Goodbye and Thank You from the Office of High School Renewal Staff

Dear colleagues, partners, families, students, and residents of Boston:

As you may have heard, Superintendent Johnson has reconfigured the organizational structure of the Boston Public Schools in order to accelerate our students’ academic achievement. In Dr. Johnson’s new structure, "horizontal" level offices will replace the K-12 triad structure that has been in effect for several years. Given that there will be a High School Office, led by Academic Superintendent Irvin Scott, there is no longer a need for a cross-functional Office of High School Renewal that works across three different geographic zones as well as with the various other departments in the Boston Public Schools’ central office. The students and families of the Boston Public Schools have benefited tremendously from the work of the Office of High School Renewal and, in particular, the courageous and innovative leadership of Kathleen Mullin, who has acted as the Special Assistant to the Superintendent for High School Renewal since the Office of High School Renewal was inaugurated by Superintendent Payzant in 2002.

In a short six-year period, Ms. Mullin and her team—in collaboration with families, national and local partners, students, teachers, school leaders, and other central office employees—have left a lasting positive impact on high school education in Boston. Consider the following highlights:

Despite these many impressive gains, the work of high school improvement in Boston will continue to remain at the center of the work of the Boston Public Schools for the foreseeable future under Academic Superintendent Scott’s leadership of the new high school level office.

We would like to thank Mayor Menino, the Boston School Committee, Superintendents Payzant and Contompasis, our high school renewal partners, our colleagues within the Boston Public Schools, and our city’s families and young people for your support and collaboration over the last six years. We have enjoyed working with you and we look forward to the next phase of our work together to improve our high schools.

Warmly,

The Staff of the Office of High School Renewal

Articles

Index of Past Articles

 Letter: Goodbye and Thank You from the Office of High School Renewal Staff!
 East Boston High School: East Boston Students Travel to the Arctic Circle
 Boston Student Advisory Council: BSAC Students Lead SLC Leaders Network Meetings
 Dorchester Education Complex: Bobby Belle Retiring From Dorchester Education Complex
 Science Fair Updates: Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair
 College and Career Partnerships: Roxbury Community College Tech Prep College Day
 College and Career Partnerships: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference for Boston Area High School Students
 College and Career Partnerships: A+Advancer Pilot Program
 Brighton High School: Brighton High Fashion Show
 Brighton High School: A "Going to College" Culture Growing at Brighton High School
 Brighton High School: Brighton High School's Theater Production
 Charlestown High School: Peer Mentoring in Unit D at Charlestown High School
 English High School: ETV Voted Best High School Newscast in New England
 Fenway High School: Survey Looks at After School Activities
 Jeremiah E. Burke High School: Burke Student Science Fair Entry Analyzes Comet Holmes
 Jeremiah E. Burke High School: Burke Recycling Program
 Jeremiah E. Burke High School: Talented and Gifted Latino Program
 Josiah Quincy Upper School: Non-Violence Awareness Week at JQUS
 Josiah Quincy Upper School: T-Shirt Reflects Students' Opposition to Violence
 Josiah Quincy Upper School: Job Shadow Day at JQUS
 Madison Park Technical Vocational High School: Keys to Success
 National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Josiah Quincy Upper School Class featured in NFTE Video
 National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE Business Plan Competitions
 O'Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science:  BPS Freshman Earns $15,000 Scholarship at Power of an Idea® Awards Ceremony
 Odyssey High School: College Readiness - Odyssey High School Partnerships with BFIT
 Parkway Academy of Technology and Health: Robotics Bridge Battle
 Urban Science Academy: Urban Science Academy Students Lend a Helping Hand with the Ongoing Rebuilding Effort in New Orleans
 Resource Shelf: BPS Career and Technical Education Website
 Resource Shelf: Fenway Summer Institute

East Boston High School

East Boston Students Travel to the Arctic Circle

East Boston High School, in partnership with the Maple Leaf Foundation, sent five students and one chaperone to the arctic island community of Sanikiluaq, Nunavut Province, Canada for a week in March. The EBHS students, Hemel Gil, Shawn Tortorici, Alejandro Bonilla, Erica Downey (seniors) and Dennis Wright (junior) attended classes at the Nuiyak School, a 270-student, K-12 school.

The students and chaperone learned much from this Inuit community, and came away with a true appreciation for how their counterparts live and work in a harsher environment than which they live. East Boston High School anticipates the arrival of five Inuit students from the island and one chaperone for a visit to our school and community in May.

The following passages were taken from a series of emailed letters from chaperone Nina Gaeta Coletta sent while in Sanikiluaq to family and EBHS friends.

March 17, 2008. The eaglets have landed...we are in sunny Sanikiluaq, temperature of 5F, but more dramatic to say -17 C. Do you remember the Blizzard of 78? We had that last night times 10, and yet, the people walking around were smiling and going about their business as if this happens all the time. And it does.

