Charles E. Shea High School

Summary:

Charles E. Shea High School is a public high school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, serving 870 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Pawtucket School District, which is ranked 45 out of 60 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Charles E. Shea High School consistently ranks in the bottom half of Rhode Island high schools, typically between 49-55 out of 59-61 schools over the past 10 years. Its performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state and district averages, with only 18.2% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts in 2023-2024, compared to 47.8% statewide. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, ranking 24th out of 28 Rhode Island high schools for African American students and 44th out of 54 for Hispanic students in terms of proficiency on standardized tests. This may be due to the high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 52.07% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When comparing Charles E. Shea High School to nearby schools, it becomes evident that the school is underperforming compared to its peers. For example, Jacqueline M. Walsh School, which is only 1.14 miles away, consistently outperforms Charles E. Shea High School on standardized tests and has a higher statewide ranking. Additionally, the school's spending per student has decreased over the years, from $15,691 in 2017-2018 to $11,747 in 2020-2021, which is below the state average. Despite these challenges, there is an opportunity for improvement, as the school's ranking and performance have remained relatively consistent over the past 10 years, suggesting that targeted interventions and support could potentially lead to better outcomes for students.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 485 East Avenue
       Pawtucket, RI  02860


(401) 729-6445

District: Pawtucket

SchoolDigger Rank:
54th of 61 Rhode Island High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,747 Help


Feeder schools for Charles E. Shea High School:

Elementary:    Elizabeth Baldwin School
    Francis J. Varieur School
    Henry J. Winters School
    Nathanael Greene School
Middle:    Samuel Slater Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.2 Help
Number of students:  823

Racial breakdown:

African American:
41.6%
Hispanic:
32.8%
White:
17.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  65.5% Help


 See top rated Rhode Island high schools

 Compare Charles E. Shea High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Charles E. Shea High School ranks worse than 88.5% of high schools in Rhode Island. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Pawtucket School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.4. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Charles E. Shea High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (41.6%), Hispanic (32.8%), White (17.7%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 65.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Pawtucket School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Charles E. Shea High School is 13.2. 1 high schools in the Pawtucket School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Charles E. Shea High School employs 62 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Charles E. Shea High School is $11,747. 1 high schools in the Pawtucket School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Charles E. Shea High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Charles E. Shea High School 54th of 61 Rhode Island public high schools. (See Charles E. Shea High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Pawtucket:

SchoolDigger ranks Pawtucket 45th of 60 Rhode Island school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Charles E. Shea High School

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Rank History for all students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 13.06 42nd 49 14.3%
2010 20.37 42nd 50 16.0%
2011 15.96 37th 45 17.8%
2012 13.61 38th 45 15.6%
2013 11.59 39th 45 13.3%
2014 22.84 39th 47 17.0%
2015 23.23 46th 56 17.9%
2016 25.08 46th 57 19.3%
2017 21.55 42nd 56 25.0%
2018 14.18 47th 57 17.5%
2019 9.74 52nd 59 11.9%
2021 12.38 49th 59 16.9%
2022 11.11 49th 59 16.9%
2023 7.97 55th 60 8.3%
2024 10.40 54th 61 11.5%
See the entire list of Rhode Island High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 11.24 20th 20 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 14.30 45th 54 16.7%
2023 9.22 55th 58 5.2%
2024 14.62 50th 58 13.8%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 10.71 52nd 58 10.3%
2023 8.06 55th 59 6.8%
2024 11.28 48th 56 14.3%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 10.07 46th 54 14.8%
2023 7.62 52nd 56 7.1%
2024 10.45 50th 57 12.3%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 19.31 25th 28 10.7%
2023 13.08 26th 26 0.0%
2024 19.21 24th 28 14.3%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 17.98 43rd 49 12.2%
2023 16.42 47th 53 11.3%
2024 21.11 44th 54 18.5%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Charles E. Shea High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools RI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 6.55 39th 42 7.1%
2023 3.40 41st 43 4.7%
2024 4.36 41st 43 4.7%
See the entire list of Best Rhode Island High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Rhode Island Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Charles E. Shea High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
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District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
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Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Charles E. Shea High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 766 111 13 119 5 n/a n/a 0 1014
1989 663 157 13 104 0 n/a n/a 0 937
1990 587 163 11 119 1 n/a n/a 0 881
1991 509 208 13 117 0 n/a n/a 0 847
1992 469 229 10 121 1 n/a n/a 0 830
1993 431 225 13 160 1 n/a n/a 0 830
1994 424 239 11 194 1 n/a n/a 0 869
1995 430 247 7 189 3 n/a n/a 0 876
1996 430 247 7 189 3 n/a n/a 0 876
1997 452 255 12 227 2 n/a n/a 0 948
1998 399 274 13 238 3 n/a n/a 0 927
1999 363 330 9 273 0 n/a n/a 0 975
2000 322 359 10 277 0 n/a n/a 0 968
2001 345 371 10 309 1 n/a n/a 0 1036
2002 336 450 16 332 3 n/a n/a 0 1137
2003 336 450 16 332 3 n/a n/a 0 1137
2004 364 463 16 341 4 n/a n/a 0 1188
2005 319 495 15 350 6 n/a n/a 0 1185
2006 305 467 15 357 9 n/a n/a 0 1153
2007 279 433 14 359 4 n/a n/a 0 1089
2008 277 433 11 379 6 n/a n/a 0 1106
2009 242 450 13 345 5 n/a n/a 0 1055
2010 237 442 18 322 6 n/a n/a 0 1025
2011 166 457 11 319 7 0 50 0 1010
2012 135 432 7 319 7 0 48 0 948
2013 130 414 9 303 5 0 44 0 905
2014 132 391 11 275 3 3 43 0 858
2015 137 422 10 252 2 3 37 0 863
2016 140 395 9 218 7 7 33 0 809
2017 149 387 9 212 8 5 39 0 809
2018 156 380 10 200 8 3 39 0 796
2019 158 388 8 212 9 6 44 0 825
2020 175 417 6 232 7 2 52 0 891
2021 181 424 7 230 8 4 51 0 905
2022 179 410 8 261 8 6 53 0 925
2023 165 381 6 260 4 3 51 0 870
2024 146 342 10 270 4 3 48 0 823

