Education

4.1.1

Educational Attainment

• Educational Attainment, Adults 25 Years and Older
  

A highly educated workforce is critical to national and global competitiveness.  Educational attainment rates are a good indicator of the quality of the workforce and increasingly understood to be central to economic growth, innovation economy industry sectors, and jobs.

Metro Boston ranks 4th among the nation’s largest metro’s in the percent of adults 25 years or older with a BA or higher at 43%, behind DC, San Jose and San Francisco.  However, Boston ranks 1st in the percent of highly educated young workers with 54% of 25-34 year olds holding a BA or Higher.  The metro is anchored by Boston’s high educational attainment where 62% of 25 to 34 year old hold a BA or higher, topping all other large US cities.

4.1.2

4th and 8th Grade NAEP Results

In 2011, Massachusetts ranked first in the nation in reading and math for both fourth and eighth graders for the fourth consecutive testing year, but with stark and persistent achievement gaps by race/ethnicity and income.

• 4th math: With a 2011 average scaled score of 253, 58% of 4th graders were proficient or higher in NAEP math, up from 31% in 2000.  However, 76% of Asian and 67% of white students were proficient compared to 32% of Latino and 27% of African American students.  Similarly, 70% of non-low income students were proficient in math compared of 36% of low income students.
• 4th reading: the average scaled score increased to 237 in 2011, up from 228 in 2003, and 50% were proficient or above.  However, proficiency rates for white and Asian students were more than two times higher than African American and Latino students: 59% and 56% compared to 24% and 23%, respectively.  Sixty-three percent of non-low income students were proficient compared to 25% of low income students.
• 8th math: Fifty-one percent of students scored proficient or above in 2011, compared to 30% in 2000 and the average scaled score of 299 was 17 points higher than the US average.  However, 21% of Latino and 26% of African American 8th graders were proficient in math compared to 58% of white and 76% of Asian students.  Over 60% of non-low income students were proficient compared to 29% of low income 8th graders.
• 8th reading: reading proficiency rates increase to 46% in 2011, up from 43% in 2003.  However, 62% of Asian and 53% of white students were proficient or above compared to 20% of African American and 18% of Latino students.

4.2.1

Access to High Quality Early Education

• Boston's Early Education Facilities by Type
• Number of K1 Seats in BPS versus Number of Four Year-Olds
  
  

For most children, school readiness begins during child care, preschool and kindergarten, where both formal and informal learning and socialization take place. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredits child care centers that meet quality standards for curriculum, facilities, nutrition, staffing, administration, teaching practices and relationship among teachers and parents.

Boston Public Schools have set a goal of 100% accreditation for early education programs by 2019 and Boston’s Thrive in 5 initiative has set the goal of 100% accreditation for all public and private programs by 2023.

Boston has more than 28,000 registered public and private early education facilities ranging from large group centers serving over 300 children to small family providers with just two or three available seats.  As of 2011 there were 42 providers in Boston with a capacity of over 300 children and nearly 800 providers with a capacity of fewer than 10 children.

The greatest number of providers are located in Dorchester with 222 facilities, Roslindale with 98 and Roxbury with 97.  However, the greatest number of places for children as measured by capacity are Dorchester serving up to 4,346, Roxbury with a capacity of 2,276, Roslindale with 1,481 places and Jamaica Plain with 1,451 places.

Kindergarten registrations increased to more than 2,300 in SY 2012-13, up 25% from about 1,800 the previous year.  As of the start of SY 2012-13 BPS had added 12 new kindergarten classrooms to accommodate the increase in registrations, but as many as 300 children did not have kindergarten placement.

4.2.2

Enrollment by School District

• Enrollment of Students with Disabilities
• Enrollment of English Language Learners
• Enrollment of Low Income Students

4.2.3

Boston Public Schools Enrollment of Special Populations

• Enrollment of Students with Disabilities
• Enrollment English Language Learners
• Enrollment of Low Income Students

4.3.1

Boston Schools by Type

School choice, measured by the availability of various and accessible models of education, indicates parents’ and students’ interest in exploring more flexible and tailored forms of education. Increasing school choice by offering alternative forms of learning is seen by many as a way to improve educational outcomes for students. Tracking enrollment provides a good measure of public confidence in different systems based on choice. Enrollment levels may reflect available funding for alternatives rather than solely the level of interest on the part of parents and students.

As of SY 2011-12, BPS total enrollment was 57,000, a figure that has remained relatively steady for them past few years.

About 25% of Boston’s children (18,860) did not attend BPS.  Of these:

• 5,700 attend parochial schools;
• 4,000 attend other private schools;
• 3,020 are enrolled in suburban districts through the METCO program;
• 5,440 attend a Boston charter school;
• 460 attend special education programs outside of the district;
• 170 are home schooled.

