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Fellowship PaperSupport Structures at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School
By Amanda Colley Boston Preparatory Charter Public School
Massachusetts Charter School Association 2006
About BPCPS Boston Preparatory Charter Public School (BPCPS) is a young school serving students from the greater Boston area. Our mission is to utilize “rigorous curriculum, extended academic time, and a range of supports for children and families in order to prepare 6th to 12th grade students to succeed in college. (At BPCPS we feel that) an environment structured around scholarship and personal growth will cultivate students’ virtues of courage, compassion, integrity, perseverance, and respect” (BPCPS n.d.) The mission of BPCPS is an audacious one; as noted above, it includes the promise that all students will graduate prepared academically and ethically to succeed in a college of their choice. Given the fact that the vast majority of students enter BPCPS significantly below grade level, every member of our school community must be invested in, and motivated to achieve, our mission. Hard work, dedication, and a strong sense of purpose are characteristics that define not only the students’ approach to learning, but also our staff’s approach to working. BPCPS opened in September of 2004 with 110 6th graders. At full capacity (during the 2011-2012 school year) we will serve 350 6th -12th graders. The school year at BPCPS is 190 days, and the school day lasts from 8:00 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. While our students hail from the entire city of Boston, the majority come from Dorchester and Mattapan. In its founding year, Boston Preparatory Charter Public School was one of only five schools that received charters out of a pool of twenty-five applications. Of the five schools, BPCPS was the only school focused exclusively on serving children from the City of Boston (BPCPS n.d.). In its founding year (the only year for which data is available as of the date of this paper), the 6th grade students at BPCPS outperformed their district peers on the MCAS, attaining the highest average scores ever for a first year charter school in Boston. At BPCPS we emphasize to students that it is their effort, not innate ability, which determines success. For many students, however, there can be obstacles that prevent them from achieving academically. For some students, being at school brings up issues around engagement and motivation; for others, organization may prevent them from performing academically, and for others issues outside the school building can prevent students from focusing on their academic work or can even cause students to sabotage their own success at school. We have found that creating systems that support success--academic, behavioral, and organizational--are the most effective with our students and lead to the biggest gains in student achievement. The types of support we’ve put in place, and the strategies we have found to make them successful with the most struggling students, are presented in this paper, principally Homework Check and Homework Center, as well as small group academic supports: Content Mastery Center and Saturday Academy. During our pre-operational year, BPCPS staff members spent time visiting other effective charter schools in Massachusetts and New York to gather best practices. Many of the structures we use at BPCPS have been modified based on these observations. Our daily Homework Check and Homework Center, for example, were modeled after similar procedures used at the Academy of the Pacific Rim, Hyde Park, and we are thankful to them for sharing their practices with us. Saturday Academy, Homework Check, and Homework Center were implemented at BPCPS in the 2004 - 2005 school year. 2005-2006 was the first year that Content Mastery Center and the small group Homework Checks were implemented. We initiated these new systems based on data from student performance and input from teachers, which indicated that some students needed a rigorous tutoring program and that some students were struggling with the amount of homework required by the school. Homework Check and Homework Center At BPCPS, we believe that dedication to schoolwork must take place in the school building and at home. These expectations are transparent, and all students are expected to meet them. Students have about two hours of homework each night, at least one assignment per class. Students who do not complete their homework are required to stay after school at our Homework Center for an hour after the regular school day. This process, as well as the process we use for giving struggling students an additional layer of support, is described below. What Homework Check Looks Like in Action Each morning, from 7:45 a.m. until 8:10 a.m., students at BPCPS have a homeroom period, which is staffed by one of the regular content area teachers. During the homeroom period, students have time to clean the classroom, organize their materials, and check their homework. At about 8:00 a.m., the homeroom teacher begins Homework Check. Students open their color-coded homework folders, which are ordered in the same way as their homework sheet and the homeroom’s class board of assignments (a white board in each classroom where teachers write the homework for each class, so students can record it). Students take out their assignments and assignment sheet, which includes a space for parent signatures, which are requested, not required (see Appendix A). Students hold up their first assignment, and the teacher walks around the room checking for completion. If a student has not completed the assignment (or if a student repeatedly holds up an incomplete assignment or an assignment that isn’t the one due that day) he or