The top reported proficiency rate is 25% in Science. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highlander Elementary Charter
Highlander Elementary Charter sits on Lexington Avenue in Providence, serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as part of the Highlander charter network. The school shares its district with a secondary campus in Warren that covers grades seven through twelve, so families who stay in the network have a pathway through high school. Publicly reported state records show the Rhode Island Council on Elementary and Secondary Education approved a charter renewal for Highlander, extending authorization for several years and providing operational stability for enrolled and prospective families.
The student body is small for a school spanning pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment skews heavily Hispanic, with a meaningful Black population and smaller shares of white, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The school reports full participation on state assessments across all tested subjects and grades. Information on English learners and students with individualized education programs was not available in the data we received, so we cannot characterize those populations here. A parent may want to ask the school directly about special education services and English-learner support.
On the most recent Rhode Island state assessments, Highlander Elementary's proficiency rates were low across all three tested subjects. ELA proficiency sat well below what most schools in the state post, and math was lower still. Science, tested only in fifth grade, came in somewhat higher than the other two subjects but still reflected a modest share of students meeting the proficiency bar. Average scale scores were reported for each subject. Only one year of assessment data was available, so there is no trend to describe, no way to tell whether these results are improving, holding steady, or declining from prior years. Participation was complete, which means the scores represent the full tested population rather than a skewed subset. A parent considering this school will want to understand what the academic program looks like in the classroom, what interventions and supports are in place for students working below grade level, and how leadership plans to move these results over time. The proficiency numbers alone do not tell you why they are where they are, and the school's context of high economic need is part of that picture, though it does not by itself explain the results.
Providence is Rhode Island's capital and largest city, a dense urban environment with a mix of residential neighborhoods, institutions, and commercial districts. The zip code around Lexington Avenue carries typical home values below the statewide benchmark but above the national one, and rents have been climbing at a brisk pace recently. Housing here is more affordable than much of Rhode Island on the ownership side, though renters are facing upward pressure. Mortgage rates remain elevated by recent historical standards, which affects what families can afford if they are buying.
Several categories of information that would help round out the picture were absent. We found no data on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, or school environment specifics such as locale classification. No program offerings were listed, so we cannot describe enrichment, arts, athletics, or dual-language options. No neighbor comparison was available to position Highlander against nearby schools. No civil-rights data was provided. And no locale brief with community or economic context beyond housing was available, so the Providence description here is drawn from the housing figures alone.
The assembled data shows a small urban charter elementary serving a predominantly low-income, majority-Hispanic student body, with a linked secondary campus for continued enrollment, operating under a recently renewed charter that secures its authorization for several more years. Its state assessment results are low, with only a single year visible and no trend to judge direction. Families drawn to the charter model and the continuity through high school will want to look closely at the academic plan, classroom instruction, and student support before deciding whether this is the right fit.
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