District/School Administration Administration
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Charter Renewal - Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School

I recommend that the Board of Education vote to renew the charter for the Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School (BDEA).

Basis of Recommendations Regarding the Renewal of Charters

The charter school regulations state that "[t]he decision by the Board to renew a charter shall be based upon the presentation of affirmative evidence regarding the success of the school's academic program; the viability of the school as an organization; and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter" 603 CMR 1.12. Consistent with the regulations, the recommendations regarding renewal are based upon the Department's evaluation of the school's performance in these areas. In its review, the Department has considered both the school's absolute performance at the time of the application for renewal and the progress the school has made during the first four years of its charter.

The superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, the district sending students to BDEA, was invited to submit written comment to the Department regarding the renewal of the school's charter. No written comment was received from the superintendent.

The summary document that follows this memorandum was prepared for you as a compilation of the school's record for the term of this charter. The accountability process for charter schools recognizes that in exchange for increased freedom, a school must demonstrate results within the term of its five-year charter or risk non-renewal. I recommend that the Board renew the charter for Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School, based on the evidence gathered in the attached Summary of Review and as further summarized below.

I. Academic Success

• BDEA offers three high school programs: a day program for 200 students, and evening and distance learning programs for 205 students. All BDEA programs are designed to serve overage students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out of school.
• Students in the day program enroll directly following middle school, but are overage for entering high school (at least 16 years of age). Students in the evening and distance learning programs have already spent three to six years in one or more high school programs prior to entering BDEA. Students spend from one to four years at BDEA before graduating.
• BDEA offers a competency-based alternative to the traditional high school credit hour model. The essential components of a high school curriculum have been distilled into 300+ specific competencies in the core academic areas of humanities, mathematics, and science and technology, as well as social-emotional competencies. Before graduation, students must demonstrate mastery of competencies and pass the MCAS.
• Student support and the advisory system are key components of the school's program. The student support team provides students and their families with counseling and other forms of support. The advisory curriculum addresses issues of personal wellness and engages students in community service projects.
• BDEA is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) and adheres to the ten CES Common Principles and six CES Habits of Mind.
• It is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions about MCAS performance of BDEA students because of the small cohort group and the at-risk profile of the students attending the school. BDEA MCAS scores were not reported publicly until 2006 because the size of the group was too small to ensure confidentiality. In 2006, of those students who took the MCAS, 82% of BDEA students passed the ELA examination and 61% passed the mathematics examination (first administration or retest). In 2007, 71% passed the first administration of the ELA examination and 47% passed the mathematics examination. Retest results for 2007 are not yet available. BDEA did not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2007, the first year the school was assigned an AYP rating.

II. Organizational Viability

• BDEA is financially sound and stable.
• The BDEA Board consists of 15 members. The full Board meets five or six times per year. An Executive Committee, which is charged with oversight of the day-to-day operations of the school, also meets approximately six times per year.
• In July 2006, the Board finalized a seventy-nine page Strategic Business Plan for BDEA, 2006-2011. The plan envisions an expansion of the school to 600 students over the next ten years, names four broad programmatic goals, and includes several objectives for each goal and several specific strategies for attaining the objectives.
• Retention of students is a major challenge for BDEA. Approximately 62% of students who have enrolled in the day program since the fall of 2004 remain in the program. Approximately 33% of the students who have enrolled in the evening and distance learning program since the fall of 2004 remain in the program, 15% have graduated, and 44% have left without graduating.

III. Faithfulness to Charter

• The renewal inspection team found that BDEA has been faithful to all aspects of its mission statement and particularly that curriculum and instruction reflect the school's commitment to a competency based program and to the integration of the CES Principles and Habits of Mind; that the student services team enables the school to serve students with multiple challenges; and that the school has focused on developing relationships and creating a community centered on mutual respect and trust.
• BDEA underwent a Coordinated Program Review as part of the Boston Public Schools Coordinated Program Review. No compliance issues relating to BDEA were noted.

IV. Dissemination

• In connection with the Project for School Innovation, BDEA has contributed to a guide to building supportive high schools for at risk students.
• BDEA received an EdVestors grant to develop competency-based schools along with three Boston Public Schools alternative schools.
• BDEA administrators and faculty have presented at conferences and workshops including the Association of Supervisors and Curriculum Developers annual conference, the Boston Pilot School Network Teacher Sharing Conference, the Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum, and the American Youth Policy Forum.

If you have any questions regarding this renewal recommendation or require additional information, please contact Jeff Wulfson, Associate Commissioner, at 781 338-6500, Mary Street, Director of Charter Schools, at 781 338-3200, or me.

Enclosure:    Summary of Review