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Introduction
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Shrouded within the dense sylvan of New England's deciduous and pine trees, resides Exeter-West
Greenwich Regional High School. Set in a rural, natural community, the two districts of West Greenwich
and Exeter combine to form a successful high school that performs at the expected level in comparison to
the state with testing scores. The school performs at an above average level with its behavior though. The
above-state-average qualities are projected in the combined community of the two towns, the school district,
Alumni Home
and the school as well. Much like the lush, relaxing, and woodsy setting, any student teacher or a teacher
Reference Shelf looking for a school to teach at can expect a laid back, peaceful, and calm school environment. With a low
...Learning Theories level of harsh discipline and a positive outlook on the school by the students there, more focus can be
...Learning Lexicon provided toward teaching rather than disciplining unruly teenagers. This report elaborates on various aspects
...RI Schools Map of Exeter and West Greenwich, the school district, and Exeter-West Greenwich high school. The focus for
...Learning Taxonomies the data provided is a numerical representation in a table or graph, which is then interpreted and summarized
...URI Library in a paragraph beneath it. The reason for this is to provide two different representations of the data so the
...Wikispaces Tips reader can easily analyze the comparisons between Exeter-West Greenwich and the rest of the state. Colors
...Job Search
SOE Resources are used to display how Exeter-West Greenwich compares with the state of Rhode Island or the country.
...Test Prep Blue is used to display the State or national averages where Exeter-West Greenwich is displayed in red,
...Advising FAQ green, or yellow. Green means the district is above average, red represents below average, and yellow means
...Pathways in Science it is equal to the average or between the state and national average.
...Stu Tchg Prep
...GPA Calculator The report is broken up into three main sections: the community background, district summary, and school
...URI Calendar analysis. Each of the sections starts with a brief overview of the data being analyzed and finishes with a
summary of the data what was discussed. The community background starts with a brief history of the two
URITK Research
towns and then highlights various activities and attractions in the area. The population of the region is also
... CR Project
discussed, elaborating upon the population increases for the region . Information is displayed concerning
... EIP Project
property values and taxing to understand the wealth of the area. To display the educational level of Exeter
Archives and West Greenwich's residents, a comparative table of the towns and the state concerning education level is
...EDC 102 F07 also provided. The community section closes with a look at the unemployment rates as well as race
...EDC 430/1 F07 demographics. Narrowing the perspective, the second part of the report discusses facts and information
...EDC 484/5 S08 about the school district. The information provided deals with funding for general education and any other
...EDC 430 F08 education such as special education or vocational training. The section finishes with an overview of
...EDC 102 F08 observing specific student and teacher indicators. The final section discusses specifics about the high school.
...URITK Basement The No Child Left Behind Act requirements are displayed as well as testing scores in mathematics and
English Language arts. SALT report information is included as well to demonstrate the student outlook on
the school.

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This report is intended for any reader who is interested in working in or being a part of the Exeter-West
Greenwich school system. The report contains no opinionated information or bias for the area allowing the
reader to formulate his or her own likes and dislikes on the community. A teacher or student teacher
interested in working at the high school can get a feel for how well the students perform on testing as well
as understand the community the students live in. This report can also be used for high school students or
graduates who are interested in how another school in Rhode Island compares to the high school he or she is
familiar with.

Community Background
Overview:
The overview of each section provides a brief overview of the data being analyzed ahead. Exeter and West
Greenwich are both rural communities consisting mainly of farmland, nature preserves, and small villages. The
population of the two towns is very low in comparison to
the state. The low population combined with the large
square mileages of the areas makes the population density
is also quite low. The population is steadily increasing in
the areas to service both communities, however. One
school district was formed to combine the two towns,
which consist of schools from the elementary level to the
high school level . The area is mostly white with only a
small amount of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians,
and Native Americans. With an upper-middle class
community and a moderately high property tax rate, the
community supplies a large sum of the school system's money. The community is well educated with a large
percentage of its residents over 25 that have graduated from high school. Any new teacher to the area should
expect a prominently white, rural, and above average community wealth wise with several opportunities to
incorporate nature into lesson plans or field trips. The purpose for providing this data is to generate a basic feel
of the community for the reader by incorporating data and statistics such as home values, race percentages, and
a town history.

Exeter:

Exeter, Rhode Island is a large rural community in the southern part of

the state. The town is bordered by several other towns and such as
Hopkington, Richmond, and South Kingstown to the south, North
Kingstown to the east, West Greenwich to the north, and Connecticut to
the west. The area was once the home of the Narragansett Indians and it
has a small Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum. The town is broken
up into several villages such as Fisherville, Black Plain, Tripps Corner,
and Liberty. Exeter is also notorious for several sights of vampire
exhumations (RI.Gov, 2008).