she is signed up for Homework Center. This process is repeated for the remainder of the assignments. The teacher records on a roster (see Appendix B) the names of students who have been assigned to Homework Center, and the roster is sent to the school’s administrative assistant. The administrative assistant then makes a phone call to each family on the list, informing them that their child has Homework Center. Homework Center takes place from 4:15 to 5:15 and is staffed by a BPCPS teacher. During Homework Center students are allowed to complete unfinished assignments and are able to get extra help from the teacher on duty. They are also allowed, when appropriate, to work together on assignments. Although the regular Homework Check is very structured, and the accountability for doing homework is clear, some students still struggle with completing and turning in their homework assignments. For these few students, we have developed additional supports. Outside homeroom, we have Small Group Homework Check, which is staffed by our dean of support services and another teacher who does not have a usual homeroom duty. This smaller setting is reserved for students referred by a teacher (especially students who are either struggling academically or who face challenges with organization) or for students who repeatedly earn Homework Center. In this separate setting, more individual attention is possible than in the Homeroom Homework Check. There is time for teacher and student to discuss strategies for completing homework, create schedules for students to use at home in the evenings, and set academic and behavioral goals for the upcoming week (which the dean of support services can help the student monitor). The teacher can also immediately contact family members to discuss the quality of homework and to ensure that homework is checked at home and placed in a child’s bag before coming to school. This extra accountability motivates students to do their homework and turn it in. After two weeks of not being assigned to Homework Center, students are able to return to their homerooms to have their homework checked there. Data to Support This System (2005-2006 figures, compiled by author)
Pros of the System
Challenges of the System
Small Group Academic Support When students enter BPCPS many of them face academic expectations that are new and challenging. Few are used to the 8 hour school day, and keeping up with the pace of instruction can be overwhelming for many students. To meet the needs of our students, we have developed two small group academic support systems: a tutoring program called Content Mastery Center, and a half-day Saturday Academy program. Content Mastery Center At BPCPS, before each school year begins, we spend hours assessing students. We not only give students grade-level content exams in each subject (to determine prior knowledge); we also administer the reading comprehension and mathematics portions of the Stanford 10 and give all incoming 6th grade students an informal reading inventory. The data from these tests shows us that many of our students enter BPCPS multiple grade levels behind. For example, data collected at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year showed that 66% of entering (6th grade) students scored below the 6th grade level in math on the Stanford 10, and 11% of students scored below the 4th grade level on the same test. In reading comprehension, 75% of entering students scored below the 6th grade level and 48% of students scored below the 4th grade level. The struggle we face is finding ways to keep classrooms and supports inclusive, while ensuring that all students make significant academic gains each year. In our first year, students who struggled were provided with a limited amount of after-school tutoring, as we did not have any tutoring offered during the regular school day. We found that after-school tutoring was ineffective because attendance was low and because students were not motivated when tutoring was in session. In the fall of 2006, we began a new, inclusive tutoring program called Content Mastery Center (CMC), the purpose of which is to provide support to students who are struggling to master the academic content of a class. At BPCPS, students have a scheduled study hall about four times per week, and CMC is scheduled to take place during this study hall. CMC is a structured support period, taught by both a general and a special educator; they provide students with either a review of materials recently learned, extra help organizing how content fits into a larger picture, or a review of content taught previously in a course. One of the innovative aspects of CMC is that the referral process is data-driven. Teachers often use quiz data, homework assignments, and exit tickets (1-3 problems or questions given at the close of a class and directly related to the day’s objective) to determine which students should participate in CMC. Students are not simply placed on the roster for the entire year--the purpose of CMC is to see what specific skills individuals need support with and to provide that support during the tutorial. Students are usually removed from the CMC roster if they are not struggling with the content presented in class that given week. For example, in 6th grade math, a student may need to be in CMC for the entire fractions unit, but may not need it at all for a measurement or geometry unit. Students are enrolled based on their skill gaps, and the rosters created for CMC change weekly based on real time assessment data gathered by teachers. We try to limit the CMC class size to about 20 students. With two teachers staffing the CMC this ensures that there is no greater than a 10:1 ratio. Students who require special education support services as part of their IEP are given top priority when it comes to placement in CMCs. Once these students are placed on the roster, the remaining spaces are filled with students who are referred to the CMC by a teacher. Students may also opt into CMCs when they feel like they need extra support. During certain times of the year, depending on the difficulty of content, CMC may fill up, and students who would like to attend are not able to; luckily this does not happen frequently. What Content Mastery Center Looks Like In Action Each grade level has a CMC for a specific subject each day. The schedule varies, but a typical CMC schedule might look like this:
