The Boston Indicators Project

Brief Project Overview
The Boston Indicators Project is a collaborative project of Greater Boston’s civic community. Recognized for its comprehensive framework and selected by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to help inform the development of national indicators, the project is coordinated by the Boston Foundation in partnership with the City of Boston and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Its goals are: to democratize access to high quality data and information; to foster informed public discourse, and; to track progress on shared civic goals. Since 2000, the project has released four biennial reports, the last three as a summary in hard copy and a detailed web-based report on the award-winning www.bostonindicators.org. The Boston Foundation is committed to issuing a biennial report through 2030, Boston’s 400^th anniversary.

To begin to frame the findings of each report, the project hosts a series of convenings in each of the ten sectors it tracks: Civic Health; Cultural Life and the Arts; Economy; Education; Environment and Energy; Public Health; Public Safety; Housing; Technology; and Transportation. Each convening, chaired by stakeholders from within the field, includes a range of perspectives from academic experts, community-based practitioners, public agency and foundation staff, private sector representatives, and consumers.

The convenings range in size from about 20 to 100 participants, the latter for large, complex sectors such as education, civic health and housing, which are broken into sub-sectors, each with its own co-chairs. Each convening uses the same structured agenda, eliciting views on key long –term trends, major developments and accomplishments of the previous two years, and key remaining challenges. The notes are then compiled, reviewed by the co-chairs for accuracy and completeness, and used to frame and prioritize the findings of the next Boston Indicators Report.

What follows are the notes from the Education convening.

In Attendance:

Plenary Facilitators: Klare Shaw, Senior Associate, Barr Foundation; Bob Giannino-Racine, Executive Director, ACCESS

Stephen Adams, Regional Advocate, Region I Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Adminstration
Anna Alder, Program Manager, ReadBoston
Robert Antonucci, President, Fitchburg State College
Guy Armand, Hyde Square Task Force
Ellen Bass, Director, Boston Capacity Tank, Black Ministerial Alliance
Lorna Bognanno, Assistant Director of Operations, Boston Centers for Youth & Families
Jeanne-Marie Boylan, Treasurer, Board of Trustees, Bunker Hill Community College, Board Member, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
Brenda Brathwaite, Executive Director of Boston Region, BELL
Thabiti Brown, Academic Dean, Codman Academy
Jorge Cardoso, President, Institute for Responsive Education
Bithiah Carter, Director, Community Impact, United Way of Massachusetts Bay
Micky Cokely, Director , Academic Advising and Experiential Education, School of Education, Northeastern University
Katey Connaghan, Research & Policy, Associated Early Care and Education
Erin Cox, Executive Director, Eastern Region, Jump Start
William Dandridge, Vice President of Urban Initiatives, The President's Office, Lesley College
Manosi Datta, BOSTnet
Fay Donohue, President, Dentaquest Ventures
Arthur Doyle, Vice President, College Board
Christopher Fauske, Associate Dean, Department School of Arts & Sciences, Salem State College
Stephanie Gertz, CEO, Stephanie Gertz Consulting
Julia Gittleman, Principal Consultant, Mendelsohn, Gittleman & Associates
Laurie Glassman
TerrenceGomes, President, Roxbury Community College
Mariel Gonzales, Vice President, Boston After School and Beyond
Marta Gredler, Executive Director, Boston Full Service Schools Roundtable
Denise Hammon, Vice President for Policy and Research, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
London Hardy, Grants and Contracts Coordinator, Young People’s Project, Young People's Project
David Hartleb, President, Northern Essex Community College
Adrian Haugabrook, The Education Resources Institute
Anne Hunt, Communications and Field Associate, Strategies for Children
Jackie Jenkins-Scott, President, Wheelock College
Diane Joyce, Director of Programming, Boston Centers for Youth & Families
Erika Kates, Research Director, Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy
Johnathan Keller, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Planning, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
Margaret LaBonté, Family Literacy Project Manager, ReadBoston
Mary Lassen, Senior Fellow in Public Policy, The Boston Foundation
Niurka Lebron, Program Coordinator, Boston, Young People's Project
Suzanne Lee, Principal, Josiah Quincy Elementary School
Meredith Liu, Dean of Enrichment, Codman Academy Charter Public School
Cathy Livingston, Executive Director, Math Power
Jim McManus, Slowey/McManus Communications
Dishon Mills, After School Program Coordinator, Boston Public Schools
Chad Milner, Site Director, Greater Boston Area, Young People's Project
Lynson Moore Beaulieu, Director, Programs and Strategic Leadership, The Schott Foundation
Jan Motta, Mass Community Colleges
Ophelia Navarro, Research and Policy Analyst, Strategies for Children
Tom Neel, Dean of Administration, Urban College of Boston
Patricia Neilson, Associate Director, Center for Collaborative Leadership, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Linda Noonan, Managing Director, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
Jill Norton, Assistant Director, The Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy
Amy O’Leary, Deputy Campaign Director, Strategies for Children, Incorporated
Elizabeth Pauley, Senior Program Officer, The Boston Foundation
Sayra Pinto, Associate Vice President for Inclusion and Community Learning, Mount Wachusett Community College
Margarita Poles
Steve Pratt, President, Boston After School and Beyond
Marchelle Raynor, Program Director, Head Start
Mia Roberts, Chief Operating Officer, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston
Marinell Rousmaniere, Executive Director, MYTOWN
Kerri Schmidt, Reading Trail Program Coordinator, ReadBoston
Laurie Sherman, Education Policy Advisor for Mayor, City of Boston
Adam Shyvish
Charlotte Spinkston, Executive Director, UrbanPRIDE
Madeline Steczynski, Executive Director, Zumix
Joel Stembridge, Headmaster, O’Bryant School of Math & Science
John Tarin, Interim President, Jumpstart
Felicia Vargas, Director, Tech Boston
Robert Wadsworth, Program Director, The Boston Foundation
William Walczak, Executive Director, Codman Square Health Center, Inc.
Martin Walter, Chairman, Massachusetts Alliance for International Business
Susan Werley, Program Director, Jump Start
Corey Zimmerman, Research and Policy Director, Associated Early Care and Education

