted national frameworks early and stuck with them. The state took the Common Core for math and reading in 2010, picked up the Next Generation Science Standards in 2013, and refreshed its social studies course of study in 2023. The result is a K-12 program that runs on shared national expectations, paired with a state testing program modeled on neighboring Massachusetts.

  • Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready Practices
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)
  • Rhode Island Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)
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 follow the Common Core from kindergarten through high school, with the usual move into Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II in the upper grades. Science is anchored in NGSS, which treats science as something students do rather than something they read about, with hands-on investigations starting in elementary school. Social studies was rewritten in 2023 and runs through civics and U.S. history. The arts, world languages, and physical education all follow the national frameworks for those subjects.
How students are measured
The spring test in grades 3 through 8 is RICAS, Rhode Island's version of the Massachusetts MCAS, covering reading, writing, and math. Science gets its own computer-based test in grades 5, 8, and 11. In high school, every 11th grader sits for the SAT School Day for free, with PSAT practice in grades 9 and 10. NAEP shows up every other winter for a sample of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders so the state can compare itself to the rest of the country.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
English Language Arts
Rhode Island Core Standards
2010View
Mathematics
Rhode Island Core Standards
2010View
Science
Rhode Island Core Standards
2013View
Social Studies
Rhode Island Core Standards
2023View
Computer Science & Digital Fluency
Rhode Island Department of Education — Computer Science (K-12 CS-aligned)K-12 CS Framework-aligned
2016View
Arts: Visual Arts
Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Dance
Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Media Arts
Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Music
Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
Arts: Theatre
Rhode Island Department of Education — Arts (NCAS-aligned)NCAS-aligned
2014View
World Languages
Rhode Island Department of Education — World Languages (ACTFL-aligned)ACTFL-aligned
2015View
Physical Education
Rhode Island Department of Education — Physical Education (SHAPE-aligned)SHAPE-aligned
2024View
Health Education
Rhode Island Department of Education — Health Education (NHES-aligned)NHES-aligned
2022View
Career Development & Occupational Studies
Rhode Island Department of Education — CTE / Career Ready PracticesCCTC-aligned
2012View
Social Emotional Learning
Rhode Island Department of Education — SEL (CASEL-aligned)CASEL-aligned
2020View
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
15
Grade levels
14
Standards on file
1,802
Assessments tracked
8
Most recent adoption
2024
Common questions
  • Does this state use Common Core?

    Yes, for reading, writing, and math. The state adopted the Common Core standards in 2010 and still uses them as the backbone of what students learn in those subjects from kindergarten through high school.

  • What is the spring test, and who takes it?

    Students in grades 3 through 8 take RICAS in reading, writing, and math each spring. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 also take a science test, and 11th graders take the SAT School Day for free during the school day.

  • Which subjects have official state standards?

    Beyond reading, writing, math, and science, the state has standards for social studies, computer science, the arts, world languages, physical education, health, career readiness, and social emotional learning. Districts use these to plan what gets taught in each grade.

  • How often do the standards change?

    It varies by subject. Reading, writing, and math have been steady since 2010, while social studies was rewritten in 2023 and physical education in 2024. The state education department reviews each subject on its own cycle.

  • Where can students see what they are supposed to learn this year?

    Pick a grade and subject on this page. The calculator shows the specific standards for that grade, written in plain language, so families and teachers can see what students are expected to know by the end of the year.

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

Frameworks

Assessments