FYI from BSF, 03.04.22

Remember when high school graduation rates were a big deal?

For good reason.  A high school degree has significant long-term economic benefits.   Federal policy has emphasized it for the past two decades.  And it’s popular and well-understood by families; our initial research to build Boston School Finder revealed it was the most important factor Boston families considered in choosing a high school.

Quietly, and therefore curiously, Massachusetts and Boston high school graduation data was released last week without the typical attention and, at times, fanfare.

Here is what the numbers tell us.
 

High school graduation rates increased again in Boston (district + charter), for the second year in a row.

Non-selective schools are driving this increase. Exam schools are constant, with non-exam school BPS schools and charter school rates increasing.

There continue to be persistent gaps by school type.

There continue to be persistent gaps by subgroup.

Subgroup performance does NOT explain the gap between BPS and Massachusetts high school graduation rates. All Boston subgroups (save 8 Native American/Alaskan students) lag behind Massachusetts peers, with special education presenting the largest variance.

Despite all of the increases reported, BPS is not graduating more children from high school than it did 15 years ago (when the data was first published).

What do we make of this?

It’s hard to tell.

First, a federal audit - still unaddressed - brings into question whether these numbers are even correct.

More directly, there is the question of the competency determination. The last several high school graduation classes did not need to pass the MCAS to graduate. With this requirement waived, Boston high school graduation rates have risen across the board.

Back in the spring of 2019, nearly a year before the start of the pandemic, the Class of 2021 did sit for the 10th grade MCAS. The results of that assessment do not track to graduation rates. For example, compare proficiency levels and the graduation rate for Boston's high need students.

Massachusetts was moving to raise academic standards for high school in the year the pandemic began, and Boston adopted MassCore last year. How will this be reconciled with two years of interrupted learning?

There is no easy answer. Withholding a high school degree has real consequences for a young adult. But so does not developing the literacy, numeracy, and critical reasoning skills needed for continued education, career, and life.

Like many things, a high school diploma - and a city’s high school graduation rates - mean something different after these two years.

Opening Boston, MA, and Beyond

Most Massachusetts schools went mask optional this week. Buses, too. Boston may soon follow suit. Any transition in a school is complicated.

Aside from ventilation, vaccination would be the remaining mitigation in schools, even if the protection for 5-11 year-olds may be less robust. Fewer than 50% of children 5-19 have been vaccinated in Boston, but that data is not available at the school-level (it is in New York City).

The weekly school-based COVID report will be watched even more closely in the coming weeks. This week’s report shows another dramatic decrease of student cases statewide, while staff and Boston cases were flat.

Even without full-scale shutdowns, a lot of kids have missed a lot of school this year, particularly in January.

Time to rethink grading?

In the small space committed to education in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Biden was direct: “The American Rescue Plan gave schools money to hire teachers and help students make up for lost learning. I urge every parent to make sure your school does just that. They have the money.” The federal government is already looking at Massachusetts and specific communities about the proper use of other federal funds.

We do finally have receipts. This is the plan BPS submitted for the last quarter billion dollars of federal funding. Lots of money for new positions. That did not end well after the last federal stimulus, a decade ago.

Other Matters

With approval by School Committee on Wednesday,  Boston has a search committee and timeline for a new superintendent.   Summary here.

School vacation was still a busy week.  Mayor Wu announced that early childhood education coordination was officially moving to City Hall.   Many Boston children participated in Acceleration Academies during the break.