Key Long-Term Trends
The Co-Facilitators led participants in dialogue on key long-term trends.

Greater awareness of the importance of the 0-5 age group; more resources dedicated to this group.
Greater number of young children and families who need resources (particularly culturally appropriate and mental health resources).
More information about brain development.
More Boston Public Schools students reaching proficiency but among those who need help, 40% not participating.
Number of students whose first language is not English rising at great rate, but not more bilingual programs.
Greater awareness of the persistent high drop out rate; tracking indicators (average behind in credits by race and gender).
Increasing demand and accountability for students without an increase in resources.
More data available about students in new pilot and charter schools (Boston Public Schools and across the state).
Increasing institutional dependency from other financial sources (external); mapping 60% of BPS; staff play a role to secure resources.
More data available but increasingly difficult for parents to get information from schools.
Data tracking middle income families, more looking at Boston Public Schools for school choice.
Increasing stipulations of the Department of Education and demands for higher credentials for teachers creating barriers for advancement; harder to find qualified persons; no mechanism for teachers to reach stipulations; Mount Wachusetts targeting Gen-X for teacher training.
Massive retirement rates of teachers; concern about the age of teachers – baby boomers.
Low compensation causing declining number of teachers.
Improvements in diversity of teachers are now declining.
More dialogue around enrichment; art, music and physical education coming back; cultural arts organizations partnering with schools; bringing arts back but paid less than a regular teacher (undervalued puts stress on CBO).
Increasing sense of corporate responsibility; Gillette mentored school in North Quincy through an outreach program – company funds purchased books for program; through the program, second language learners aced math tests – also picked up English quickly on playground.
Growing number of nonprofits partnering with schools; what is their level of engagement.
Increasing number of extended day programs; Boston Public Schools participation rate in Out of School Time rose from 28% - 51%; reason for non-participation is transportation
More training and development for Out of School Time.
Wider gap between high school and younger kid’s participation in Out of School.
Male/female college ratio widening; significantly more females; what’s happening with the males (also in high school and elementary school)?
Declining retention/completion rate in college.
Greater number of students in college but taking longer to get degrees.
Declining financial aid resources while rising tuitions and loan obligations; 6% increases in college tuition (2% this year); obligation between merit based and financial based aid.
Decreasing number of college students in teacher education programs (especially in math and science).
Growing interest in the public higher education system (both good and bad); student and family interest; don’t have the resources to support it; priced out of private institutions, attending public.
Greater student involvement in governance.
More student involvement on college campuses in terms of community service and social justice.
More information about immigrant participation in higher education.
Strong growth in partnerships between universities/colleges and businesses.
Increasing emphasis on universal learning; learning and teaching has great promise.
Escalating community violence affecting school participation and performance.
Media coverage of regular urban schools is not improving.
Growth in intermediaries re: policy – mixed blessing.
Gender, racial/ethnic gap regardless of educational attainment remains constant.
Integrating data systems and doing analysis of trends over all the systems
Lost opportunities for women; low income women and what has been lost with welfare reform; lost thousands of women – how do we get them back to school and educated.