Within BPS, 21 innovation pilot schools and 3 Horace Mann Charter Schools which are run by the district but offer curriculum and staffing autonomies similar to Charter Schools.  These schools enrolled XX in SY 2011-12.

4.4.1

Boston Public School Amenities

High quality equipment in classrooms, libraries, gyms, labs and schoolyards supports quality teaching and learning.  A number of community partners and organizations are committed to ensuring high-quality learning environments.

Schoolyards: as of 2012, Boston Schoolyards Initiative had completed 81 schoolyard and outdoor classroom projects and renovations.  The most recent completions in 2011 were: Edison K-8 in Allston, Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy in Hyde Park and Young Achievers Science & Math Pilot School in Mattapan

Technology: In SY 2009-10 (most recent data) there were 3.3 students per modern computer in BPS, down from 8 students per computer in 2004 and 100% of classrooms had internet access.

Libraries: The Target School Library Makeover Program has funded the complete renovation of a BPS school library each year for the last four years: the Mather School in 2009, the Marshall School in 2010, the Hennigan School in 2011 and the Trotter School in 2012.  The renovation updates walls, floors, ceiling and furniture using eco-friendly materials, provides new computers and ipads, 2,000 new books and 7 new books for each student in the school.  As of SY2011, BPS employed 18 full-time equivalent Librarians and Media Center Directors.

4.4.2

Access to Physical Activities and Healthy Food

• Weekly In-School Arts Programming
• Percent of BPS High School Students without Physical Education

4.4.3
Available Guidance Counselors and Social Workers

4.5.1

Highly Qualified and Subject Matter Licensed Teachers

• Percent of Subject Matter Licensed Teachers
• Percent of Core Subjects Taught by Highly Qualified Teachers

Teachers working in their specific area of expertise result in higher quality teaching and deeper engagement by students in the subject matter.

District-wide, 97.5% of BPS teachers were subject-matter licensed and 94% of core subject teachers were “highly qualified” in SY 2010-11.  At 78 of 131 BPS schools 100% of teachers were subject-matter licensed and the lowest rates were 77% at the Edwards Middle School, 84% at the Blackstone and 85% at the Ellison/Parks Early Education School.  At 41 schools, 100% of core subject teachers were “highly qualified” with the lowest rates at some of Boston’s alternative schools such as 64% at Community Academy, 71% at Boston Middle School, and 73% at Greater Egleston Community High School.

4.5.2

Teachers who reflect the diversity and academic needs of students

Race/Ethnicity: In SY2011-12, 87% of BPS students were of color compared to 38% of all BPS teachers.  By race/ethnicity: 47% of students and 10% of teachers were Latino; 35% of students and 23% of teachers were African American; 8% of students and 5% of teachers were Asian; and13% of students were white compared to 62% of teachers.

Linguistic Diversity: BPS students come from 101 different countries and speak 77 different languages.  While more than 44% of all students are English Language Learners, just 10% of the district’s teachers are specialized for ELL teaching.

Special Education: BPS is well-balanced in serving Students with Disabilities.  About  20% of BPS students have a special cognitive, learning, behavioral or physical need and about 20% of all teachers are licensed in Special Education.

4.5.3
Ratio of Students to Teachers in Regular Education Programs in Boston Public Schools

4.6.1

Non Profit Partners with Boston Public Schools

• Education Nonprofit Organizations, Boston
  

Nonprofit organizations focusing on education play an important role in providing access to tutoring, programming and mentoring for students, teachers and families. The sector also plays an important role in education advocacy and research.

Boston is home to more than 700 education-related nonprofit organizations. These range from large institutions, such as colleges and universities, to literacy volunteer organizations to education advocacy organizations such as Strategies for Children.

4.6.2
Out-of-School Time Recreation Opportunities

4.7.1

High Attendance Rate in Boston Public Schools

• Annual Attendance Rates by School

Consistent school attendance is critical to academic success.  Experts have concluded that an 80% attendance rate--equal to one lost day per week--sets a child back by a half year by Grade 4 and a full academic year by Grade 8.

The average daily attendance rate at Boston's public schools had remained above 90% since 2006, with a majority of schools (86) reporting an average daily attendance rate of above 93% in SY 2010-11.  However, a handful of schools report average attendance rates below 80%, these are typically schools with alternative programming serving students with a higher level of need.

