Sign up for The 74 NewsletterBy some metrics, things are looking up for the Providence Public School District (PPSD). According to the RIDE report, there are 14 additional school construction or renovation projects still underway or planned. A less flashy but still important quality-of-life improvement made during the takeover: A drinking fountain in all 37 of the district’s schools. Still, the academic data was not entirely celebratory for Stephens, who noted that most Providence students currently fail to meet grade-level expectations. “They are advisory and do not, on their own, carry the force of law,” the school board president added.