Sub-Sector Small Group Activity

Participants then broke out into small groups by sub-sector (Early Education/0-5, K-12, Out of School Time, Community Colleges, and 4-year Higher Education Institutions). In each group, co-chairs asked participants to review the key-long-term trends discussed during the plenary session to see if any were missing for their sub-sector. Participants then brainstormed recent developments, key accomplishments and remaining challenges for their sub-sector.

0-5/Early Education

Co-Chairs: Amy O’Leary, Deputy Campaign Director, Strategies for Children/Early Education for All Campaign; Marchelle Raynor, Program Director, Head Start; Laurie Sherman, Mayoral Advisor – Education, Health, Human Services, City of Boston

Key Long-Term Trends

Increasing accountability and use of data assessments.
Greater awareness of social development and need for early intervention.
Growing recognition of cultural caretaking styles.
More relationship building between pre-schools and community and with schools.
Declining state money for early childhood education; replace fed money; lack of investment.
Increasing assessments and need for focus on appropriate; places stress on teachers.
Less time with kids leading to family stress; economic trends; parents work long hours.
More schools provide early childhood education.
Increasing requirements for teachers not matched with classes, training and lack of education to participate.
More diversity in 0-5 staff, but need to be better connected to the educators.
Increasing media coverage.

Accomplishments

Spend $1 millionfor early education scholarships in 2005 (no press); $3 million in 2006.
Unanimous legislative support for universal preschool.
K1 pilot class in community and Boston Public Schools.
Number of accredited programs.
Report from Associated Early Care and Education – hear from teachers/ directors about the barriers to education.
ECE focus professional development (Pre-College)
Reassessment for sub (?)
DAP classrooms- Oversample-Parent survey (?)
Development of quality in Preschool – (K1/K2) – Community Based.
Establishment of early education department and board.
New support.
Define school readiness; hold settings accountable; created by diverse audience
Schools ready for children- facility, practice.
Money – what-aligned – comp services.
Push on cognitive development – fight for focus on whole child.

Developments

Responding to time flex of parents; “Family Friendly” schools – schedules – help parents knows.
Commitment to understanding QUALITY across the spectrum.
DAP classrooms
City wide planning for children
School Readiness – what is it?
Centralized waitlist (+1)
Qualifications Regulations
United Way – Young Minds Matter (focus on mental health).
QRS- for programs
Lots of information for parents; get the word out to parents/access
New superintendent
Looking at more developmentally appropriate classrooms