4.7.2

Stable Enrollment

• Annual Retention Rates by School
• Mobility Rates
  

Mobility: The percent of students transferring in and out of Boston Public Schools was 21% in 2011, down from 25% over the previous four years.  A number of schools, 57, had a student mobility rate below 20% but in as many as 11 schools, more than 50% of the student body did not complete a full academic year at a single school.

Retention: 5.8% of BPS students were made to repeat a grade in 2011, down from a high of 7.4% in 2005.   However, in 12 BPS schools more than 15% and as many as 25% of students had to repeat a grade.

4.7.3

Low Suspension and Expulsion Rate

• Annual Expulsion Rates by School
• Annual Truancy Rates by School
• Annual Dropout Rates by School
  
  
  

Suspensions and truancy contribute to lost learning time and are early indicators of drop-out risk.

Suspensions: The BPS district-wide suspension rate has remained around 6% for the last few academic years, but is down from near 9% in 2007.  However, a number of schools had a suspension rate near 18% or higher in 2011 including a number of BPS high schools and charter schools.

Truancy: the BPS district average truancy rate has remained at about 1%.  However, 6 schools in Boston--including 5 charter schools--had an annual truancy rate greater than 4% in 2011.

Dropouts: Annual dropout rates in BPS dropped 6.4% in 2011, the lowest rate on record.  However, at as many as 28 schools (both district and charter schools) the annual dropout rate was greater than 15%.

4.8.1

First Grade DIEBLS Reading Benchmark

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) measure a child’s progress in reading and comprehension by benchmarking Initial Sounds Fluency, Letter Naming Fluency, Phoeneme Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency, Oral Reading Fluency, Retell Fluency and Word Use Fluency.  Achieving “Benchmark Status” is an indicator that a child is on-track to learn at grade level.  The Acceleration Agenda has set a goal of 80% proficiency by 2014.

In SY2011 67% of BPS first graders were reading at or above grade level on DIBELS, up from 64% in 2010 and 57% in 2009.  However, this fell below the Acceleration Agenda target of 75% in 2011 on the way to 80% proficient or above by 2014.

4.8.2

Third Grade Reading Proficiency

• Third Grade Reading Proficiency, African American Students
• Third Grade Reading Proficiency, Asian Students
• Third Grade Reading Proficiency, Latino Students
• Third Grade Reading Proficiency, White Students
  

In 2011, 35% of third graders were Proficient or Advanced in MCAS English Language Arts, nearly 40 percentage points below the Acceleration Agenda target of 72%.  Since 2011, third grade proficiency rates have not risen above 37%, driven largely by a deep, persistent achievement gap.

• Race/Ethnicity: In 2011, 62% of white students and 51% of Asian students scored Proficient in third grade reading compared to 31% of Latino students and 28% of African American students.  Since 2001, the proficiency gap between white and Asian students and African American and Latino students has remained between 20 and 30 percentage points.  However, across Boston there are schools where all students out-perform the district average including the Edward Brooke Charter School where 82% of African American students scored proficient and the Ellis Mendell where 82% of Latino students scored proficient.
  

• Low Income: 31% of low income third graders were proficient readers in 2011.  Because more than 75% of Boston’s students are low income, their performance tends to track the district average.  However, at the Edward Brooke Charter School 79% of low income students were proficient as well as 66% at the Warren-Prescott and Perkins schools.
• English Language Learners: 27% of ELL third graders were proficient readers in 2011 up from 21% in 2009 and 17% in 2007.
  
• Students with Disabilities: 10% scored proficient in 2011, down from 14% in 2010.

4.8.3

Eighth Grade Math Proficiency

• Eighth Grade Math Proficiency, African American Students
• Eighth Grade Math Proficiency, Asian Students
• Eighth Grade Math Proficiency, Latino Students
• Eighth Grade Math Proficiency, White Students
  
  
  

Mastery of math in the 8th grade—particularly Algebra—is considered a critical first step towards college for students.  Achieving proficiency in math develops a solid educational foundation for students to build upon throughout high school and beyond.

In addition to proficiency, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education reports on student progress from one year to the next.  The Student Growth Percentile benchmarks a student’s progress against his or her academic peers and ranks on a scale from 0 to 100.  A growth score above the 60th percentile is considered as out-performance of peers while a score below the 40th percentile signifies under-performance comared to other academically similar students.  A median Student Growth Percentile is reported on by district, school, grade and sub group.

8th Grade Math Proficiency & Growth: in 2011, 34% of BPS 8th graders were proficient or Advanced in MCAS Math, unchanged from 2010 but up from 28% in 2009.

4.9.1
AP and SAT Scores

While experts reexamine the degree to which standardized testing adequately determine readiness for college, Advanced Placement Courses (AP), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) are used as virtually universal standards for college readiness and acceptance.

