Redesign and Reinvest

Dear Boston Public Schools family,

This spring and summer, BPS wants to work with families and the community to significantly improve our school choice process and determine the array of choices and school options that will be available for all students. This work is a continuation of our Redesign and Reinvest effort to create a more parent- and student-friendly system that offers the best school options for all students no matter where they live.

Over the last several years, we have heard from many parents about this critical issue. We know that their experience with our school choice process often feels cumbersome and time consuming. This year, we will create a simpler, more customer-friendly school choice system that actually makes sense for parents. In the school registration forms we sent in the last few weeks, we invited parents and students to join the effort by sending us an email at choice@bostonpublicschools.org. This is another step in an ongoing and deliberate process to work closely with families and engage the public throughout this process. If you are interested in participating in our 18-month effort, please send us an email to learn more.

Our goal is to streamline and simplify the system for comparing, selecting and enrolling in schools. We know that our families come to us with many different backgrounds. We must do much more to accommodate them, and be quick to respond to their needs. We want to make next year’s school choice process much more welcoming and easier than it is today.

That work is already underway and will continue throughout this year. Then, in 2012, we will work with our staff and the community to review and, where necessary, rebuild a different and more responsive array of quality programs that maintain choice and diversity while creating more transparency and predictability to the systems we use to match school choices with school assignments. Any changes would take effect for the 2013-2014 school year.

It goes without saying that we are in a transformative period in public education in this country. A painful economy, an uncertain political climate, persistent achievement gaps and higher standards for all, increased competition and an increasingly diverse student population each present unique challenges -- and opportunities. Our families expect us to innovate, collaborate, and do whatever it takes to educate our children well. By creating a more welcoming system of consistently high-quality schools, we can ensure that Boston’s families will choose us for years to come.

Sincerely,
Carol R. Johnson
Superintendent
April 13, 2011

Here is what we will accomplish together:

BPS will engage the community in a meaningful discussion

• We have created an 18-month process to have time for meaningful community engagement, debate and shared decision-making
• We welcome your thoughts on how we can improve the choice process
• This conversation is already beginning at choice@bostonpublicschools.org
• Our work in this effort has been ongoing for more than seven years, beginning with the 2004 Student Assignment Task Force. Read their report here.

For the 2012 – 2013 school year

• Families will experience a simplified process of comparing, choosing, and selecting schools
• This means less paperwork, fewer hurdles, better customer service
• More options, and better options for families

For the 2013 – 2014/2014-2015 school years

• Changes to school choice will begin to take effect
• Families will have greater predictability as they transition from pre-kindergarten through high school graduation

This May, BPS is embarking on an 18-month planning process to create a more family friendly enrollment process. Phase one of the project will be to improve how we register our families. During the month of May, the Office of Enrollment and Welcome Services will be organizing several small discussion groups to hear from parents who have recently registered with us.
 
We want to hear about your challenges AND your recommendations on how to build a better process. The following conversations will focus on registration issues such as the outreach process, document requirements, the use of technology, and other potential barriers. In addition, many more opportunities will be made available over the next few months to talk about the assignment process; all interested parties may participate in either or both of these efforts.
 
All are welcome to join the discussion, but you must RSVP in advance to participate. To keep discussion groups small and productive, we ask that participants select just one session to attend. To participate in one of the following registration conversations, please click here.

• Roslindale: West Zone Family Resource Center, Saturday, May 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (English and Haitian Creole)
• Roxbury: North Zone Family Resource Center, Tuesday, May 10 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English and Spanish)
• Chinatown: Chinatown YMCA, Wednesday, May 11 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English, Chinese, and Spanish)
• South Boston: Tynan Elementary School, Wednesday, May 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English)
• East Boston: Umana Middle School Academy, Wednesday, May 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English and Spanish)
• West Roxbury: Ohrenberger Elementary School, Wednesday, May 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English)
• Dorchester: East Zone Family Resource Center, Saturday, May 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (English, Cape Verdean Creole, Vietnamese)
• Downtown: BPS Central Office, Wednesday, May 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English and Spanish)
• Brighton: Edison K-8 School, Wednesday, May 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (English and Portuguese)

Overview of ongoing community engagement process: May, 2011 through 2012:

See the presentation to the Boston School Committee, April 13, 2011

Updates for families affected by the Winter, 2010 school merger/closure/expansion process

School closures and mergers are difficult for everyone, but these steps are necessary to build the high-quality school system that all our children deserve. Like you, we want the very best for your child. BPS is committed to supporting you through this process by providing information sessions, school choice counseling and special visits to new schools. We will be available for you by telephone, email, and in person. We value your decision to choose BPS and we are going to support you during this transition.

Schools impacted by Redesign and Reinvest include some that are merging, some that are closing, and others that still are being reinvented as a new school in the same location. In addition, some programs for students with special needs or limited English proficiency may be moving from one location to another. Please read on to learn about next steps for students and families in each of these situations.

BPS is dedicating special resources for families and students in impacted schools to help support you in the choice process. To learn more, please download this flier:

English | Español | 官话 | Kabuverdianu | Kreyòl | Português | Afsoomaali | tiếng Việt

Students in closing schools should have registered for new schools from February 9 - March 25. Registration forms were sent families via their current schools. Families should have completed these forms and returned them to their current schools before March 25. These students have first priority to enroll for available seats at available schools, after sibling preference is taken into account. Assignments will be mailed to families in early May.
Students from these schools fall into this category: Agassiz, Emerson, Farragut, Fifield, Social Justice Academy, and The Engineering School.

