Cole Principal Alexis Meyer and EGHS Principal Michael Podraza are congratulated by the School Committee for their schools’ ‘commended’ status.

The state Department of Education (RIDE) listed two East Greenwich schools among the 28 statewide to receive commended status: Cole Middle School and East Greenwich High School.  The School Committee recognized that achievement at its meeting Tuesday.

Schools classified as commended are the highest performing schools in the state, representing strong performance across metrics, according to the RIDE website.

Schools and districts can earn between 20 and 100 points on the Composite Index Score. For elementary and middle schools, the components are growth, proficiency and gap closure. For high schools, the measures are graduation rate, proficiency and gap closure. 

This is the third consecutive year Cole has earned commended status, a category shared by only eight other schools. At the School Committee meeting Tuesday, Principal Alexis Meyer said she was particularly proud of Cole’s gap closure number, which at 30 was the highest achievable. Gap closure refers to how well as school is doing in closing the proficiency gap between its highest and lowest performing students