Summary
Rogers High School in Newport, RI, serves 599 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Newport district, which ranks in the bottom third of the state. The school has a 2-star rating and faces significant challenges, particularly with a very high percentage of students (69.3%) eligible for free or reduced lunch—more than double the rate at nearby Portsmouth High School (19%) and over five times that of East Greenwich High (12.4%). This economic disadvantage is the most striking difference between Rogers and its neighbors, and it directly impacts academic outcomes.
Despite spending $27,911 per student—the second-highest among nearby schools—Rogers sees low academic returns, especially in math. Only 10.4% of 11th graders are proficient in math on the SAT, compared to 70.3% at East Greenwich High and 52.2% at Narragansett High School. In English Language Arts, Rogers performs closer to the state average, with 45% of 11th graders proficient. The school's graduation rate, however, is a relative strength, hovering around 84% for the past four years, matching the state average. This suggests the school is keeping students on track to graduate, even if academic proficiency in math remains a critical area for improvement.
One bright spot is the school's Special Education program, which improved from a 0-star to a 3-star rating in recent years, ranking 17th out of 32 schools statewide. However, the school's performance for African American students has been volatile, swinging from a 4-star to a 1-star rating. Rogers is located in a region with some of Rhode Island's highest-performing schools, like North Kingstown Senior High and South Kingstown High, making its challenges even more pronounced. For parents, the key takeaway is that Rogers invests heavily in its students but faces steep hurdles related to poverty, with math proficiency being a particular concern that the school is working to address.
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