Remaining Challenges

Need more people of color (diverse) involved in decision making roles across the system.
Educate the whole child and whole family.
0-8 focus
Often operate in silos; transitions– need structure – share information – articulation – create community?; transition of 0-5/ public school.
DAP (Children’s City) – across the system – not happening now – home – choice
Little understanding of parents about early childhood education; how parents understand early childhood development- “what a baby is.”
How are we helping teen parents (parenting skills, home visits)?
Low compensation and little respect for teachers.
Need to build capacity in higher education system by teaching typical and non-traditional students teaching non-traditional students.
Overcome barriers to access to Higher Education – What is the carrot? When they are done … will they be better teacher? What makes a better teacher? How do you get there? – What type of education?
Build application experiences to classroom (weak link between theory and practice).
Men
On the educational pipeline, need to assess effectiveness of early education progress?; longitudinal studies; where is it on the path to higher education?
How do we know children are learning? What do kids need to know by 4 or 5?
Data on ECE scholarships; who/where/when = money
Match services with research-helping to build resilience.
Expulsion rate high – in MA.
Revise typical hours and time frame, need, untraditional hours.
DAP – for younger children in Preschool children.
Limited availability of services that match family, culture, schedule and languages.
Disconnect between what we know and what we do with our policies and dollars; what we know is not what we do.
Mental health behavior for young children has not improved.
Fight for focus on the whole day.

K-12

Co-Chairs:Thabiti Brown, Academic Dean, Codman Academy; Suzanne Lee, Principal, Josiah Quincy School

Key Long-Term Trends

Increasing number of new techniques for training and development of teachers.
Growing sense of social responsibility for schools (i.e. violence in the streets, homelessness); schools are asked to do more, while families have more needs.
Increasing amount of support for families.
Growing disparity and polarization between the rich and poor; negative effect on schools serving lower S.E.
Growing knowledge based economy; difficulty in meeting needs in schools.
Declining retention of public educators; lack of internal ladder of professional advancement and development.
Increasing responsibilities for first year teachers (i.e. ELL, sped implementation and support).
More experimentation with school structure in public schools (small, re-org).
Tech advances; kid’s expectations are changing but digital divide remains.
No extended families; kids not in the same schools: who’s parenting the children; job/home issues getting harder.

Accomplishments

Willingnessto experiment and innovate with new forms.
More choice; larger variety of schools.
MCAS has raised student achievement (on test or overall?)
More standards-based education.
More attention to teacher recruitment and development; professional development for all; Boston is growing their own administrators.
Looking at data to identify gaps; use of student driven data- transition to technology driven system.
Increased workflow possible through technology.
Focus on teaching and learning as core.
More public conversation about the achievement gap; willingness to talk about the achievement gap; school department is not running away.
Higher education more actively engaged in schools.
Hospitals making greater investments in schools (i.e. mental health) – Mass General, Boston Medical Center

Developments

MCAS has played a large role.
Scores are not raising scores across the board (race, class, etc.).School system treating parents and students as customers.
MCAS data disaggregated.
Web-based hiring.
School climates reflect focus on teaching and learning as core.
Boston Public Schools grows administrators from within; programs to develop their own teachers and principals - working well (100% retention so far) but young teachers “want to see the world.”
Same skills needed for workplace and college readiness.

Remaining Challenges

Difficulty with family engagement; how do we define; how do we measure; schools need help in figuring out what is helping; open houses are only attended by 50% of parents.
How can schools utilize outside resources? Community partners need to work on this also – systematize business/schools partnerships (secondary and college); how can schools step out of their own culture?
Need to use technology to support learning for all (not just traditionally successful) and get colleges to do the same.
CMA passed bill for dual enrollment, includes kids on IEPS; programs need to be inclusive.
High dropout rate; losing students due to lack of engagement; lack of connection to development of students /children – state demand is content, not understanding of child development; alienation in middle school.
Lack of information sharing; need to use technology and create a system of Best Practices sharing; build an admin level to work on this (coaches on different topics).
Need more time for professional development; real time to examine expectations of school teachers and leaders, and then support them; teachers do not spend enough time with their supervisors.
Need to develop principal of school partnerships; improve system of business school partnership.
MCAS focus leads to increased boredom; takes away from other creative practices and defines schools/student achievement and nothing else; fewer electives.
Teacher education programs are not training folks for high stakes, differentiated instruction, etc.; don’t have teachers who know what they need to know.
Lack of racial diversity of teachers.
Achievement Gap
Need to restructure the system; should we redesign the boat? – change organization and implementation of schooling radically.
Need to increase support for school choices.
Disparity between MCAS and Acuplacer test for college.
Poor outcomes for students with disabilities with few opportunities after.
U.S. is a bilingual country, but not producing a bilingual group of students; need to preserve a second language.
Student’s success now seen as responsibility of the institution (not the student).

