How Ready Is Providence?

Advancing community conversation about school readiness in Providence

Read the Executive Summary
Read the Full Report

How Ready Is Providence?, a 75-page report produced in 2004 by Ready to Learn Providence, is a discussion of the well-being of the city’s youngest children and their readiness for school. The indicators in this report represent essential components of school readiness as identified by the R2LP community.

A 15-member committee, representing parents, child-care providers, and state and community agencies, identified issues that figure prominently in a child’s readiness for school. The committee then developed 24 measurable indicators, which it grouped into three categories: Readiness of Parents, Caregivers and Teachers; Child Development and Well-Being; and The Child’s Environment.

Data were obtained from a variety of sources, including state agencies, the Providence School Department, Providence Head Start and the Census Bureau. In addition to a textual analysis of the research, maps and charts provide readers with visual representations of the collected data. When possible, data were examined at the neighborhood level.

Prefacing the local analysis of each indicator is a general discussion of that indicator’s importance. These discussions feature not only the most current research on a particular issue, but also statements from local experts. In some cases, these comments highlight an ongoing debate on how best to achieve a particular goal. R2LP hopes the report will trigger future conversations – among parents, child-care providers, policymakers, educators, health professionals and community leaders – on these critical issues.

This report lays the foundation for the future work of the R2LP community, whether that be policy changes, new programs for children and families, or additional analysis of data. The report will also serve as a curriculum for R2LP’s 30 AmeriCorps members.

R2LP intends to track and document progress within the 24 indicators with a follow-up report in the future.

How Ready Is Providence? was officially released March 21, 2005, at R2LP’s Open House Celebration attended by many of our partners and community members as well as local and state dignitaries.