Context+Statement

A Context Statement By: Victoria Andreozzi
 * North Kingstown High School **


 * Introduction**

North Kingstown High School is a public secondary school located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island serving grades 9-12. North Kingstown is considered a relatively affluent community. Serving the community since (year), North Kingstown High School has continued to achieve academic and athletic excellence. It is considered a “leading” school, as classified by the Rhode Island Department of Education’s accountability system. North Kingstown High School’s mission statement states that “North Kingstown High School is committed to providing our students with a learning environment and experiences that foster their growth as individuals and support them in becoming effective communicators, problem solvers, independent thinkers, skillful collaborators, active citizens, and self-directed lifelong learners.”

North Kingstown High School is located on 150 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Dr. Thomas W. Kenworthy is the Principal, and Mrs. Lynn Sironen and Dr. Denise Mancieri are the Assistant Principals of North Kingstown High School. To contact NKHS, call (401) 268-6236 or visit the North Kingstown High School official website by the link below.

(North Kingstown High School link) The following context statement is intended to inform prospective students, parents, and teachers about the academic performance and dynamics of North Kingstown High School. Information on the North Kingstown school district, as well as community background and the schools performance in general will be given to show how North Kingstown High School is serving it’s students.


 * Community Background**

The town of North Kingstown is a very historical community, dating back to 1637. Its history is still visible through many of the beautiful buildings, which date back to the 1600’s. Besides its history, North Kingstown is a waterfront community, making an easy commute to beaches and other water recreation. North Kingstown also boasts several shopping centers, parks, farmlands, and downtown historical Wickford. Wickford is located two miles away from North Kingstown High School and is great for food, shopping, exploring, and much more.


 * Economic Characteristics**

North Kingstown is a middle-class town in Rhode Island. According to the 2010 estimates, North Kingstown’s median household income is $78,369, comparing to Rhode Island’s which is $55,975 and the United States which is $52,762. In North Kingstown, there are 6.2% of people living below the poverty level. In Rhode Island, 12.8% live below the poverty level, and in the United States it is 14.3%. Included below are charts that consist of important economic characteristics about North Kingstown in comparison to Rhode Island and the rest of the United States.

Table 1 Selected Economic Characteristics: 2010 ACS 5 Year Estimates
 * || **North Kingstown** || **Rhode Island** || **United States** ||
 * Median Household Income || $78,369 || $55,975 || $52,762 ||
 * Median Family Income || $69,559 || $72,724 || $64,293 ||
 * All Families Below Poverty Lever || 4.7% || 8.9% || 10.5% ||
 * All People Below Poverty Level || 6.2% || 12.8% || 14.3% ||
 * Income Less than $10,000 || 446 à 4.3% || 31,299 à 7.6% || 8,176,081 à 7.1% ||
 * People Walking to Work || 172 à 1.3% || 17,531 à 3.5% || 3,948,202 à 2.8% ||

Table 2 Economic Impacts on the Children of North Kingstown


 * || **North Kingstown** || **Rhode Island** ||
 * Children in Single-Parent Families || 20% || 30% ||
 * Children Living in Families Below the Federal Poverty Threshold || 9.7% || 16.9% ||
 * Households with Grandparents Financially Responsible for Grandchildren || 3% || 4% ||
 * Children in Families Receiving Cash Assistance || 2% || 4% ||
 * School Breakfast Program Participation || 29% || 28% ||


 * Race and Ethnicity in North Kingstown**

94.7% of the population in North Kingstown are white. Hispanics and Latinos make up the second largest population which is 2.4%, followed by Asians and American Indians/Alaskan Natives with each make up 1.3%. Blacks/African Americans Make up 1% of the population and Mexicans make up 0.4%. Finally, 1.9% of the population consists of 2 or more races.



Diversity in North Kingstown is relatively low compared to that of Rhode Island and the United States. The table below is of the 2010 census statistics for race, comparing North Kingstown to Rhode Island and the United States.

Table 3 Race and Ethnicity Statistic Comparison
 * || **North Kingstown** || **Rhode Island** || **United States** ||
 * White || 94.1% || 81.4% || 72.4% ||
 * Black/African Americans || 1% || 5.7% || 12.9% ||
 * Asians || 1.3% || 2.9% || 4.8% ||
 * Hispanic or Latino || 2.4% || 12.4% || 16.3% ||
 * American Indian/Alaska Native || 1.3% || .4% || 0.7% ||
 * Mexican || 0.4% || 0.9% || 10.3% ||
 * 2 or More Races || 1.9% || 3.3% || 2.9% ||


 * District Summary**

North Kingstown High School is the only public high school serving in the district. In order to provide a better understanding of the districts academic performance, below is a comparison between North Kingstown High School and two other public high school districts in Rhode Island: Barrington and Central Falls. Barrington is considered one of Rhode Island’s strongest public schools and Central Falls is considered one of Rhode Island’s weakest public schools. North Kingstown ranks very closely to Barrington.

