Principals Wayne Montague and Arthur Petrosinelli stand in the hallway of Hope High School after lunch break, walkie-talkies in hand, ushering students to class. Both Providence Public School District veterans, the two men have just started at Hope, appointed last spring to help implement the state-mandated Consolidated Corrective Action Plan that Rhode Island officials anticipate could end Hope's years of poor test scores and make the school a model of individualized education.
Standing at a crossway called the "T," Petrosinelli said the quiet hallways in either direction signaled Hope's improvement so far. During the previous school year, he said, students stood in that spot throwing footballs, smoking cigarettes and skipping class.
"Did you see any of that coming in today? Uh-uh. Eight weeks and we haven't had one fight," he said. Petrosinelli and other administrators said they suspect that this year Hope has one of the lowest records for student suspension in the district.
Less than a year ago, an intervention by Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Peter McWalters saved the school from state control or possible closure. McWalters allowed the school to retain its autonomy but ordered a series of reforms. His directive required improved advising for all 400 students, a new scheduling rubric and the appointment of a Special Master, Nick Donohue, to oversee the prescribed changes and report back to McWalters regarding the plan's status.
Although it is too early to measure progress in terms of dropout rates or test scores, only two months into the school year, teachers, students and administrators say Hope is a different place.
"It's like night and day," said Ralph Taylor, a human relations specialist at Hope for nine years. "I've been through three different administrations here, and this is the first time I've seen the kids the way they are - enthusiastic."
"This is what we needed," said Pedro Correia, a 1978 Hope High graduate who has worked at the school for nearly three decades with at-risk students and as coach of the baseball and basketball teams. "Even the at-risk kids are responding (to the changes)."
Prior to the Action Plan, Hope had undergone a partial redesign that split the school into three learning communities emphasizing leadership, arts and technology. McWalters' plan allowed Hope to maintain its segmented structure but was intended to foster cohesive administrative leadership and collaboration between the schools.
Frances Gallo, chief of administration for the district, served as interim superintendent this summer and helped Montague and Petrosinelli prepare Hope for its new start.
"There are so many firsts all coming together," Gallo said. "It's very exciting - you can feel it in the classroom, you can feel it in professional development, everywhere."
Over the summer, weeks of lesson plans were organized in advance and advisories were created. Administrators also scheduled professional development sessions for teachers to take place every Wednesday during the school year. In addition, a third principal, Scott Sutherland, was hired to run the arts school after the initial candidate backed out. By the time school began, every student had a complete, conflict-free schedule, Gallo said.
"They say inner-city kids are disruptive, that they don't want a true education," said Montague, principal of the leadership school. "But they want it. You just have to give them a bit of structure and high expectations."
One junior who asked not to be named said he hadn't heard any of his classmates use the previously common phrase "I go to Hopeless" since school started this year. Now, he said, "the teachers actually teach." Asked how school was different this year, an entire math class shouted back, "It's bangin'!"
A continued state presence
Over the summer, 54 new teachers, comprising just over half of the entire faculty, were hired from all over the country. Hiring standards and procedures were set by the Commissioner's office, but each of the individual learning communities selected its own new teachers to fill existing vacancies as well as replace those who left in opposition to the Action Plan, according to RIDE spokesman Elliot Krieger.
At least 10 teachers resigned last spring after claims that McWalters' plan included violations of their union contract. But Krieger said relations between the Teachers' Union and state administrators have since healed.
"Our relationship with the union, once the order was put in place, has been pretty good," Krieger said.
Gallo said McWalters' plan was not "drastic," but primarily served to "jump-start" progress already underway at Hope last year. State officials did not echo Gallo's comments, but said current feedback was positive.
"So far, so good. But there'll be a lot of issues over the course of the year, I'm sure," Krieger said.
"People at central administration are very pleased with the progress at Hope," said Maria Tocco, senior communications officer for the superintendent's office. New superintendent Donnie Evans, selected by a committee that President Ruth Simmons chaired, took office in mid-September and has visited Hope at least once.
As for Hope's future as a leader in secondary education, Krieger said the school is already a step ahead as one of the first Rhode Island schools to reorganize into small learning communities with a focus on individual advising, but that even with an enthusiastic start, much remains to be done.
"Do we expect it to have the highest test scores in the state? That would be unlikely," Krieger said. "But we certainly hope that they can meet all their targets and show a lot of progress."
Hope has begun a host of new programs to help students meet specified performance-based graduation requirements. The school has also implemented programs to help students' math and reading abilities match their appropriate grade level. Reading-intensive program Reading 180 helps students whose ability is three or more grade levels below their current grade standing.
"It's not going to happen overnight," Montague said, but he said Hope has the capacity to be a leading school and its students should all be able to realize bright futures, particularly under the new structure.
But state officials are keeping a close watch.
"If they continue to miss targets, there can be increasing degrees of state control as necessary," Krieger said. "We're very much monitoring that school. We're there 24/7, so to speak."
