Education in State Constitution: Article XII: Sections 1-4
Education in State General Laws: Title 16: Chapters 1-109
State Board Members: 17 Members; Appointed; 3-year term
Education Authorities: DoEd; State Board; State Commissioner of Education
KNOW YOUR STATE
"Hope"
Rhode Island has a Department of Education, a State Board, and a State Commissioner of Education. The State Board consists of 17 members appointed to 3-year terms.
Every state sets its own school choice rules, and Rhode Island is no exception. The NWEF School Choice Index scores Rhode Island on 17 measures, from open enrollment to education savings accounts, then ranks it against all 50 states. Open any category below to see where Rhode Island earns points and where it falls short.
Rhode Island scores well on online learning. Its biggest gaps are private-school options like ESAs and vouchers and homeschooling.
Scored from state law · as of August 2026
Your state lawmakers wrote the rules behind this score. Most of them have never seen how Rhode Island compares to other states.
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