ERIC Number: ED509785
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Mar
Pages: 47
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
How Are Boston Pilot School Students Faring? "Student Demographics, Engagement, and Performance," 1998-2003
Tung, Rosann; Ouimette, Monique; Feldman, Jay
Center for Collaborative Education
This report examines the efficacy of the Boston Pilot Schools, a model of urban schools created in 1994 to promote innovation and increased choice options within the Boston Public Schools (BPS). Unlike most urban public schools, the Boston Pilot Schools have control over budget, staffing, curriculum, governance, and time, all critical conditions to building a unified learning community in which teaching and learning are personalized and of high quality. They represent a new vision of public schools and districts in which schools are provided flexibility to create challenging learning environments in exchange for increased accountability. Today, there are nineteen Boston Pilot Schools spanning grades K-12. This report examines student demographics, achievement, and engagement at the thirteen Pilot Schools that have been in operation for more than one year. These thirteen schools are serving approximately 3400 students, or 5.5% of the total Boston Public Schools (BPS) enrollment. The student assignment process is the same for Pilot elementary and middle schools as for all schools within BPS. Pilot high schools have special admissions processes that screen for fit and commitment to the school's philosophy; prior academic achievement is not a factor. For urban, mostly low-income students and students of color, there is an urgency to develop models of schooling that provide greater access to high quality education. How are students in the Pilot Schools faring, especially as compared to their counterparts in regular BPS schools? Do the Pilot Schools' conditions of smallness and autonomy over resources improve student engagement and performance? This report examines quantitative indicators of Pilot Schools on three levels: 1) student demographics, 2) student engagement, and 3) student performance. A list of comparison schools for all levels is appended. (Contains 11 figures, 20 tables and 30 footnotes.) [Funding for this report was provided by the Barr Foundation, the Goldberg Family Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation.]
Descriptors: Urban Schools, Public Schools, Academic Achievement, Educational Quality, Learner Engagement, Student Diversity, Student Characteristics, Pilot Projects, Educational Innovation, School Restructuring, Academic Persistence, School Demography, Attendance, Student Mobility, High School Students, Educational Assessment, Educational Indicators
Center for Collaborative Education. 33 Harrison Avenue 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111. Tel: 617-421-0134; Fax: 617-421-9016; e-mail: info@ccebos.org; Web site: http://www.cce.org
Publication Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Boston Foundation; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Authoring Institution: Center for Collaborative Education
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A