Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy

Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy is the sole public charter high school serving grades 9-12 in Providence, Rhode Island, with a total enrollment of 160 students. The school faces significant academic and socioeconomic challenges, with a student population that is predominantly low-income and minority.

The school's test scores are alarmingly low, with only 6.7% of 11th graders scoring proficient or better on the SAT English Language Arts exam, compared to the state average of 49.1%. Similarly, just 25% of 10th graders scored proficient or better in ELA, and only 8.3% in Math, on the PSAT, far below the state averages. Sheila Skip Nowell has consistently ranked in the bottom tier of Rhode Island high schools, receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's challenges, the per-student spending of $13,417 is relatively high, suggesting that funding alone may not be the sole factor contributing to the school's poor performance. The data highlights the significant educational disparities and achievement gaps that exist, even within the same state, between high-performing and low-performing schools serving different demographic populations. The high concentration of Hispanic and African American students, coupled with the extremely high free/reduced lunch rate of 99.38%, indicates that Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy serves a predominantly low-income, minority student population in need of targeted interventions and support to improve educational outcomes.