Out of School Time

Co-Chairs:Mariel Gonzales, Vice President, Boston After School and Beyond; Mia Roberts, Chief Operating Officer, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston

Key Long-Term Trends

Drive to increase Out of School Time staff but not to increase compensation.
Increasing number of community college certificate programs but no guarantee that staff numbers or funding will rise.
Escalating needs without increases in funding.
Growing competition for funding; question impact of war funding on education and after school funding; how do we compete with military service?
Accelerated attempts of Out of School Time field to identify itself.
High turnover among youth development staff (30 months for all positions).
Extended learning time trend; impact has not be felt yet; public will to expanded day schools without adequate funding.
Increasing collaborations around a specific agenda/purpose (i.e. ReadBoston – Listening Coach Initiative)

Developments/Accomplishments

Mayor’s opening up schools to Out of School Time programs.
Hunt Alternatives Fund: creation of collaborative funded arts organizations to collaboration to increase funding for the arts. The group also includes others of influence.
ReadBoston’s Listening Coach Initiative - bringing people together across sectors working with Boston Public Schools.
$1 million for After-School.
$8 million for Partners for Student Success.
$6 million for state funding of expanded learning time.
Out of school time brought into the school system; establishment of Delta’s – Department of Extended Learning Time After School within Boston Public Schools.
Institutional Out of School Time in Boston Public Schools.

Remaining Challenges

Large number of students eligible for Supplemental Educational Services but only 11% who are using it (89% nonparticipation) - if it’s 40% or 89% - it’s too high; not enough understanding of participant/ non-participants to improve here; more students – level funding structure.
Need clear measures of efficiency; who’s not being served and what are the barriers for not serving them.
Funding does not follow success in non-profit world; no guarantee of increased funding with improved quality.
Better communication of what the programs are and what’s being offered; need current date/ accurate and accessible data.
Getting more “demand side” driving services.
Fragmented service delivery; organizations working in “silos”; Out School Time is a big tent and some groups don’t associate with others.
Need single unified youth strategy to decrease dropout rate.
Sharpening the focus for services for children based on their needs – not generalities; need more research on what children and families want/demanding.
Second wave to justify out of school time services to donors; find way to quantify different forms and see what effects Out of School Time specifically has; what is the return investment in donor’s eyes?
A lot of assumptions made in regards to race and class.
Uneven quality service delivery within out of school time field; need to professionalize and communicate that within and outside of the field.
How can we address changes in school instruction with out of school time activities?
OST as “school” causes tension; no support to help; extended learning vs. Out of School Time: how do we address in the long term?
Disconnect between policymakers and practitioners in identifying and solving problems.
OST providers and arts people missing from this discussion; where are the OST providers/ Arts providers?

Community Colleges

Co-Chairs: Sayra Pinto, Associate Vice President for Inclusion and Community Learning, Mount Wachusetts College; Mary Lassen, former Executive Director, The Women’s Union, Senior Fellow in Public Policy, The Boston Foundation

Key Long-Term Trends

Largest segment of public education (credit and non-credit).
Increasing enrollment; shift in program offerings to meet workforce needs – allied health biotech –more expensive and take longer than liberal arts (but not getting more).
System of accountability growing; mostly positive effects.
Majority of students are adults with a significant percentage of minorities who have recently graduated from high school (primarily adult institutions).
Rising demand for tech workers by employers.
Diversity within community colleges growing faster than in community.
Growing gender gap – women: men.
Remedial education role expanding.
Diverse and growing job growth / labor demand (mismatch).
Online learning growing locally and nationally/ exponentially.
Growing interest in community colleges locally and nationally.
Growing collaborations between 2-4 year institutions.

