One of the key responsibilities of the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner is to develop a strategic plan encompassing the broad goals and objectives for the state’s higher education system aligned with those of the Board of Education and the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, and with the activities of the independent higher education sector, where feasible, including a 5-year strategic funding plan [16-59-6(2), [16-59-6(6)].

Every five years, Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner leads the development of a strategic plan that articulates a vision for improving the higher education landscape in our state. The goals and objectives within it are aligned with those of the Board of Education and the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education, and with the activities of the private higher education sector, where feasible because no unit should act independent of the others. Developed after months of engagement with Rhode Islanders, our office created a plan that represents the collective voice of our stakeholder community. Rhode Island’s Strategic Plan for Public Education: 2022-2027 is a comprehensive plan that lays out a vision for an education system that offers every Rhode Island student the opportunity to be a lifelong learner. This plan unifies the strategic plans of Rhode Island Department of Education and the RI Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner. Within, there are ambitious, achievable goals to build a stronger, more resilient educational system across our state that will allow every Rhode Island student to succeed.

The plan offered the following five priorities as a framework for setting goals, initiating policies and programs, and measuring success in public higher education in Rhode Island through 2027:

• Equity

• Affordability

• Adult success

• Alignment with state workforce and economic development priorities

Laying out the priorities, commitments, and goals is only the beginning of shared efforts to improve Rhode Island’s education system. It will take a long, constant effort to bring them to fruition over the next five years and to reach the ambitious benchmarks. There is no doubt that if we set our sights on a better education system and forge forward as one, we can make it a reality.

Education is the cornerstone of a prepared workforce and a flourishing society, and the state’s plan for education has been designed with full certainty that if we achieve the goals set, we can create a better life for all.