The Exeter area is very rural so the forms of entertainment and activities are limited to interests involving
nature, hiking, and even skiing. A large sum of Exeter's area is taken up by the Arcadia Management Area,
which is a prime location for hiking and hunting
as well, depending on the season. There are also
other areas to hike such as Breakheart Trail and
the Wood River Trails. Perhaps the main attraction
of the area is Yawgoo Valley Ski Area, which is
the only location to ski in Rhode Island. The ski
area also provides tubing as well as ski lessons. In
the summer, Yawgoo has several water slides and
pools. Shartner Farms is also a popular destination
in the area offering berry picking, pumpkin
picking, and flowing picking as well (RI.Gov,
2008).
Yawgoo Valley Ski Area

West Greenwich:

The town of West Greenwich was originally part of East Greenwich until
it became its own town on April 6, 1741. Over the following years, the
town experienced several dramatic fluctuations in population. For
example, in 1790, a few years after West Greenwich became its own
town, the population was around 2,054. In the 1920s, the population
dropped by 81% to about 387 residents. However, as illustrated by the
graph below, the population has been steadily increasing since then at a
staggering rate of 83.1% The town is bordered by Coventry to the north,
East Greenwich to the east, Exeter to the south, and Connecticut to the
west (RI.Gov, 2008).
 Since West Greenwich is a rural community, there are not many
forms of extravagant entertainment. However, since Rhode Island
is such a small state, a drive to the mall or movie theater is only a
few minutes away. There are several nature-related activities to do
in West Greenwich such as hiking, horseback riding, and sight
seeing. The town has several farms including Hidden Meadows
Farm and Stepping Stone Ranch, which provide various activities
from tractor rides, pumpkin picking, and horse back riding.The
Step Stone Falls, West Greenwich farms provide a fun way for younger students to spend on a field
trip. W. Alton Jones is a large nature preserve in the area that has
several hiking trails and an extension of the University of Rhode Island making it a great place to learn about
nature. Step Stone Falls is also a natural spectacle providing short trails for novice hikers and great
opportunities to take photos of the waterfall. There is also a library in West Greenwich along with a few
restaurants (RI.Gov, 2008).

Population:
The population and population increase of Exeter, West Greenwich, and Rhode Island over the past two
decades.

Area Population (2000) (2007) Percent of State Population Increase from

(1990) Population (2007) 1990 to 2007
Exeter 5,461 6,045 6,195 0.59% 13.44%
West 3,492 5,085 6,394 0.60% 83.1%
Greenwich
Rhode Island 1,003,464 1,048,319 1,057,832 N/A 5.41%

Various aspects of
Exeter, West
Greenwich, and
Rhode Island's
population are
organized above.
Three different
dates are
provided to
collect data for
population
increase. In both
towns, as well as
the state, the
population has
been steadily
increasing.
Compared to the
state average
 (Center for Business and Economic Research, 2008) population
growth, Exeter
and West Greenwich are higher, attracting much more people over the past few years. West Greenwich's
population has increased tremendously over the years with an 83.1% population increase. By 2010, the
population may have doubled from 1990 in West Greenwich. Compared to the state , however, the population
of the two towns is very small, barely accounting for 1% of Rhode Island's population combined. With such a
small community, there could be less racial diversity (As illustrated by the Race Table) yet at the same time
there could be more of a communal feel to the area (US Census Bureau, 2007). The map to the left shows that
Rhode Island is rather average with the population increase, ranking between 0% and 13% which is reflected in
the table provided above (Center for Business and Economic Research, 2000).

Income/Poverty Table:
Comparison of Exeter and West Greenwich with Rhode Island and the United States in terms of income and
poverty.

Exeter West Greenwich Rhode Island United States

(1999) (1990) (2006) (2006)
Median Household Income $64,452 $65,725 $51,824 $48,451
Median Family Income $74,157 $71,332 $64,733 $58,526
Per Capita Income $24,530 $25,750 $25,937 $25,267
Families Below Poverty Level 72 (4.5%) 36 (2.5%) 7.8% (142 9.2%
Families)
Individuals Below Poverty 319 (5.5%) 213 (4.2%) 11.1% (566 12.4%
Level People)

Compared to the state and country averages, Exeter and West Greenwich both rank higher in median household
income and median family income than the rest of the state of Rhode Island. The two towns are close to each
other in these two aspects with West Greenwich having a higher median household income at $64,452 where
Exeter has a higher median family income at $65,725 . The towns rank lower in per capita income though with
West Greenwich between the state and national average. The poverty level is also half of the norm in the
United States and Rhode Island. Despite their rural landscape, the two towns are quite wealthy which could
contribute toward the performance and funding for the public schools (US Census Bureau, 1999).

