Search

This research study aims to better understand the diversity of experiences and backgrounds among Black and Latino male students in Boston Public Schools (BPS) by examining enrollment and outcomes of Black and Latino males relative to their female peers and their male peers from other racial backgrounds. Specifically, the authors designed this study to provide a more nuanced analysis of engagement and performance of Black and Latino male students by disaggregating enrollment and outcome data not only by major racial/ethnic groups, but also by geographical region of origin and by different racial groups within regions. A companion study will share case studies of BPS schools in which Black and Latino males perform well compared to BPS schools with similar demographics. Through this latter study, the authors aim to identify promising school and district practices and policies associated with increased engagement and improved outcomes for Black and Latino males. Two appendices include: (1) Data, Methods, and Limitations; and (2) Graphs for Data in Non-Exam Schools (SY2012). [This report was prepared by the Center for Collaborative Education and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University on behalf of the Boston Public Schools. This Phase I report is part of a larger study, "Analyzing Enrollment, Outcomes, and Excellent Schools for Black and Latino Male Students in the Boston Public Schools."]

A Pilot School is a public school in the Boston Public School district with teachers who are members of the Boston Teachers Union. A Horace Mann Charter School is a public school under a Massachusetts state charter that operates within a regular school district and serves the students and families enrolled in that district. An Innovation School, a new development in Massachusetts education reform, is also an in-district public school that has been given increased autonomy and flexibility in up to six areas (depending on the school's design proposal): (1) curriculum; (2) budget; (3) schedule and calendar; (4) staffing; (5) professional development; and (6) district policies. This paper provides a description of a Pilot School, a Horace Mann Charter School, and an Innovation School. There are currently 21 Pilot Schools in Boston, all included in this guide. There are currently four Horace Mann Charter Schools in Boston which include Boston Day and Evening Academy, Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, UP Academy and Boston Green Academy. Boston Public Schools is proposing additional Horace Mann Charter Schools (also referred to as "in-district charters") to open in future school years. Currently, Roger Clap (Elementary) Innovation School is the only Innovation School open in Boston.

English language learners (ELLs), their teachers, and the schools and programs where they are enrolled face a triple challenge: (1) students must be taught and learn English at a level of proficiency high enough to allow them access to academic content; (2) students must be taught and learn academic content at a level comparable to that of English proficient students; and (3) students must actively engage with learning and schools and programs must effectively engage students so that they graduate from high school. "Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools" seeks to assess the academic performance of English language learners in Boston Public Schools in relation to these three challenges. It compares the achievement of ELLs with that of other BPS populations defined by English proficiency and assesses the outcomes of ELLs enrolled in different programs and types of schools. This study was commissioned by the Boston Public Schools as part of a process of change set in motion by the intervention of the state and the federal governments on behalf of Boston's English language learners in 2009 and 2010 (MDESE, 2008a; U.S. Department of Justice, 2010). The project was conducted at the request of the Office for English Language Learners (OELL) and is a collaboration among this Office, the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston. The study addresses the following areas: (1) the enrollment patterns of ELLs in Boston between SY2006 and SY2009; (2) the engagement and academic outcomes of ELLs compared to those of other BPS student populations; (3) the engagement and academic outcomes of ELLs in different types of programs and schools of different characteristics; and (4) the analysis of the individual- and school-level factors most relevant to the outcomes of ELLs. In order to address these questions, the study uses a dataset compiled from several data sources and merged especially for this project which includes (1) demographic and enrollment information from the Student Information Management System (SIMS) on each BPS student enrolled for each school year (SY2006 to SY2009); (2) testing data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and for students of limited English proficiency, the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA); (3) school level variables downloaded from the appropriate MDESE websites and merged with the student level SIMS and testing data in order to conduct analyses at the school level; and (4) program enrollment data available through SIMS and through BPS' OELL. (Contains 10 tables, 2 figures and 19 notes.) [This paper was written with Eileen de los Reyes and Antonieta Bolomey. For the full report, "Improving Educational Outcomes of English Language Learners in Schools and Programs in Boston Public Schools," see ED540995.]

The perspectives of graduates offer a valuable source of understanding for educators and policy-makers on how to ensure high quality educational pathways that prepare all students for work and college. Based on in-depth interviews with graduates from three Boston Public Schools with well-established performance-based assessment systems, the study analyzes graduates' preparation for future academic, professional, and personal endeavors. First, graduates describe the process of learning from performance assessment, defined as assignments that measure how a student uses knowledge and complex skills to create or refine an original product using multiple steps over time. Next, they reflect on the ways their learning prepared them for future schooling or work and the areas in which they faced challenges. Overall, despite a few challenge areas, graduates who were interviewed say the study schools' performance assessment systems contributed to their success in college and in the world of work. Performance assessments helped students who participated in the study to discover their own learning styles, to learn academic content and skills, and to develop critical thinking, communication, and real world skills. Appended are: (1) Methods; (2) Interview Protocol; (3) School Characteristics and Sample Demographics; and (4) About the Study Schools and the Center for Collaborative Education. (Contains 4 tables, 7 charts, 1 diagram, 4 boxes and 24 footnotes.)

This is the second in a series of reports that examines the role of coaches in facilitating school change. The report explains that as coaching, or external facilitation of school change, becomes a more widespread strategy for helping schools undergo comprehensive restructuring to create more professional collaborative cultures and to increase student achievement, the need for documentation of effective practices becomes greater. At the Center for Collaborative Education, a model of weekly coaching based on four core school-based practices has developed. The role of the coach was first discussed in a paper examining coaches' own perceptions of their role in schools, their relationship building with school staff, their short and long term goal setting, and their beliefs about change. This paper extends those findings by analyzing teacher and administrator perceptions of coaching practices in their schools. (Contains 6 tables, 1 figure, and 5 footnotes.)

This paper describes the role of Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) in supporting a unique urban public school network, the Boston Pilot Schools Network. By informing the educational community of its strategies, activities, and challenges, CCE hopes to contribute to the understanding of how change promoted from outside the school can affect teacher and student learning. The Center for Collaborative Education is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve student learning in K-12 public schools and districts by promoting models of systemic reform.