RI DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

The Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education delivers state-level coordination and execution of national educational assessment programs, with a primary focus on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). As the designated State Coordinator for NAEP, it manages the full lifecycle of large-scale student assessment operations—including sample selection, school recruitment, test administration oversight, data collection compliance, and reporting coordination—ensuring alignment with federal standards set by the National Center for Education Statistics. Its technical expertise lies in educational data governance, psychometric protocol adherence, and state-federal compliance frameworks for standardized testing. The agency’s key differentiator is its deep integration with Rhode Island’s public school infrastructure, enabling precise implementation of federally mandated assessments while maintaining confidentiality, accessibility, and equity in test delivery across diverse student populations. The organization’s primary federal partner is the U.S. Department of Education, where it serves as a critical operational arm for national education data collection. Its relationship is defined by sustained, mission-critical engagement in assessment coordination rather than grant management or policy development, reflecting a specialized, execution-focused partnership. Its core industry focus is Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (NAICS 541720), specifically applied to educational measurement and policy evaluation. This positions the agency as a state-level implementer of federally funded social science research, translating national research objectives into actionable, on-the-ground assessment operations within K–12 systems. As a state government entity structured under 2A (State Government), it operates under public authority with no commercial certifications. Geographically anchored in Providence, Rhode Island, it serves as the sole state-level conduit for federal education assessments, leveraging its institutional presence to ensure statewide compliance and data integrity in federally sponsored research initiatives.