Average Home Values:

Home values for Exeter, West Greenwich and Rhode Island.

Area Single Single Multi Multi Average

Family Family Family Family
2008 2007 2008 2007
Exeter $270,000 $342,500 $150,000 $280,000 $260,625
West $307,000 $390,000 $196,500 $385,000 $319,625
Greenwich
Rhode $250,000 $280,000 $150,000 $265,000 $236,250
Island
Despite the fall in the economy, the housing values for Exeter and West Greenwich remain fairly high. The
first notable observation that can be made from the information above is the value of housing in Rhode Island
drastically decreased between 2007 and 2008. Both Exeter and West Greenwich are above average when
compared to Rhode Island; the only exception is that Exeter multi-family residences in 2008 the same as the
Rhode Island average. The high value in housing contributes to higher property taxes (See below), which
influence money collected by the school system. The higher housing prices also attracts upper-middle class
residents to the area (RI Living, 2008).

Property Tax Rate:

Property tax comparison between Exeter, West Greenwich, and the state of
Rhode Island.
moz-screenshot.jpg

Area Property Percent of Year Average Property

Tax Rate per Base Assessed Housing Tax
$1,000 Value Value
Exeter $12.33 100% 2005 $260,625 $3,213
West $17.63 100% 2007 $319,625 $5,635
Greenwich
Rhode $13.318 98.25% 2006 $236,250 $3,091
Island

The table above compares the property rate rates between Exeter, West Greenwich, and Rhode Island. For the
actual rate of taxing per every $1,000 of the home values (Summarized above), Exeter was lower than the
cumulative value of the state's property taxing where West Greenwich is quite a bit higher at $17.63 per
$1,000. Exeter and West Greenwich's property taxes are based of 100% of the housing value. Rhode Island's
average is at 98.25% since Scituate is taxed at 50% of the housing base value and New Shoreham at 80%.
Since the average housing values for Exeter and West Greenwich are higher than the Rhode Island average, the
property taxes for the two areas end up being quite a bit larger than the state. Since Exeter and West Greenwich
are combined, the property taxes are combined which accounts for the fact that 70% of the school's funding is
from the local level (RI Municipal Affairs, 2005/2007).

Educational Attainment (25 years and older):

Education level of residents over the age of 25 in Exeter, West Greenwich, and Rhode Island

Level of Education Exeter #/% West Greenwich #/% Rhode Island #/%
Population 25 years and over 4,094 / 100.0% 3,341 / 100.0% 694,573 / 100.0%
Less than 9th grade 212 / 5.2% 81 / 2.4% 56,312 / 8.1%
9th to 12th grade, no diploma 360 / 8.8% 202 / 6.0% 96,774 / 13.9%
High school graduate 1,052 / 25.7% 917 / 27.4% 192,914 / 27.8%
Some college, no degree 846 / 20.7% 826 / 24.7% 122,261 / 17.6%
Associate degree 387 / 9.5% 317 / 9.5% 48,495 / 7.0%
Bachelor's degree 821 / 20.1% 662 / 19.8% 110,175 / 15.9%
Graduate or professional degree 416 / 10.2% 336 / 10.1% 67,642 / 9.7%
Percent high school graduate or higher 86.0% 91.5% 78.0%
Percent bachelor's degree or higher 30.2% 29.9% 25.6%
 Above is a summery of the level of
education in Exeter and West
Greenwich. That data is then compared
to the state of Rhode Island. The data is
taken from all students over the age of
25 and 100% percent of those over 25
were polled. As the green indicates,
Exeter and West Greenwich are both
above average compared to the state
with the exception of the area marked
red which indicates that the percent of
high school graduates is slightly lower
in the two towns than in the state.
However, the towns make up for the low
number since several residents of the
(WETA, 2004) area went on to receive degrees of
higher education. Exeter and West
Greenwich are above average for all aspects of higher education when compared with the rest of the state. The
categories labeled "Less then 9th grade," and "9th to 12th grade, no diploma," are marked as above average
because lower percentiles in those areas are better than higher ones. Overall, the two towns are very well
education with an average of 88.75% of residents graduating high school (12% higher than the state average),
and about 30% receiving a four-year college degree (14.6% higher than the state average). With residents over
25 with a high education, especially those with children, an educational prowess is added to the community
with several students who have knowledgeable parents to guide them through school. College degrees allow
residents to apply for higher paying jobs which adds to the overall wealth of the area as well (US Census
Bureau, 2000). Referring to the blue map, one can see that Rhode Island and the north eastern states have a
higher high school graduation percentage than the rest of the country hence why is it marked a darker shade of
blue (WETA, 2004).