Developments

Department of EEC: new scholarships for early education careers (small with huge potential to grow)
Board of Higher Education created a task force on community college completion.
Higher education taskforce helped legislation pass; beginning uptick in funding (and joint legislative committee on higher education)
03/04 changes in regulations - not resulting in desired increase.
Increased interest and focus on community colleges nationally and locally (national funders) but much action needed.
“Reach Higher Initiative” – dichotomy between higher education and workforce (ask Mary Lassen) – effort to increase coordination across the system (state workforce system, CBO’s)
Make recommendations on how to improve but rejected by Romney.
Task Force Report on Financial Aid (10/06).
Both transfer institutions (40% acceptance rates with privates and four-years improving) and career development programs (60%) – “a couple of semesters in short-term training, upgrades.

Accomplishments

Online learning, growing locally and nationally/exponentially.
Host four year institution degree program at community college campus.
Bristol-Meyers squibs – partners put urgency re: math and science.
Continue to survive and thrive despite all challenges.

Remaining Challenges

To articulate the curriculum of high schools with community colleges (totally different from MCAS) that prepares students for year 1 of college (83% at Essex not ready in math; 37% in English; MCAS did not change 1%); high school curriculum is not sufficient (Board of Higher Education and Department of Education working on this: common among states).
MCAS did not measure 10th grade level so many resources put into measures but not affecting college success.
Higher expectations; more educational attainment demanded by employers but students are not being prepared and every year funding is less (proven programs not able to expand).
Misalignment of CBO money (not enough in education).
Financial aid task force reportbut notenough funding.
Need to build young people’s and adult’s aspirations and confidence so that they can go to succeed in college (many dislocated workers: need help to make the transition).
Financial aid only for two courses, not one (a Reach Higher idea); change to 1.
Takes most students 3 - 5 years for “2 year degree” (urban college – average age = 30, mostly women).
2 -4 year alignment better but difficulties (timing, money, etc.); students already working an average of 28 hours a week.
Community college students not very mobile; 4 year degree institution may not be available.
Need to work more closely with the business community and also need more financial help from businesses.
Need to address all the barriers that community college students face: social conditions, education, etc.
No problem with availability of good (part time) faculty but not sufficient funding for good full time; need to increase full time faculty.
Guidance counselors overburdened, and oriented to 4 year institutions; more outreach needed direct.
Who controls curriculum (businesses, faculty, Boston Higher Education)?

4 Year Higher Education

Co-Chairs:Jackie Jenkins-Scott, President, Wheelock College; Robert V. Antonucci, former Commissioner of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, President, Fitchburg State College

Long-Term Trends

Rising costs and shrinking financial aid.
Perceived decline of students going into STEM- lack of natural resources.
Growing divide between public/private; 2 years and 4 years; dichotomy between value we place on privates vs. public.
Adult learning and adult education; older students adjusting institutions.
Continuing loss of young people; less than 50% of people who go to college here stay (greater loss than our competitors); 85% public, 55% privates stay; kids leave and don’t come back (especially African American/minority students); most youngsters aren’t coming here with an assumption of staying – what do we do with domestic New Englanders?
Low minority enrollment at public colleges and universities.
Students viewed as customers/consumers; Parents as investors (ROL for family/students and society); institutions out of step with consumers.
Number of public/private colleges working with (defense contractors) industry; tweak higher education programs to meet business needs – business has to communicate needs.
Education drivers of economy are viewed as the top 8 (MIT/Harvard); even private universities are overlooked.
Increasing number of students involved in communities outside the campus; programs connecting students to community (i.e. Jumpstarts)
Greater number of kids getting outside their neighborhood to see other places; getting students out of community brings awareness.
Growing concern that students / families not understanding what high school is for (preparation) – especially with underserved.
Higher education has become increasingly competitive.
High turnover rate in higher education leadership.
What we ask for is out of step (retention measures)
Internal vs. External
Displacement

Developments

Boston Higher Education Consortium
Legislature’s growing understanding and willingness to commit to public higher education.
Reporting of low retention rates of community colleges (how do they define?); task force on community college retention rates (BHE) – problematic reporting measure against mission.
Spellings Commission – increased role of higher education nationally.
P-16 initiatives (NEBHE) – regional focus on higher education.
STEM focus – increase in grant funding to work with students in STEM – legislature is looking at O.H.E capacity.
Higher education being held more accountable for their grads – NGA grant will look at impact of MCAS, provide data on students K-16.
Boston Higher Education Partnership