Students in merging schools are automatically assigned to their newly merged school. This is also true for students in K1, SPED or ELL programs that are moving to a new school, even if their school is listed above as closing. Seats are guaranteed at their new schools and no further action is required. If a family does not want their new school assignment, they can visit any Family Resource Center to request a transfer.
Students from these schools fall into this category: Alighieri, East Zone ELC, Lee Academy (grades two and older), Excel and Monument High School, Brook Farm and Media Communications Technology High Schools, Urban Science and Parkway Academies.

Students in Gavin Middle School and Odyssey High School are guaranteed enrollment in their new in-district charter schools as long as they fill out a registration form with their new, respective schools, UP Academy and Boston Green Academy.

Family Resource Center Operators by Zone

Families are always welcome to call or come in to our Family Resource Centers to speak with staff about new school choices and how to register. You can call the BPS Resource Centers in your area to set up an appointment for school choice counseling. Appointments would ensure a dedicated staff member is available to deal with your specific needs.

East Zone FRC: (617) 635-8015 1216 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester?

North Zone FRC: (617) 635-9010 75 Malcolm X Blvd, Roxbury?

West Zone FRC: (617) 635-8040 515 Hyde Park Ave., Roslindale

Here is a roll-up of reports presented to the School Committee, including an equity analysis and current enrollment data by zone.

For more on our plan and to see how it will put BPS on a more stable, stronger path permanently and into the future, please read our presentation to the School Committee, December 2, 2011.

School changes for the Fall of 2011

• Merge Lee Academy with Lee Elementary; create a K-8

• Merge Alighieri and Umana

• Merge Urban Science Academy and Parkway Academy of Technology and Health

• Merge Brook Farm Business & Service Career Academy and Media Communications Technology High School

• Merge Excel High School and Monument High School

• Expand Holland Elementary

• Expand Trotter Elementary

• Expand Orchard Gardens K-8

• Relocate Community Academy of Science and Health

• Unite and expand TechBoston Academy

• Expand Dearborn to a 6-12 STEM program

• Move Dorchester Academy

• Close East Zone ELC

• Close Fifield Elementary

• Relocate Middle School Academy

• Close Emerson Elementary

• Close Farragut Elementary

• Close Agassiz Elementary

• Close The Engineering School

• Close Social Justice Academy

• Clap Elementary becomes our first "Innovation School"

• Close and convert Gavin Middle School into UP Academy

• Close and transform Odyssey High School into Boston Green Academy.

What we have heard from the community

In June, 2010, BPS held a "Neighborhood Day of Dialogue" with meetings at 17 locations across the city to hear feedback from parents and students. In August, we hosted a meeting of community stakeholders to continue the conversation. We also posted a survey on this website in English and Spanish that asked the same questions we presented at the Day of Dialogue, and more than 400 of you responded.

The feedback we received guided our thinking as we developed our Redesign and Reinvest proposals. Summary results from our Neighborhood Day of Dialogue surveys are below. For much more specific information, including the results of site-by-site discussions, please read the full 34-page report. The in-depth document contains richer detail, including many specific issues raised by individual parent groups as well as quotes from participants. To learn more about our discussions with stakeholders in August, 2010, please read this nine-page report.

This chart shows the general factors that parents and students told us are the factors that are "most important" to creating a high quality school:

The green chart below takes the broad categories reflected in the chart above and splits them into the sub-groups that parents and students specifically mentioned:

On-line survey

This chart shows the general factors that parents and students told us are the factors that are "most important" to creating a high quality school:

This chart lists the specific factors students and parents selected:

Key points from the conversation

• Both Day of Dialogue participants and online survey respondents selected "academic performance" as the most important criteria to consider when making decisions.
• "Safety and discipline" was raised in many community group meetings.
• "Demand and Geographic Distribution," including equity issues, was the next most important criteria in both the community meetings and the on-line survey.
• "Effective teachers" was identified as the most important factor to a high quality school by both Day of Dialogue participants and survey respondents.
• "Electives," "academic rigor," and "principal leadership" were also prioritized by both groups.

• Survey respondents were given an opportunity to enter factors in an open response, and "health and wellness items" were cited many times including "nutritious food" and "physical and health education."

How BPS is using this information

The Redesign and Reinvest process is being guided by the criteria we have heard from parents, students and community groups. For example, it is clear that parents across all groups place the value of "academic options" and "academic performance" above nearly everything else. Because of this, the BPS draft proposal places a high priority on providing equitable access to programs that have strong records of achieving academic results. Feedback on "effective teachers" and "principal leadership" has already helped BPS shape the strategies in place this fall at our Turnaround Schools. In some cases, the dialogue has confirmed what BPS already knew to be true -- that parents and students do not want BPS to make decisions purely from a budgetary or capacity perspective.

This conversation is continuing. Please fill out the survey in English or Spanish if you have not already, or email your thoughts to us directly at redesign@bostonpublicschools.org. Thank you for being involved in the planning process and thank you for helping build a better BPS!