Unemployment Statistics:
Unemployment rates between Exeter, West
Greenwich and Rhode Island.

Month Exeter West Rhode

Greenwich Island
July (2007) 5.0% 5.0% 5.5%
August 4.6% 4.8% 5.2%
September 3.4% 3.9% 4.6%
October 3.8% 3.6% 4.6%
November 3.7% 4.0% 4.7%
December 4.4% 4.6% 5.2%
January 6.2% 6.3% 7.0% (Kelly, 2008)
(2008)
February 6.3% 5.9% 6.7%
March 6.6% 6.0% 6.7%
April 4.8% 5.5% 6.0%
May 5.7% 5.9% 7.2%
June 5.9% 6.7% 7.5%
July 7.0% 7.4% 8.1%
Average 5.18% 5.35% 6.08%

The table above compares the unemployment rate of Exeter and West-Greenwich to the rest of the state of
Rhode Island. The data was recorded between July 2007 and July 2008. The two towns were continually lower
than the rest of the state for the year span with the averages by about 13%. Even though the town averages are
lower than the state, referring to the map, Rhode Island has one of the highest unemployment rates in the
United States along with Alaska and Michigan (Kelly 2008). This comparative data shows the unemployment
rate for Rhode Island is rather high which means it is more difficult to obtain jobs in the state and there is more
competition as well. This could affect the school students in the last two years of high school when it is
expected that a young adult applies for various jobs, he or she will have quite a bit more trouble than a student
in the plains states, for example. After college or high school, if a student plans to find employment in the
state, he or she will also have a difficult time finding an open spot for a job and actually receiving the position
(U.S. Department of Labor, 2008).

Race Table:

Exeter West Greenwich (1990) Rhode Island United States

White 96.4% 97.7% 86.2% 73.9%
Black / African Americans 0.7% 0.3% 5.1% 12.4%
Asian 0.7% 0.6% 2.8% 4.4%
Hispanic 1.3% 0.7% 11.0% 14.8%

The percentage of white students compared to Black/African Americans, Asian and Hispanic students is
significantly higher. For both towns, the percentage of races besides white is lower than the average in the state
and the country. The area is rural, which could account for the lack of minorities (US Census Bureau, 1999).

Summary:
Based on the information collected, Exeter and West Greenwich are both rural communities with an area made
up of farm land and nature preserves. The areas are attracting more and more people as the years progress,
which could increase their population in relation to the state as well as make the towns more culturally diverse.
The homes in the area are at a higher value than elsewhere in Rhode Island with West Greenwich a bit more
expensive than Exeter. West Greenwich is taxed more than Exeter, which is below the Rhode Island average.
About a third of the residents have a college diploma and the unemployment rates are lower than the rest of the
state. By looking at all the data in this section, one can conclude that Exeter and West Greenwich are attracting
more and more people based on the population increase data. The area is well educated and most of its
residents have jobs. The area has expensive housing values, which puts more money into the school system.

District Summary
Overview:
The combined school district of Exeter-West Greenwich has its pros and
some cons when compared to the rest of the state. The schools receive
almost three quarters of their funding from the local level, which a large
sum of is derived from the property taxes discussed above. The district has
a low number of students, which only accounts for a small percentage of
 the total number of students in the state. With a smaller number of
students, however, the student to teacher ratio is lower than the rest of the
state. The town spends more money per student than the state as well. The
focus on the town is general education as opposed to Title I, special education, and vocational instruction,
which receives little funding. The school does not require tuition. The students in the school rank above
average in several indicators such as attendance, drop out rate, and suspensions. The teachers are all highly
qualified as well.

Sources of Revenue and Funding:

Sources of revenue for Exeter-West Greenwich compares with Rhode Island

Revenue/Funding Exeter-West Rhode

Greenwich Island
Local 70% - $20.2 M 55% -
$1.1B
State 27% 0 $7.7 M 37% -
$749.8 M
Federal 3% - $0.9 M 7% -
$145.6 M

The table and the graph illustrate the sources of

revenue and funding for the town of
Exeter-West Greenwich and the state of Rhode
Island. Based on the table provided above, Exeter-West Greenwich receives most of its revenue and funding
from the local level. In Rhode Island, the percentage of local funds is 55% making the percentage of local
funds in EWG quite a bit higher at 70%. The state and federal funding for EWG, comparatively, are lower than
the state averages; the state percentage is 10% lower and the feral is 5% lower. Since most of the money for
EWG comes from the local community, it is a representation of the wealth of the residents in the area (See
property tax rate) since the local funds are high enough to sustain the school (National Center on Public
Education and Social Policy, 2007).

