The top reported proficiency rate is 16% in Science. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highlander
Highlander is a charter school district in Rhode Island serving students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade across two campuses. The elementary campus, Highlander Elementary Charter, covers prekindergarten through sixth grade and is located in Providence. The secondary campus, Highlander Secondary Charter, serves seventh through twelfth grade and is located in Warren. The district operates under a charter renewal approved by the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education in January 2022, which extends authorization through June 2027. That renewal, publicly reported by the state and the school itself, gives enrolled and prospective families a period of operational stability.
The enrollment is modest for a district spanning prekindergarten through twelfth grade, with each grade level carrying a relatively small cohort. The middle school grades are the largest, while the high school grades taper somewhat. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial Black enrollment and a smaller White population. The remaining students represent American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and multiracial backgrounds. Information on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was not available, so the economic profile of the student community cannot be characterized from the data provided. Special population data, including English learner status and individualized education program rates, was also missing.
On Rhode Island's state assessments, Highlander's results are low. In math, the proportion of students in grades three through eight scoring proficient or above was in the single digits. English language arts proficiency was somewhat higher but still well below what most districts in the state post. Science results followed a similar pattern, with fifth grade showing moderate proficiency and eighth grade dropping back to a low level. Participation rates were strong across all tested subjects and grades, so the results reflect nearly the full student body rather than a skewed subset. These proficiency numbers are a fact a parent will want to discuss with school leadership. The gap between Highlander's results and state expectations is wide enough that a family considering enrollment should ask directly what the school's academic improvement plan looks like and how it is addressing the tested grades.
No graduation rate was reported for the district. This may reflect the structure of the district or the way the state reports charter district outcomes, but the data provided does not specify the reason. A parent with a high school student should ask the secondary campus directly about its graduation and postsecondary outcomes. No nationally standardized academic context, no civil rights data, no discipline or course access information, no staffing figures, and no attendance data were available. The absence of these fields means a fuller picture of school climate and program offerings cannot be drawn here.
The district brief did not provide a locale brief for either Providence or Warren, so housing market context and community character for the two host cities are not included in this account. No neighbor comparison fact-set was provided, so Highlander cannot be positioned against other Rhode Island districts or charter schools from the data on hand. Program offerings, such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career pathways, were not listed, and a family interested in those options should contact the school directly.
What the data does show clearly is a small, two-campus charter district with a diverse student body, stable authorization for several years, strong test participation, and academic proficiency results that sit well below state norms. Families drawn to the charter model and the split-campus structure may find the stability of the renewal appealing, but the academic results warrant a direct conversation with the school before enrolling.
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