The tables below show the teacher-student ratios and student characteristics in each of the districts. These statistics are very important because they determine the schools performance, showing test scores and graduation rates.

Table 4a Teacher Characteristics 2010-2011
 * **Qualifications and Teacher-Student Ratios** || **Rhode Island** || **North Kingstown** || **Barrington** || **Central Falls** ||
 * Teachers with Emergency Certification || 1% || 0% || 0% || 2% ||
 * Not Highly Qualified Teachers || 3% || 9% || 1% || 6% ||
 * Teacher-Student Ratio || 1:11 || 1:12 || 1:12 || 1:10 ||

Table 4b Student Characteristics 2012-2011
 * **Student Characteristics** || **Rhode Island** || **North Kingstown** || **Barrington** || **Central Falls** ||
 * Property Value Per Student || _____  || $1,010,258.47 || $894,098.80 || $196,417.72 ||
 * Per Pupil Expenditure || _  || $13,700 || $12,379 || $14,347 ||
 * Median Family Income || _____  || $69,559 || $84,657 || $26,844 ||
 * Student Eligibility for Subsidized Lunch || 46% || 19% || 5% || 86% ||
 * Students Receiving ESL/Bilingual Education Services || 6% || 1% || 2% || 25% ||
 * Students Receiving Special Education Services || 15% || 11% || 12% || 22% ||

The evidence from Tables 4a and 4b shows that Central Falls struggles to compete with other districts in the state. Central Falls has a high percentage of English as a Second Language learners, but a high percentage of unqualified teachers, as well. The property value per student in North Kingstown is almost ten times as much as the property value per student in Central Falls. MORE INFORMATION

To better understand the compared school districts performances, the following graphs compare the NECAP scores and the attendance and graduation rates from each district.

NECAP Scores__ In comparing the NECAP scores, it is essential for viewers to see both the high schools scores and the 8th grade scores. This given information shows any improvements that were made from 8th grade to 11th grade in the districts.

NECAP Scores 2011-2012



The evidence above shows that Barrington’s NECAP scored exceed the other districts, and are much higher than the Rhode Island NECAP state average scores, however, North Kingstown’s Scores are runner up, and in one category, even higher than Barrington’s. Central Fall’s has the lowest NECAP scores, falling far below the average state scores.

Test scores are not the only way to analyze a school’s performance. Another way is to look at the districts attendance and graduation rates. This may contribute to the students overall performance of tests like the NECAPS.

Table 5 Schools Characteristics 2010-2012


 * || North Kingstown || Barrington || Central Falls ||
 * Attendance Rate || 92% || 96% || 82% ||
 * Chronic Absenteeism || 9% || 5% || 30% ||
 * Percent Graduated in 2012 || 88.2% || 93.7% || 68.1% ||
 * Percent Dropped Out || 7.6% || 0.7% || 14.8% ||
 * Percent Still In School || 2.7% || 4.9% || 17.1% ||
 * Percent Graduated in 5 Years || 89.9% || 99% || 78% ||
 * Number of Incidents of Suspension || 712 || 110 || 719 ||
 * Stability Index || 93% || 97% || 77% ||
 * Mobility Index || 8% || 4% || 25% ||

The information provided above shows that Barrington has the best percentages in regards to attendance and graduation rates. They have a 96% attendance rate, 93.7% graduation rate, and a 97% stability rate. North Kingstown’s attendance rate is 92%, compared to Central Falls’, which is 82%. North Kingstown’s graduation rate is 88.2%, and Barrington’s is 68.1% as of 2012. North Kingstown’s stability index rate is 93% while Barrington’s is only 77%. North Kingstown’s percentages are not as good as Barrington’s, but much better in comparison to Central Falls’. Although the percentages are not perfect, North Kingstown still holds itself to be a promising school for prospective students and teachers.


 * School Analysis**


 * Conclusion**

North Kingstown High School is a great option for any family looking to enroll their children in a school to better prepare them for success. This public school is a great college-preparatory high school. North Kingstown High School’s test scores are very encouraging for any prospective parent looking to prepare their child for the demands of a college-level curriculum.

North Kingstown High School provides a safe and encouraging learning environment for all its students. This middle-class district makes learning affordable but not cheap. Although the taxes are higher than some other towns in Rhode Island, North Kingstown proves that its taxpayer dollars are being well spent on good education.