Per-Pupil Expenditures Excluding Other Commitments:

Basic information about Exeter-West Greenwich compared with Rhode Island including number of teacher and
students, per-pupil expenditure, and student to teacher ratios.

Indicator Exeter-West Rhode Island All Exeter-West Rhode Island

Greenwich All Programs Greenwich General General Ed
Programs Ed
Number of Students 1,995 142,785
Number of Teachers 237 14,160
Teacher/Student 1:8 1:10
Ratio
Total Expenditure $27,241,725 $1,813,369,500
Total per-pupil $13,655 $12,700 $11,211 $9,409
Expenditure
Instruction $7,688 $7,775
Instructional $2,450 $2,478
Support
Operations $2,330 $2,357
Leadership $1,033 $1,045

The table above summarizes several aspects of Exeter-West Greenwich's per-pupil expenditures, as well as
number of students and student to teacher ratio. Comparatively between the total per-pupil expenditure
between Rhode Island and Exeter-West Greenwich, the town has about a $1,000 greater annual expenditure for
all programs, Rhode Island averaging at $12,700 and Exeter-West Greenwich at $13,655. Focusing specifically
on the expenditure for general education, Exeter-West Greenwich (EWG) has an even higher expenditure
compared to the state, almost a $2,000 difference where EWG has an $11,211 expenditure and the state has an
expenditure of $9,409. The number of teachers and students are average though the teacher to student ratio is
lower than the state with eight students to every one teacher for EWG compared to ten students to every one
teacher for the state (NCPESP, 2007).

Per-Pupil Expenditures Including Other Commitments:

A graph comparing Exeter-West Greenwich's expenditures compared to Rhode Island

Indicator Exeter-West Greenwich/ Number of Students Rhode Island

General Education $12,337 - 1,995 $9,220

Title I $92 - 863 $536
Special Education $15,613 - 388 $16,382
Career & Technical Education $2,813 - 14 $4,249
English Language Learners $22,887 - 12 $7,931

Exeter-West Greenwich spends a significant amount of money on general education. The average for other
Rhode Island schools is relatively high at $9,220, but Exeter-West Greenwich is about 33% more at $12,337.
This above average expenditure could be result of the large influx of money provided from the local
community and taxing. The English language learners expenditure is also very high in comparison to the
Rhode Island average, about 188% higher with only 12 students in the program, which is about $2,000 for each
student learning English as a second language. Despite the high general education expenditure and English
language learners expenditure, the title I expenditure is significantly lower, about 482% lower . The special
education and career & technical education is also lower but by a small amount. The special education value is
almost equal with the Rhode Island average, and the career expenditure could be lower since only a few
students are enrolled in the program (NCPESP, 2007).

Out-of-District Tuition and Expenditures:

Tuition and out of district expenditures for Exeter-West Greenwich and Rhode Island averages.

Indicator Exeter-West Greenwich Rhode Island

Tuition per-pupil $708
Total out-of-district tuition $105,079,824
Expenditure per-pupil $1,001 $1,083
Total out-of-district $2,035,208 $162,020,262

A brief
look at
tuition
for
Exeter-West Greenwich is mentioned above. Since Exeter-West Greenwich does not provide tuition, those cells
are left blank. The out-of-district expenditure per-pupil is slightly lower than the state average, but only by
$82. The district provides an average expenditure for out-of-district programs (NCPESP, 2007).

Student Indicators:

Various aspects of student attendance and suspensions between EWG

and Rhode Island.

Indicator Exeter-West Rhode

Greenwich Island
Student Attendance 96% 93%
Stability Index 92% 83%
Mobility Index 8% 20%
Dropout Rate 4% 11%
Rate of Suspensions (Per 100 1.5 4.4
students) Elementary Schools
Rate of Suspensions (Per 100 11.4 41.2
students) Middle Schools
Rate of Suspensions (Per 100 16.0 53.1
students) High School
Students with Disabilities 10.3 59.8
suspensions (Per 100 Students)

The information above is a representation of various aspects of the students attending the schools in
Exeter-West Greenwich as well as the state of Rhode Island. As the green indicates, all indicators tested for the
school in Exeter-West Greenwich are above average. The school attendance is 3% higher than the state where
the stability index is much higher and the mobility index quite low. Many students who live in the district will
most likely be there throughout their school career up to college. All of the suspensions are low as well,
especially for high school, which is only about a third of the state average. The rate for students with
disabilities is also significantly lower than the state. This data shows that the behavior of students in
Exeter-West Greenwich is a bit more refined than the rest of the state allowing for a more productive and
mature school environment ( NCPESP, 2007).

