Exeter-West Greenwich

TLDR: Superintendent James Erinakes Delivers Positive October Update, Highlighting Assessment Gains, Field Light Progress, and Community Partnership

Superintendent James Erinakes has released his October community update, celebrating significant early successes in student achievement and outlining strategic plans that promise a bright future for the district and the entire EWG community.

Investing in Presence: Why Attendance is Our Greatest Return

The latest data from the 2025 state assessments provides clear evidence that consistent attendance is the single greatest factor in maximizing student potential. This success protects the value of our community’s investment in education.

The data reveals that students who were not chronically absent (missing less than 10% of school days) performed at rates up to 2x higher on key assessments (RICAS ELA and Math) compared to their chronically absent peers.

Performance Gap by Assessment (Non-Absent vs. Chronically Absent)

A Community Win:

We are proud to report that EWG's rates of chronic absenteeism continue to decrease, a powerful reflection of our families' commitment. Our strategic focus remains on reducing this number to under 10% to ensure every student benefits from every school day.

Academic Acceleration: Preliminary Results Show Record Gains

While a comprehensive analysis of the 2025 state assessment results is slated for the November School Committee meeting, the preliminary findings show significant, targeted gains across the district, demonstrating the effectiveness of our teaching staff and curriculum focus.

Excelling at the Secondary Level

• Junior High School (JHS): ELA proficiency hit 62%, with student growth significantly exceeding state averages. Science proficiency soared to 56%, marking a decisive 14% increase from the prior year!

• Senior High School (SHS): ELA proficiency rates (74% on PSAT and 75% on SAT) are among the best in the state. The Math program saw dramatic improvement, with SHS Math (PSAT) proficiency increasing by an outstanding 18% over the prior year. Science proficiency is also up 9% to 55%.

Excellence in Elementary Classrooms

We celebrate the extraordinary teaching and learning happening at Metcalf Elementary, where several classrooms are achieving proficiency rates well above district and state averages.

Special recognition is also extended to teachers who drove the greatest improvements in student growth scores: Mrs. Dobias (Grade 6 ELA and Math), Mrs. McKeen (Grade 6 ELA), and Mrs. Stephanie Murphy (Grade 5 Math).

We recognize that further work is targeted for mathematics across the district, but these results show we are on the right trajectory.

Facilities & Engagement: Building Community Pride

"Friday Night Lights" is Closer Than Ever

The athletic field lighting project is moving forward swiftly and successfully. The complex electrical work from Rte. 3 is complete, and the actual poles and fixtures have been delivered to our campus! We are thrilled to be nearing the completion of our vision for "Friday Night Lights," a project that will bring our community together (literally) to support our student athletes and create moments of shared pride. A "grand opening" announcement will follow soon.

Developing Future Leaders Through Student Voice

The district is proactively fostering strong leadership and accountability by significantly increasing student involvement in major decisions.

• Strategic Insight: The Superintendent's Student Advisory Committee (grades 6–12) successfully reviewed student feedback and drafted a summary of what effective teaching and learning should look like in EWG. Their vision, centered on Instruction/Student Engagement, Assessment, and Adult Dispositions, is driving important improvement efforts.

• Hiring: To guarantee that our new teachers and administrators are the right fit for our students, students will now be included on all hiring committees for upper elementary, middle, and high schools.

• Social Needs: Following student feedback, the JSHS is dramatically increasing student events, exemplified by the recent successful Spirit Week, Pep Rally, and Homecoming Dance.

Proactive Governance: New Policy Review on Technology Use

In response to new state legislation, EWG is required to update its policies to limit/prohibit student use of cell phones and smart technology in school. This is a critical effort to balance the benefits of technology with the need to protect student health and safety.

For any questions or additional topics, please feel free to reach out to the Superintendent's office.