Advanced Placement: AP courses enable High School students to study a subject at a college level. Scored on a scale from 1 to 5, a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam may be honored for college credit. The availability of AP courses speaks to the capacity of a District and a school to prepare students for college, while student performance on AP exams reflects how well a school or District has actually prepared its students.

SAT: As of 2006/07, nearly 70% of BPS 12th graders took the SAT, scoring, on average, 390 in Critical Reading, 406 in Math and 388 in Critical Writing. By comparison, at the BPS Exam Schools, 100% of 12th graders took the SAT, scoring an average of 536 in Critical Reading, 563 in Math and 536 in Critical Writing. Among Charter schools serving grades 9 to 12, 100% of 12th graders took the SAT in 2006/07, scoring an average 429 in Critical Reading, 458 in Math and 432 in Writing

4.9.2

Four-Year Outcomes

Graduation within 4 years is often used as a measure of college preparedness, although some students—particularly late entrant English Language Learners, Substantially Separate Special Education Students and generally under-performing students — may require more than 4 years to attain a diploma. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson has highlighted the graduation of all BPS students as a key priority in her plan, titled Proficiency, Opportunity and Efficiency: Superintendent’s Acceleration Agenda for the Boston Public Schools. Strategies to achieve this goal include increasing in-school support services for off-track students, and credit-recovery courses for Middle School students and for High School students a few credits shy of graduation.

4.10.1

Certificates and Associates Degrees Awarded by Community Colleges

An Associate’s Degree is an important tool for economic upward mobility; it is a degree that can help propel a high school graduate toward a Bachelor’s Degree or toward a Middle-Skill job that requires more than a high school diploma but less than a Bachelor’s Degree.  An Associate’s degree also boosts lifetime earnings for a Massachusetts resident by $280,000 over one with just a high school diploma, according to the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University.

A total of 11,136 Associate’s Degrees and Certificates were awarded in FY2009, up from 10,299 in FY2005, According to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.  The number of certificates awarded increased to 2,587 from 2,309 and the number of Associate’s Degrees conferred increased to 8,549 from 7,990.

At Bunker Hill the total awards increased to 817 in FY09 from 679 in FY05, with the number of certificates declining to 160 from 174 and the number of associate’s increasing to 657 from 505.

At Roxbury Community College, the number of awards declined to 212 in FY09 from 229 in FY05, with the number of certificates declining to 18 from 39 and the number of associates degrees awarded increasing to 194 from 190.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, among those entering community college in 2004, after four years 33.6% had graduated, 16% transferred, 20.3% had earned at least 30 credits and 2% were still enrolled.  At Bunker Hill, 25% had graduated, 19% transferred, 20% had earned 30 credits and 2.4% were still enrolled.  At Roxbury Community College, 22% graduated, 22% transferred, 25% had earned 30 credits and 2% were still enrolled.

4.10.2

Adult Basic Education ESOL

• ABE ESOL Waitlist
  

After falling consistently from 2004, through 2008, Massachusetts, total waitlist for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and ESOL courses increased to more than 21,000--the highest number since 2004. The waitlist for ESOL reached 16,199 in 2009, up from 14,401 in 2008, while the ABE waitlist increased to 5,314 up from 5,223 in 2008.Though Massachusetts made headway towards eliminating waitlists for ABE and ESOL prior to the economic recession, a survey of participants conducted in 2007 found that some 30% of those who completed a program did not achieve their goals of higher education, a GED or employment.

4.11.1

Funding for Early Education & Care

• Funding for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education & Care supports the health, well-being and development of children from the earliest ages.  As a part of the Executive Office of Education, EEC provides oversight, licensure and workforce development for early childhood educators, provides financial assistance for family child care, supports the Head Start program and engages parents and community members in the education of the youngest children.

4.11.2

Massachusetts Funding for K-12 Education

• Chapter 70 Funding
• Non-Chapter 70 Funding

The Department of Early Education & Care received more than $506 million in funding in FY12, which is roughly the same amount received in FY10 and 11.  However, this is a reduction from the decade-long peak in FY09 when EEC received more than $569 million.

4.11.3

Department of Higher Education Funding

• Funding for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

The region’s higher education infrastructure is split between private and public systems—one serving largely out-of-state and foreign students, the other serving primarily in-state residents—with many private institutions out of reach at nearly five times the cost of a public college education.

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education received $954 million in state funding in FY12, down from over $1 billion in FY11 and the peak of $1.17 billion in FY07.  In 2011, Massachusetts ranked 30th among all states in per student higher education funding, falling from 13th among all states in FY01.