Teacher Indicators:
Information about the teachers at Exeter-West Greenwich regarding teaching qualifications.

Indicator Exeter-West Rhode

Greenwich Island
Teacher with emergency certification 0% 1%
Percent of classes not taught by a highly qualified teacher 0% 4%
Percent of classes not taught by a highly qualified teacher: Low 0% 4%
Poverty Schools.
Percent of classes not taught by a highly qualified teacher: High 0% 7%
Poverty Schools.

Like the table above, this table displays various aspects about the teachers in Exeter-West Greenwich as well as
the state averaged. The first category is marked red since no teachers have an emergency certification
compared to the 1% of teachers in the state that do. Despite Exeter-West Greenwich being below average for
teachers with emergency certification, the state average is a low value as well, making teachers with
emergency certification a rare occurrence in Rhode Island. The next three values indicate if Exeter-West
Greenwich has teachers that have fulfilled the required qualifications to teach in the state. The table shows that
all the teachers in the district are qualified. In Rhode Island, however, there are 4% of teachers that have not
met required qualifications, even more so in high poverty schools. For a teacher interested in educating
students at Exeter-West Greenwich, he or she will have an idea of the qualifications of his or her coworkers by
this table (NCPESP, 2007).

Summary:
Exeter-West Greenwich is an average community
compared to the rest of the state. It lacks in some areas,
but makes up for the faults in other areas. The focus of
the district is general education, making the per-pupil
expenditure higher than the state average for general
education expenditure. However, its spending on other
areas are lower than the state. The district receives
most of its money from the community, which is
steadily growing, which may add to an improvement of the schools over time. The students at the school show
above average performance in attendance and behavior while all the teachers are highly qualified. A new
teacher to the district should expect a large focus on general education and behaved students.

School Analysis
Overview:
Exeter-West Greenwich is an average school performance wise compared to the other public schools in Rhode
Island. The scores on testing were either on par or slightly below the average of the state. On the other hand,
the index scores for mathematics and English language arts were higher than the state and show signs of
progression and improvement. The school has passed the requirements set up by the No Child Left Behind Act,
passing 13 out of 13 evaluated targets. There were not enough students that were African-American, Hispanic,
Asian, or Native American to be tested though, which could have made passing the required targets a bit easier.
However, students with disabilities and students who are economically disadvantaged were able to exceed the
benchmark. The graduation rate is high compared to the rest of the state, and the participation for the testing
was exceptional. Overall, the students at the high school have an average view of the community and
environment.

Student Characteristics:
Various characteristics of the students at Exeter-West Greenwich including how many students are eligible for
offered programs.

Indicator Values
Subsidized Lunch 8% Eligible.
Program
Ethnic Backgrounds 96% White, 1% African-American, 1% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 1% Native
American
ESL Services 100% Non Recipients.
Special Education 85% Non Recipients, 13%General Education With Support, 2% Self- Con
Services tained, 0.1% Hospitalized/Home-bound
Based on the information above that outlines student characteristics, a small amount of students receive a
subsidized lunch, which could be low at 8% because of the overall wealth of the families in the community.
Correlating with the race table above, the majority o f the students at Exeter-West Greenwich are white,
about 96%. The other ethnic backgrounds present are African-American, Hispanics, Asian, and Native
American, which account for 1% each. There are no students receiving English as a second language
services at the high school, but in the middle schools and elementary schools, there are various students in
the program as illustrated by the expenditure table above, which displays the large sum of money the district
spends on ESL services. There are 15% of students that receive special education services in one form or
another. The most common is for support with general education. Only 2% of students are self-contained
and a meager 0.1% is home-bound (NCPESP, 2007).

Value-Added Indicators (2006-2007):

A comparative graph between Exeter-West Greenwich and Rhode Island's testing scores.