The last leg of our trip, the small plane to this island, was a little hairy -- I was able to say two Rosaries while flying, and that comforted me. It was so surreal to be flying to an island with the sea frozen as far as you could see.

The families are giving our kids what little they have to share and are sharing family stories. For example, Hemel Gil asked if they ate seal blubber, and they laughed and said yes. They also told him they ate seal meal, and that pregnant women are encouraged to drink seal blood because of the nutrients. In fact, we are going to skin and gut a seal this afternoon. We all saw the little thing at the school, and have accepted its fate as one of being used for food, clothing, etc. The school and its students do taxidermy! You should see the polar bear skins and stuffed bears in the school -- WOW!

I better get going -- school starts at 8:30 and ends at 3:30 p.m. There is a 90 minute lunch break at 11:45 so the students go home to eat and come back at 1 p.m.

March 18, 2008. We learned how the Inuit depend on seal to stay alive, and this also includes the dogs. Many of the dogs are working dogs, sled dogs and hunting dogs, and are not fed every day. They eat when the hunter is finished and eats the kill. This means dogs can do for days without food. The seal we saw was destined to be given to a pack of seven dogs for food. ….after the demonstration, I was immediately taken to an Inuit house and she undressed me and redressed me in Arctic gear. I was given a heavy snow pant to put over my sweats, and another sweatshirt to put over my long sleeve tee shirt, and then the heaviest parka, lined in fur, to go over that assembly.

For my feet, nothing I brought would do...

[Click to Read More]

Fierce Expression Through Technology Features Tech-Savvy Students

Boston students showcased their technology talents at the Fierce Expression Through Technology Youth Leadership Conference held on Friday, May 2, 2008, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. TechBoston Academy students organized the technology and media conference with assistance from the Center for Collaborative Education and the TechBoston department. Ninety-four student presenters from 15 BPS high schools were recruited to conduct workshops on topics including moviemaking, claymation, website design, robotics, using the web for social change and using Google Earth in the history classroom.

Over 700 students attendees had the opportunity to learn directly from their peers. Students also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from more than 20 colleges with strong technology departments and with local non-profit organizations that work with youth and technology to learn about opportunities available to them now and in the future.

Mayor Menino and Superintendent Carol Johnson attended the event and applauded the students for their efforts. For more information visit http://www.fierceexpression.com.

Boston Student Advisory Council

BSAC Students Lead SLC Leaders Network Meetings

The Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) made some large strides this year in getting their voices heard. BSAC students became facilitators and directed two Small Learning Community Leaders Network meetings. Their facilitation made a true example on how students can initiate change through their voices and leadership if they are given a chance. The students were supported by both the office of HSR and Youth on Board.

The students began the meetings with a welcome and purpose. They also established goals to be met by the end of the meeting. Introductions were then made and icebreakers were performed to establish a comfortable culture between students and adults.

At the first meeting, the BSAC students conducted training on Adultism. The term was defined as when adults treat young people as inferior because they are not smart enough to contribute to discussions. Young people are then not included in decision making because of their age. The training began with quick talks and word storms on audltism. Then they identified stereotypes, behaviors, and negative messages that adultism can project. The session ended with scenario role plays by both the adults and the students and a definition of the term.

BSAC students then gave a presentation on student engagement and voice and had a question and answering session. The group then broke out into smaller groups with each one being facilitated by a student. In the small groups they talked about activities in SLCs that could foster student engagement and voice. Each group then identified one activity they could work on in the next two months.

The second meeting facilitated by BSAC students focused on student leadership in the Small Learning Community and the development of goals in that area for the remainder of the school year. Again icebreakers were used to create a comfortable environment for all and introductions were made. SLC presentations and reports were given on the activities the schools targeted to enhance student engagement and voice. They spoke of the challenges they encountered and what roles both the students and adults played in their efforts.

A student and adult pairing exercise was next on the agenda. Each pair answered the following questions: How can students be involved in leadership in the SLC? How can students be involved in decision making within the governing structures of the school or SLC? How can students take leadership into the classroom? The group then came together as one and brainstormed Student Engagement and Leadership in schools.

Small group work by the SLC followed and goals were established for the remainder of the school year. The group also identified what kind of supports or training was needed to reach those goals.

The students then closed the meeting with an evaluation and plan to continue their work next year.

Congratulations to the BSAC students for modeling how student leadership and voice can make a difference.

Dorchester Education Complex

Bobby Belle Retiring From Dorchester Education Complex

Bobby Belle came to Dorchester High School in 1996 at a time when the school had the highest dropout rate of any large high school in the Commonwealth. The school was rife with gangs, violence, and a terrible reputation. He served as the Headmaster for seven years - the longest tenure of any Dorchester High School Headmaster in the past 50 years. During this time, the school re-established its accreditation, completely restructured into small learning communities, launched its own in-house alternative education program and began the long slow process of forging a new reputation. Test scores rose steadily over those seven years.

