Boston School Committee, Superintendent announce Graduation for All citywide forum series to confront the dropout challenge

BOSTON - The Boston School Committee and Superintendent Carol R. Johnson have announced a series of community forums as part of a citywide campaign to eliminate the high school problem and achieve 100 percent graduation in Boston Public Schools (BPS).

The four community forums - including one citywide youth forum - will be held in November and December at locations around the city (complete schedule below). Students, parents, teachers, administrators, community members and others are invited to share their ideas and experiences and help develop strategies to ensure that all Boston Public Schools students graduate from high school prepared for college and beyond.

"We are committed to providing an engaging and rigorous education for all of our students that ensures they graduate from high school and continue their education" said Dr. Johnson. "However, we need the collective energy and efforts of the community to help our students be successful."

The community forum series will review the findings of a 10-month study conducted by the Parthenon Group that provided unprecedented data about BPS students who have dropped out, as well as about students at greatest risk of dropping out. The district commissioned the study in order to develop more targeted programs and strategies that meet the needs of particular subgroups of students identified as most likely to drop out, based on historical trends. The study's findings were presented at the September 26 meeting of the Boston School Committee.

"Like every city in the country, we must work harder and smarter to identify and support those students who are not successful in existing schools and programs," said Boston School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger. "We are working to identify students much earlier, but we must accelerate our efforts to find effective strategies for preventing high school dropout and ensuring that all of our students graduate."

As reported in March 2007, the district's four-year graduation rate has remained relatively stagnant at almost 60%, while the number of annual dropouts has increased over 25% in recent years.

"Graduation for All" Community Forum Series Schedule

Thursday, November 29
3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
CITYWIDE YOUTH FORUM
Madison Park Technical-Vocational High School
75 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury
MBTA: Orange Line to Roxbury Crossing; Silver Line to Dudley Square

Tuesday, December 4
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The English High School
144 McBride Street, Jamaica Plain
MBTA: Orange Line to Green Street or Forest Hills

Thursday, December 6
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School
270 Columbia Road, Dorchester
MBTA: Bus 23 from Ruggles and Ashmont stations; Bus 16 from Forest Hills; Bus 19 from Fields Corner

Thursday, December 13
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
East Boston High School
86 White Street, East Boston
MBTA: Bus 120 from Maverick Station on the Blue Line
Translation and childcare available. Dinner will be served.

For more information about the Community Forums, visit bostonpublicschools.org/community.

4 schools, and recently won the Broad Prize for Urban Education as the top city school district in the country.