Indicator Exeter-West Greenwich Rhode Island Similar Students

Mathematics:
Skills ~70% ~70%
Concepts ~43% ~48%
Problem Solving ~39% ~43%
English Language Arts:
Reading: Basic Understanding ~58% ~60%
Reading: Analysis and Interpretation ~58% ~58%
Writing Effectiveness ~54% ~59%
Writing Conventions ~72% ~80%

Exeter-West Greenwich scored below average on the value-added indicators compared to the rest of the state of
Rhode Island. The values were not drastically lower, only about 3%, or 4% fewer than the state (With the
exception of the "Writing Conventions" category which is about 8% lower). Mathematical skills and reading
analysis and

interpretation were the two indicators that were on par with the rest of the state. These results show that
students perform at or below similar students throughout the rest of the state. The school could provide better
preparation for the assessments in the upcoming years to better the results the students receive on the indicated
sections. The Rhode Island averages were obtained by observing the center of the blue region on the graph.
The entire blue region is more or less an "average" performance level. Even though some of the indicators for
EWG were be low the median state performance value, the results still fall in the average expectation. The
indicators that are below average do not lie in the blue region at all such as "Problem Solving" and "Writing
Conventions" (NCPESP, 2007). Despite its relatively high spending, Exeter-West Greenwich students are at or
below average in achievement when its students are compared to similar students statewide.

SALT Reports (2006-2007):

Student outlook on various aspects of the high school's environment.

Indicator Value (scale 1 to 5) 1= Never, 5 = Always

Positive school climate; overall score. 3.3
Teachers provide support. 3.2
Clarity of behavior expectations and rules. 3.6
Students show commitment. 3.4
Positive student interactions. 3.6
Negative student reactions. 2.7
Disciplinary harshness. 2.9
Instructional innovation and variation. 3.1
General quality of school life. 3.0

Based on the SALT results of the school

environment and support, the results are rather
neutral. There are no overly strong opinions (A
never or an always) in any category, the ratings
are in the middle of the two extremes. Despite
the neutral results , all areas have improved
from previous years. For the first five
indicators, the numbers have increased since the
results from 1997 and 1998. The values for the
first five indicators where the exact same value
as from 2005 and 2006. For the indicators
"Negative student reactions" and "Disciplinary
harshness," the numbers have dropped from the
previous years, which is a positive decrease
since the occurrence o f fights and arguments
between students have decreased over the past
few years as well as disciplinary action. The last
two indicators have increased over the past two
years as well which is a positive increase like
the first five indicators. In all indicators,
Exeter-West Greenwich has improved its
environment for students (Felner, 2007). NOTE:
Average score would be 3 so any value over 3 is
above average with the exception of "Negative
student reactions," and "Disciplinary harshness"
where above average is below 3 hence why those areas are marked in red since they are below average (I.e.
over 3).

Learning and Achievement: Accountability:

How Exeter West Greenwich
meets the No Child Left Behind
Act

Based on the bar graph to the

right, Exeter-West Greenwich has
succeeded in making adequate
yearly progress. The blue line
(mathematics) and the black line
(English Language Arts) are the
minimum requirements for all
students to achieve. The students
are not just tested as a whole, but
in specific groups mandated by
the No Child Left Behind Act.
There must be 45 students or more in a category to be tested. Since EWG only has 1% African-American, 1%
Asian, 1% Hispanic, and 1% Native American students, there were not enough students in those categories to
register on the tracking of the school's progress. White students, students with disabilities, and students that are
economically disadvantaged were the three groups that were tested. All three of them succeeded in exceeding
the provided benchmarks in mathematics and ELA. These results display that Exeter-West Greenwich has met
adequate yearly progress for the 2006-07 school year (NCPESP, 2007).

Accountability cont. and Graduation Rate:

According to the first graph with the colored bars, all

students participated in the above achievement
testing in both English Language Arts and
mathematics. The required participation is 95%
which Exeter-West Greenwich High School has
exceeded (NCPESP, 2007).

In the graph on the far right, the graduation rates for

Exeter-West Greenwich are presented. The
benchmark bar for a sufficient rate of graduation is
set at 75.3% and Exeter-West Greenwich High
School has exceeded the benchmark with a 96.5%
graduation rate. Since there are 1,995 students
attending EWG, 1,925 of them are expected to
graduate if the rate stays constant. That leaves a
margin of 70 students dropping out over the expanse
of the four grades at the high school (NCPESP,
2007).

Mathematics
Performance Progress:

Between 2001 and 2007,

Exeter-West Greenwich
High School (Blue) has
remained over the Rhode
Island state average
(Black) in mathematics
performance for the
achievement testing. There
has also been a constant
increase in the scores as
well (With the exception of
the 2006 to 2007 school year). This is a great representation of the school's progress with mathematical
aptitude (NCPESP, 2007).

