During her first year as Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, Dr. Carol R. Johnson presented an Acceleration Agenda that outlines her goals and priorities for the school district.
Superintendent Johnson identified three underlying principles that are foundational to the challenges and work ahead:
1. Today, Boston Public Schools, the birthplace of public education in this nation, offers the best education possible for some of its students. Boston Public Schools has the capacity to offer the best education possible for all of its students.
2. Change is never easy, and while specific actions may seem instant and quick, sustained/transformative change requires a reshaping of our cultural frame of reference and a shift in how we leverage limited resources with other partners, parents, parks, libraries, faith-based groups, businesses, and community and neighborhood associations to achieve the outcomes we want for children. Adult issues in our schools, in the political arena, or throughout our city must take a back seat to our efforts to develop, educate, and in some cases, rescue the youth of our city.
3. Our core business is academic achievement; thus, what happens inside and outside our classrooms and in our schools on an hour-by-hour basis matters – and it matters a lot. Our investments both inside and outside of the classroom matter. Our partnerships with parents matter. Our efforts to develop character and help students make good and healthy choices – our capacity to inspire and engage students to own their success and to put in the extra effort – all matter. This means making sure our students have early exposure to experiences that enhance school learning ─ enriching experiences in the arts, safe and structured after-school learning programs, numerous athletic opportunities, and robust health and social support systems. These ingredients, when combined together, offer our students the best and most powerful prescription for lifelong well-being and lifelong success.
Dr. Johnson outlined her Acceleration Agenda in two phases: the first focused on academic priorities and the second focused on operational priorities.
On January 30, 2008, the Superintendent presented the Boston School Committee with her findings and recommendations to improve the academic achievement of all students. She recommended the following action steps:
1. Ensure “Graduation For All” through innovative programs and new school models that serve students most at-risk of dropping out. Shift from a single, after-school “Credit Recovery” model to establishing 10 Credit Recovery After-School and Summer School Sites offering consistent opportunities for credit make-up in core courses.
2. Re-align the academic leadership structure so it is more responsive to the academic challenges identified and promotes and values teamwork. The changes include:
a. Hiring a Chief Academic Officer to oversee six specific areas of focus: Academic Superintendents who would supervise principals (Elementary, Middle/K-8, High, Pilot) as well a Director of Alternative Education/Adult Education/Discipline, Teaching & Learning, Professional Development, English Language Learners, Special Education, and Student Support Services. This structure replaces the “triad” model as well as the High School Renewal and Unified Student Services offices.
b. Creating an Office of Accountability to develop definitions and benchmarks for school quality; monitor and evaluate district efforts to implement No Child Left Behind; establish a single point of contact for the Department of Education; and integrate the work supported in the general fund with activities of the federal resources. This office also provides the link to the Supplemental Education Service providers and is responsible for state and federal compliance functions.
c. Establishing an Institutional Advancement Office to better align the district’s needs and priorities with coherent fund-raising strategies, external partnerships for schools, and alumni giving.
d. Restructuring the Family & Community Engagement Office into the Family & Student Engagement Office to build on the progress to date in engaging families, improve partnerships with groups that advocate on behalf of families, and better mobilize student voice.
3. Strengthening Special Education by separating its functions from other school support services and having the director report directly to the Superintendent to ensure the link between students with disabilities and general education, and to reduce over-referrals of students to special education classrooms.
4. Improving support for English Language Learners by creating a Newcomers Academy, standardizing translation services, and re-evaluating district practices for students whose first language is not English.
5. Establishing a Pre K-12 Literacy Curriculum to ensure a consistent, rigorous program of study across all schools and grade levels that prepares children to read and write at proficient levels.
6. Expanding enrichment opportunities in arts and music, athletics, recreation, and other extra-curricular activities through existing programs as well as partner agencies and institutions.
7. Improving student support services by strengthening partnerships with community-based organizations, city agencies, and partner institutions to ensure full readiness for classroom learning. This would include a specific focus on addressing students’ physical, social, and mental health needs.
8. Expanding the district’s school choice marketing strategy so that families in all neighborhoods are aware of the array of school choices and programs available to them; also, improving customer service and registration procedures to make the student assignment process more family-friendly and transparent.
9. Exploring new school models, including the creation of programs focusing on International Baccalaureate, elementary Montessori, an arts-focused middle school, gender-specific programming, and school-business partnerships. New pilot schools and schools with different grade configurations (i.e., K-8 schools/pathways) should be considered.
Superintendent's Memo: Phase I, Academics
Restructured Central Offices: Roles and Responsibilities
On May 8, 2008, Dr. Johnson presented a preliminary plan for the second phase of her Acceleration Agenda, focused on strengthening operations to support the academic priorities.
The core components of Phase II are:
Presentation: Phase II, Strengthening Operations
Superintendent's Memo: Phase II, Operations
Overview: Phase II, Operations
August 29, 2008
Back-to-School Letter: Dr. Johnson welcomes families and staff to a new school year and provides an overview of the process to relocate, expand and consolidate some programs and facilities next year.
For information about the Superintendent's proposal to align academic and operational priorities, see the "Pathways to Excellence" page.