Susan Orellana, a sixth grader at Perry Middle School in Providence, has the answer to a question in Valerie Melone’s math class. The school’s math and English scores have improved markedly.

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The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

PROVIDENCE — Seven years ago, the state director of middle- and high-school reform said that he was appalled by middle-school test scores and added that he wanted to “run from the room screaming.”

The director, Ken Fish, said, “We will never have the high schools we want until we fix our middle schools.”

Fast-forward to today: 94 percent of the state’s middle schools have met all of the targets set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, a big leap from last year’s 72-percent success rate.

And Providence, the state’s largest and neediest school district, is among those leading the way in terms of boosting student performance at the middle-school level.

Five years ago, every one of the city’s eight middle schools was classified as low-performing. State Education Commissioner Peter McWalters was so worried that he ordered then-Supt. Donnie Evans to come up with a “corrective action” plan or face state intervention.

Today, five of the district’s seven middle schools (one is closed for refurbishing) are making progress, a huge turnaround in a district that has seen three superintendents in five years. Those schools are Esek Hopkins, DelSesto, Perry, Nathanael Greene, and Roger Williams. Bridgham and Gilbert Stuart middle schools met all of their academic targets but missed the attendance target, which the district is appealing.

“This is excellent news, particularly at the middle-school level,” said Supt. Tom Brady. “All indicators are going up, just not as quickly as we want.”

Under NCLB, schools must meet as many as 37 targets, which include academic goals as well as test-participation rates. A school could miss one target, like special education, and still be classified as not making sufficient progress. Last year, Perry Middle School missed making the grade by three-tenths of a point.

Although Providence is still classified as an “intervention” district, the school system is making strides: 21 schools made adequate yearly progress this year compared with 15 last year.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE IMPROVING, principals say, because the elementary schools are doing a much better job of preparing students.

“Kids are coming up from elementary school in a much better position,” said Perry Middle School principal Frances Rotella. “Kids are coming to us with better skills.”

Brady said there are several reasons middle schools are finally catching up with their elementary peers. Students who are performing far below grade level receive additional periods of math or English, an intervention program launched by Evans two years ago.

“Now, we have teachers who are teaching reading,” Rotella said. “It is very explicit instruction. When a student has a gap in reading, you know exactly what that gap is.”

Teachers are also spending a lot more time looking at test data to pinpoint weaknesses in literacy and math, and using that data to change their instruction. And they are helping students understand how to take the test, called the New England Common Assessment Program, by incorporating test release questions into their daily instruction.

The district has provided middle- and high-school teachers with “side-by-side” coaches who work closely with them to improve instruction. Brady has also tapped retired principals to mentor less experienced principals in an informal leadership academy.

Still, only 45 percent of Providence students in grades 3 through 8 are proficient in reading, and only 33 percent are proficient in math. And, only 14 percent of high school juniors have met the grade in math.

One of the biggest problems with the NECAP has been getting students to take the test seriously, since the test doesn’t count toward grades. Principals have worked diligently to get students and parents fired up about the state tests.

“I make this a central theme at every PTO meeting,” said Dinah Larbi, principal of DelSesto Middle School. “I share the test results with them. And I tell the students that the NECAP is important, that high schools will look at these scores and that they should not take these tests lightly.”

While there is much to celebrate at the middle-school level, high schools remain mired in low performance. Out of 13 high schools, only two, Classical and Hanley Career & Technical Center, are currently making adequate yearly progress and that number hasn’t moved since last year. Classical always makes the grade because students must submit an application and pass a rigorous test to be admitted. Hanley has a small enrollment this year because a new career-and-technical school is in the process of being built.

Meanwhile, Brady hopes this pattern will begin to change. This fall, a core math and science curriculum will be introduced at every high school, which means that Algebra 1 will look the same at Hope High School as it does at Mount Pleasant. Students who are struggling with math will be given double periods of math before they enter Algebra 1. And all schools will move to a six-period day. Currently, the smaller high schools operate on a block schedule.

lborg@projo.com