English
Language Arts
Performance
Progress:

Between 2001 and

2007, Exeter-West
Greenwich High
School has
remained over the
Rhode Island state
average in English
Language Arts
performance for the
achievement testing
as well. Although
there is evidence progress with the scores, it is not as consistent as the mathematical progress. Like the
mathematical data, there was a score decrease between 2006 and 2007. This could just be a coincidence and
the 2007-2008 scores will be a key factor in examining if the testing scores are decreasing. The ELA scores are
a bit closer to the state average than the mathematics scores as well (NCPESP, 2007).

Summary:

Exeter-West Greenwich performs at an average level in comparison to other schools in the state. The school
successfully met the 13 required targets for the No Child Left Behind Act, and performed above average on the
index scores for math and English. The graduation rate is much higher than the state of Rhode Island and the
SALT surveys demonstrate an average, neutral outlook on the school community and environment. There are
not many children receiving reduced lunch, no children receiving ESL training and 15% of students receive
assisted education. For value-added indicators, the school performed on par with the state with the exception of
a few categories.

Conclusion
Numbers, data, and statistics are all very useful, but the interpretation, analysis, and comparison of the data is
even more vital. The purpose of this report is to set a foundation to the standing of Exeter-West Greenwich in
comparison to the rest of the state of Rhode Island. Once that foundation is set made up of tables, graphs, and
numbers, the reader can expand upon the collected information making his or her own opinions on the data,
deciding if higher funding makes a better school or not. A student teacher or a new teacher in the field can use
this report to obtain a concrete foundation for his or her knowledge of Exeter-West Greenwich to statistically
compare to other regions or connect the statistical information with personal theories he or she may. The reader
can also use this information to compare Exeter and West Greenwich to a town in Rhode Island or in another
state to gain a better understanding on how the community, district, and school's function. The information in
the community section establishes facts such as the home values and education level of the community, which
displays that Exeter-West Greenwich puts a large amount of money into the schools there. In the district
section, the reader finds out that most of the school's money comes from the local level. Despite the high influx
of money, the school section shows that the school is performing at an average level, which calls for
improvement in those areas.

After analyzing the community, it is evident that Exeter and West Greenwich are both upper-middle class rural
communities. As expected with very rural areas, there is an abundance of white residents. The housing values
for the area are expensive in comparison to the state and the property taxes for West Greenwich is quite a bit
higher than the states average as well, creating significant funding opportunities for the schools. The
community is well educated and the increases and decreases in unemployment rate have been in reasonable
equality with the state. The district is ideal for a teacher focused on the main aspects of general education.
However, for vocational and special education areas, the funding is below average compared to the rest of the
state, due to the low number of students in the program. There are not many suspensions in the schools and the
average attendance is high as well. Focusing on EWG Regional High School, the test scores in mathematics
and English language arts are average when compared with the state and the school has met the No Child Left
Behind requirements. The school is set in a natural environment with a relatively small number of kids making
it a relaxing, focused, and calm area to work in as a teacher.

References
Center for Business and Economic Research. (2000). Population Data from CBER. . Retrieved October 7,
2008, from cber.utk

Felner, R. (2007). Exeter-West Greenwich High School Perceived School Climate. Retrieved October 6, 2008,
from SALT Report

Kelly. (2008, June 23). May Unemployment by State. Daily Demographic. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from
Daily Demographic

National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Per-Pupil Expenditures. Infoworks. Retrieved
September 29, 2008, from Infoworks

National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Accountability. Retrieved October 6, 2008,
from Infoworks

National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Program Expenditures. Infoworks. Retrieved
October 4, 2008, from Infoworks

National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Using Information. Retrieved October 6, 2008,
from Infoworks .

National Center on Public Education and Social Policy. (2007). Out-of-District Expenditures. Retrieved
October 6, 2008, from Infoworks

RI.gov. (2008). Town of West Greenwich Rhode Island: History. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from RI.Gov

RI Living. (2008). Rhode Island Home Sales Statistics. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from RI Living .

RI Municipal Affairs. (2005). Rhode Island 2008/2009 Municipal Tax Rates. . Retrieved October 7, 2008, from
RI Living .

US Census Bureau. (1999). West Greenwich town, Kent County, Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American
FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from US Census

US Census Bureau. (1999). Exeter town, Washington County, Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American
FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from US Census

U.S. Department of Labor. (2008). Unemployment Statistics. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from U.S
Department of Labor .

WETA. (2004). The College Track: How Much More do College Grads Earn in Your State? . Retrieved
October 7, 2008, from Graduation Rates

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