The teacher who is assigned to teach CMC is also the regular content area teacher for that subject. For example, our 6th grade Math Procedures teachers (special education and regular education) run the 6th grade math Procedures CMC. This means teachers who are familiar with the content provide the tutoring. CMC coverage is a scheduled part of a teacher’s job at BPCPS, and scheduled teachers are responsible for gathering student assessment data to create weekly rosters and plan the CMC sessions. Generally, CMCs are co-taught by a content area teacher, a general educator who is primarily responsible for planning the CMC and creating related materials, and a special educator, who is responsible for reviewing plans for the CMC, preparing/using effective strategies, and adapting parts for special education students in the group, as needed. Teachers provide CMC staff with information on the material with which the referred student is struggling (see Appendix C, CMC Referral Form). But planning and running the CMC is up to the teachers in charge of it that day. It is a structured learning environment, and the teachers leading CMC plan their activities in advance (see Appendix D, CMC Planning Guide--Blank). For a certain CMC, the focus might be on organization skills; for another, the content area teachers and the special education teachers might organize a mini lesson based on the topics that students have struggled with the most in the classroom. Teachers may either choose to review the week’s content in general or may choose to review a specific concept. Lesson plans are posted on the school’s server (we have a common folder where all of these plans are placed), so co-teachers can prepare. CMC is planned with strategies for differentiation in mind and does not take the form of a lecture (see Appendix E, CMC Planning Guide--Sample). CMC operates as follows. Each day, students remain in their homeroom for the first 10 minutes of study hall, which takes place from approximately 2-3 p.m. daily. This is a time reserved for students to write down their homework assignments on their sheets, gather up any make-up work, and ask clarifying questions about that night’s homework. At the end of this initial period of time, the CMC teachers visit each homeroom, pick up students, and take them to the CMC classroom. Some students not on the roster ask to come, and if there is space, they join the group. The teachers usually choose to divide the group into several smaller groups and provide students with activities based on their specific needs. The teachers work with the small groups, asking questions and clarifying misconceptions. If students finish their activities early, they often return to study hall to get a head start on their homework. Data to Support the System (2005-2006 material, compiled by author) Because the CMC rosters change each week, gathering quantifiable assessment data to track improvement of students in CMC is difficult. Anecdotally, teachers and students are pleased with the program, and teachers want even more CMC sessions scheduled in the future. In June of 2006, we (this author and Dean of Students Jesse Robinson) gave a survey to several students and teachers to get feedback on the centers. Here are some of the responses. Teacher responses:
Student responses:
Pros of the System
Challenges of the System
Saturday Academy Program Even with academic supports such as Content Mastery Center and Homework Center built into the daily fabric of our school, some students still struggle to meet the promotion standards. For these students, we have an additional half-day Saturday program called Saturday Academy. This program is required for any student who is failing one or more than one class at BPCPS. For each grade level, there are approximately two Saturday Academy teachers, and there is one Saturday Academy administrator (the school principal, and this responsibility is written into her job description) for the entire program. The administrator is present, checks attendance, contacts families of late or absent students, and monitors any behavioral situations that might occur during the program. The teachers are either individuals who have a reduced work load during the regular week, as they come in for a half day on Saturdays, or teachers who only teach in Saturday Academy. Regular content area teachers do most of the planning for Saturday Academy; they gather assignments, write mini lessons to be presented, and review the materials with the Saturday Academy teachers prior to the lesson. Saturday Academy teachers are responsible for replicating the materials and reviewing the lesson plans, so they can present quality lessons on Saturday mornings. They are also responsible for distributing and checking assignments for the Saturday Academy students. Student rosters for Saturday Academy are updated about 4 times per year. The program begins in mid October, once enough assessment data has been gathered to help determine which students are in danger of failing a class. After attending a full quarter of Saturday Academy, students may earn their way off the roster, if they are passing all of their classes. What Saturday Academy Looks Like In Action At about 