Accomplishments

Publication of Report – 33-34 institutions involved with Boston Public Schools.
Small increase in aid to students.
Creation of higher education committee.
BHE committee looking at ways to measure success.
Excitement about possibilities of tracking students (nationally); Spellings Commission – role of higher education –increased national attention on higher education
P-16 initiatives (NEBHE) – regional focus on higher education.
STEM focus – increase in grant funding to work with students in STEM – legislature is looking O.H.E capacity
Regional collaboration
Huge increase in student involvement incommunity service/development (mass compact data).

Challenges

How do we share information about students that we serve; how do we convene the players in a different way?
Evaluate different focused support models for special populations (especially 1st generation college students - not enough knowledge about what is working).
College financially accessible (for all 4 years) – public or private responsibility.
Public awareness of financial aid (even at public universities).
Complexity of financial aid information; need clarity around billing; honesty with parents; make bills less confusing; overwhelming; may need legislative change; are we helping people understand difference between price and true cost of education?
Educate people on the cost of living in New England; what is the cost and what aid will you get?
Reluctance to provide financial information to government.
Cultural challenges around loan averse.
How do you reduce the debt;debts linger; how do they pay off debt; kids/families are making bad decisions around debt.
Need creative ways to incentivize people to go into fields where we need them (urban education/nursing/etc.); loan forgiveness; elite private MBA programs are doing that – but others need to be able to do that.
What curriculum does the child get/notget?
Early awareness of college; seeing colleges and bringing its importance home to families.
How does Higher Education work together in a different way to simplify process for parents; how do you create networks?
Families that used to choose privates are now displacing kids who would traditionally choose public higher education.
How to continue to deliver quality?
Are we supporting and meeting the needs of our own Boston Public School youth?
People have different expectations for what higher education should be contributing to the community (housing, economic development).
Retention: how do we keep people here (brain drain) especially minorities; need to keep intellectual capital; grow our own and keep others.
Accountability (judges us on which indicators?); what are demonstrable measures that are understandable to the public?
Remediation rates having an impact on student success.
Need to bridge the preparedness gap

Reports Back
Participants identified the top three challenges faced by each sub-sector:

0-5/Early Education

Need more people of color (diverse) involved in decision making roles across the system.
DAP (Children’s City) – across the system – not happening now – home – choice
On the educational pipeline, need to assess effectiveness of early education progress? Where is it on the path to higher education?

K-12

Achievement Gap
Need to restructure the system; should we redesign the boat? – change organization and implementation of schooling radically.
High dropout rate; losing students due to lack of engagement; lack of connection to development of students /children; state demand is content, not understanding of child development; alienation in middle school.
How can schools utilize outside resources? Community partners need to work on this also – systematize business/schools partnerships (secondary and college); how can schools step out of their own culture?

Out of School Time

Fragmented service delivery; organizations working in “silos”; Out School Time is a big tent and some groups don’t associate with others.
Need clear measures of efficiency; who’s not being served and what are the barriers for not serving them.
Second wave to justify out of school time services to donors; find way to quantify different forms and see what effects Out of School Time specifically has; what is the return investment in donor’s eyes?
Uneven quality service delivery within out of school time field; need to professionalize and communicate that within and outside of the field.

Community Colleges

Financial aid task force report but not enough funding.
To articulate the curriculum of high schools with community colleges (totally different from MCAS) that prepares students for year 1 of college (83% at Essex not ready in math; 37% in English; MCAS did not change 1%); High school curriculum is not sufficient (Board of Higher Education and Department of Education working on this: common among states).
Need to address all the barriers that community college students face: social conditions, education, etc.

Four Year Higher Education

College financially accessible (for all 4 years); public or private responsibility.
Early awareness of college; seeing colleges and bringing its importance home to families.
How to continue to deliver quality?