BRISTOL — The first day of school in the Bristol Warren Regional School District came and went last Wednesday without any hitches.

The biggest worry for administrators was the reopening of Colt Andrews School, which had been closed for two years so it could be expanded and renovated, but a team of faculty members, parents and contractors spent the days leading up to the event working around the clock to make sure everything was in place. Though parts of the $14-million project still need to be finished, construction crews will work after school hours and won’t interfere with classes.

None of the other schools in the district had the radical makeover that Colt Andrews went through, but there were other, more subtle changes.

Starting this year, students from fourth through ninth grades will be tested twice a year as part of a new assessment system. The online tests will be given once in the fall to calculate baseline scores for students and then again in the spring to judge their progress. District Supt. Edward P. Mara said the tests will give teachers an idea of how each student is doing and on what areas they need to focus.

“It will give us a picture of exactly where they are,” Mara said.

The testing system, which will supplement statewide exams, is also being used in Narragansett, Middletown and other Rhode Island communities.

Each of the district’s four elementary schools has also adopted a new program, known as Tribes, that aims to promote student responsibility and respect. Over the summer, 30 teachers from the schools went through voluntary training in the program.

At Mount Hope High School, the freshman mentoring program has grown. A group of juniors and seniors were trained at Roger Williams University to become mentors. Each of them will pair up with a freshman to help guide them through the start of high school.

The dress code at the high school was also tweaked. Students are no longer allowed to wear hats in school except for special events.

akuffner@projo.com