8:00 a.m., the Saturday Academy staff begins to organize student materials for the day. Each student receives his or her own packet of materials, including an assignment sheet and a pack of assignments for the classes he or she is failing (see Appendix F, Saturday Academy Blue Sheet). These packets include any graded assignments from the previous weeks. During Saturday Academy, students alternate between attending tutorials for the classes they are failing and receiving assistance in a study hall. During these study halls students complete the packets they receive at the beginning of the day. Students begin arriving at about 8:30 a.m., and as they enter the school they pick up their packet of assignments and sit in their assigned place in the cafeteria and begin working. At 9:00 a.m., the teachers call the first tutorial session for each grade level. At this point, anyone who is failing a class called leaves the cafeteria to attend a tutorial in a classroom. Students who are not failing a class (that was called) remain in the cafeteria until another session begins. Any students who arrive at the school after 9:00 a.m. must wait in the office with the administrator and complete a late assignment until the next session begins. During the Saturday Academy session, there are four academic tutorials, with a recess half way through the day (see Appendix G, BPCPS Saturday Academy Schedule 2005-2006). At the end of the day, students turn in any completed work. The following Monday, the Saturday Academy teacher distributes the work to the regular classroom teachers who grade the assignments. If students take home assignments to complete, they turn them in to their classroom teacher at Homework Check on Monday. The classroom teacher then grades the assignments and returns it to students during class. Saturday Academy teachers and classroom teachers communicate on Friday afternoons before the school’s regular faculty meeting. During this time teachers discuss the material to be presented at Saturday Academy, and the classroom teacher explains what students have struggled with during the week. Data to Support the System (2005-2006 school year, compiled by author)
Pros of the System
Challenges of the System
Summary A recent study completed by the Education Trust (2004) showed that in Massachusetts approximately 65% of African American students and 49% of Latino students graduate from high school; the same study showed that African American students represent 5%, and Latino students represent 3% of students enrolled in 4 year colleges or universities in this state. At BPCPS, we are dedicated to our mission that all our students will graduate from college and will grow ethically. We know that in order to achieve the school’s mission, a variety of academic and organizational supports are necessary. As a data-driven school, we focus on finding strategies to meet the needs of our students, and we are able to support students so that they achieve at incredibly high levels. The structures and supports described in this paper are some of the most effective ways we have found to ensure that all our students achieve our mission.
Appendix A: Homework Assignment Sheet
PS = Problem Solving PCD = Procedures S 1 = Semester 1 S2 = Semester 2 Form developed collaboratively (by staff), August 2005.
Appendix B: Homework Center Sign Up Form
Appendix C: CMC Referral Form
Content Mastery Center (CMC) Referral Form *Please complete and return to the Dean of Support Services Date: Name of Teacher making referral: Name of student: Homeroom: Subject area for content mastery center: Current grade average in the subject: ___________________________________________________________________ What concepts, skills, or content is this student struggling with the most?
What does this student struggle with specifically (organization, content processing, etc.)?
Form developed by Amanda Colley, Principal, August 2005
Appendix D: CMC Planning Guide--Blank
Content Mastery Center (CMC) Planning Guide *Please complete and place on the server 2 days prior to your CMC. CMC: Teachers: Objectives/topics to cover:
Structure for CMC: What model of co-teaching will you use? What is each teacher responsible for? What are the desired outcomes for students? What materials will be used?
Form developed by Amanda Colley, Principal, August 2005
Appendix E: CMC Planning Guide--Sample
Content Mastery Center (CMC) Planning Guide *Please complete and place on the server 2 days prior to your CMC. CMC: 6th Grade Writing Teachers: Mr. B. and Ms. A. Objectives/topics to cover:
Structure for CMC: What model of co-teaching will you use? What is each teacher responsible for? What are the desired outcomes for students? What materials will be used?
(Form developed by Amanda Colley, Principal, October 2005)
Appendix F: BPCPS Saturday Academy Blue Sheet
PCD = Procedures, PS = Problem Solving, APS = Advanced Problem Solving, HSS = History Saturday Academy Staff Signature: _________________________ Parent Signature: _______________________________________ Form developed by Scott McCue, Head of School, October 2005
Appendix G: Saturday Academy Schedule
PCD = Procedures, HSS = History, PS = Problem Solving Schedule developed by Scott McCue, Head of School, October 2005
References Boston Preparatory Charter Public School (BPCPS). n.d. School Overview. Retrieved 25 September 2006 from the BPCPS Web site: www.bostonprep.org. Education Trust, Inc. 2004. Education Watch Massachusetts: Key Education Facts and Figures. Retrieved 25 September 2006 from the Education Trust Web site: www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2004/Massachusetts.pdf. School Overview. n.d. Retrieved 26 September 2006 from the Boston Preparatory Charter Public School Web site: www.bostonprep.org.
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