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Charles E. Shea High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1014 n/a n/a 4.9
1989 937 n/a n/a 3
1990 881 n/a n/a 4
1991 847 63.0 13.4 4.7
1992 830 69.0 12.0 5.1
1993 830 63.0 13.2 5.1
1994 869 65.0 13.4 29.1
1995 876 69.0 12.7 48.1
1996 876 69.0 12.7 48.1
1997 948 69.0 13.7 54.2
1998 927 63.5 14.6 62.1
1999 975 73.1 13.3 54.2
2000 968 72.2 13.4 65.3
2001 1036 68.0 15.2 75.3
2002 1137 n/a n/a 63.9
2003 1137 n/a n/a 63.9
2004 1188 77.0 15.4 60.9
2005 1185 86.0 13.8 97
2006 1153 103.0 11.2 62.6
2007 1089 67.0 16.3 77.8
2008 1106 70.0 15.8 83.5
2009 1055 74.0 11.9 85
2010 1025 65.0 15.7 75.5
2011 1010 68.0 14.8 82.5
2012 948 66.0 14.3 81.4
2013 905 91.0 9.9 85.5
2014 858 90.0 9.5 85.5
2015 863 65.0 13.2 74.5
2016 809 64.0 12.6 74.5
2017 809 64.0 12.6 69.5
2018 796 60.0 13.2 66.1
2019 825 55.4 14.8 84.2
2020 891 55.9 15.9 83.1
2021 905 53.7 16.8 76.1
2022 925 63.5 14.5 78.7
2023 870 64.5 13.4 52.1
2024 823 62.0 13.2 65.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Charles E. Shea High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1014 n/a n/a 4.9
1989 937 n/a n/a 3
1990 881 n/a n/a 4
1991 847 63.0 13.4 4.7
1992 830 69.0 12.0 5.1
1993 830 63.0 13.2 5.1
1994 869 65.0 13.4 29.1
1995 876 69.0 12.7 48.1
1996 876 69.0 12.7 48.1
1997 948 69.0 13.7 54.2
1998 927 63.5 14.6 62.1
1999 975 73.1 13.3 54.2
2000 968 72.2 13.4 65.3
2001 1036 68.0 15.2 75.3
2002 1137 n/a n/a 63.9
2003 1137 n/a n/a 63.9
2004 1188 77.0 15.4 60.9
2005 1185 86.0 13.8 97
2006 1153 103.0 11.2 62.6
2007 1089 67.0 16.3 77.8
2008 1106 70.0 15.8 83.5
2009 1055 74.0 11.9 85
2010 1025 65.0 15.7 75.5
2011 1010 68.0 14.8 82.5
2012 948 66.0 14.3 81.4
2013 905 91.0 9.9 85.5
2014 858 90.0 9.5 85.5
2015 863 65.0 13.2 74.5
2016 809 64.0 12.6 74.5
2017 809 64.0 12.6 69.5
2018 796 60.0 13.2 66.1
2019 825 55.4 14.8 84.2
2020 891 55.9 15.9 83.1
2021 905 53.7 16.8 76.1
2022 925 63.5 14.5 78.7
2023 870 64.5 13.4 52.1
2024 823 62.0 13.2 65.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Charles E. Shea High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018 $1,022 (6.5%) $14,670 (93.5%) $15,691
2019 $1,333 (10.5%) $11,349 (89.5%) $12,682
2020 $1,170 (10.0%) $10,513 (90.0%) $11,684
2021 $1,340 (11.4%) $10,407 (88.6%) $11,747

Data source: Rhode Island Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Charles E. Shea High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 52nd of 59 High schoolsRanks 55th of 60 High schools
 3.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Charles E. Shea High School)20.723.9
 3.2%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Pawtucket)35.529.7
 5.8%
   10th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)60.155.3
 4.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Charles E. Shea High School)21.312.8
 8.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Pawtucket)27.824.9
 2.9%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Rhode Island)50.549.1
 1.4%
11th Grade Mathematics (Charles E. Shea High School)7.86.7
 1.1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Pawtucket)9.47.3
 2.1%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Rhode Island)31.225.3
 5.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students825870
 5.5%
African American388381
 1.8%
American Indian94
 55.6%
Asian86
 25%
Hispanic212260
 22.6%
Pacific Islander63
 50%
White158165
 4.4%
Two or More Races4451
 15.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients84.2%52.1%
 32.2%


Schools Near Charles E. Shea High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Charles E. Shea High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 823 students attended Charles E. Shea High School.

Charles E. Shea High School ranks in the bottom 11.5% of Rhode Island high schools.

Charles E. Shea High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Elizabeth Baldwin School
Elementary : Francis J. Varieur School
Elementary : Henry J. Winters School
Elementary : Nathanael Greene School
Middle : Samuel Slater Middle School

Students at Charles E. Shea High School are 42% African American, 33% Hispanic, 18% White, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Rhode Island Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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