In 2003, Superintendent Thomas Payzant made the decision to restructure DHS into three small schools and Mr. Belle continued to serve the complex as the Chief Administrative Officer. In this role, he quietly supported the new small schools, coordinating school safety and facility services and providing behind-the-scenes solutions for many security problems. He has been a valuable mentoring support to the new Headmasters in the Academy of Public Service. He has been a quiet force to bring students from all three schools together, especially in the athletic programs.

Those who work closely with Bobby know that under the gruff exterior is a heart of gold. Students still regularly seek him out for they know he understands their unique challenges and he will help them with a bus pass, supportive phone call, or a job recommendation. For this reason, he is loved and appreciated by many across the city.

Science Fair Updates

Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair

Boston high school students represented the city in grand style on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair. The highest scoring first prize went to Olivia Schwob from Boston Latin School for her project "How Worms Learn II". Olivia won the prestigious Genzyme Award, the top prize, which includes $5000 for Olivia, $5000 for the Science Department at Boston Latin School, a $5000 summer internship for her teacher at Genzyme and an internship at Genzyme for Olivia.

Boston students exhibited 23 individual projects and seven team projects. Each student or team was judged by five judges from professions aligned to the field of science or engineering addressed in the project.

The results for the Boston (Region VI) students are as follows:

First Place
Olivia Schwob - Boston Latin School - "How Worms Learn II"
Heleno DePina - Jeremiah E, Burke High School - "Comet Holmes"

Second Place
Xiaoli Mi - Boston Latin School "A Novel Approach to Nerve Regeneration"
Chenglin Yuan - Boston Latin School - "Metabolic Drugs Regulate Longevity Genes"
Kenneth Cottrell - The Engineering School - "A Force to Be Reckoned With!!!"
Ada Lin - Boston Latin School - "Morphology and Development of Neuronal Processes"
Mei Zhen Cao - Boston Latin Academy - "Does Stretching of Substrate Affect Cells?"
Kevin Fisher - Boston Latin School - "Composites"
Jinzhao Wang - Boston Latin School - "Does Rapamycin Inhibit Cancerous Genes?"
Marsha Guillaume - The Engineering School - "Thermoelectricity"
Min Zhong and Ying Qi Zhang - Charlestown High School - Milk and Juice, Poison or Best Combination"

Third Place
Hannah Mogul-Adlin - Boston Latin School - "Genetic Marker in Waldenstrum's Macroglobulinemia"
Michelle Howard - Boston Latin School - "Feeding Africa"
Lorenzo Albala - Boston Latin School - "Influence of Medication On Neurons Regarding Alzheimer's"
Joscelyn Hardemon-Harris and Priston Blackett - Health Careers Academy - "Size Based Microfluidic Cell Seperation"
Yiling Chen - Boston Latin School - "XRCC4 Deficiency"

Honorable Mention
Bethlehem Solomon - Boston Latin Academy - "Injury in Adolescent Rats"
Jessie Gomez - Health Careers Academy - "Tiger Tales"
Yukun Li - Boston Latin School - "Genotype of AMLI Conditional Knockout Mice"
Chaofan Yuan - Boston Latin School - "Cryoprotectants in Cellular Viability"

College and Career Partnerships

Roxbury Community College Tech Prep College Day

Roxbury Community College hosted Boston Public High Schools students at a Tech Prep College Day event held at the college on Thursday, April 17th. Approximately fifty students and teachers from Odyssey High School at the South Boston Education Complex, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, and the Parkway Academy of Technology and Health at the West Roxbury Education Complex attended.

College faculty and administrators joined the students for lunch and were generous with their praise and encouragement of students. Plans are in effect to repeat the event next year with a larger number of high schools.

Contact Information: John Zinkowski, Tech Prep Planner, jzinkowski@boston.k12.ma.us.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Conference for Boston Area High School Students

A Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) conference was held at Bunker Hill Community College on Friday April 18th. The conference was sponsored by a collaboration of staff from the Metro Boston Tech Prep Consortium schools, Bunker Hill Community College, BATEC, and Power Up!. Madison Park Technical Vocational High School students from the Medical Assistant Program and the ninth grade Health Exploratory Program attended. Approximately 250 students, teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators from several Greater Boston high schools attended the conference.

The goal of the conference was to highlight STEM careers and the programs of study offered by the Greater Boston community colleges designed to provide the academic and experiential training to work in STEM occupations. Hands-on workshops allowed students to experience the tasks involved in criminology/forensics investigation, computer gaming and web design, and engineering. In addition, there were several short presentations to describe the unique economic, educational, and career advantages inherent in a community college setting. Specific information concerning financial aid, completing college applications, Accuplacer placement testing, the Tuition Advantage Program, the Joint Admissions Program, and the Tech Prep Program was provided.

Madison Park students especially enjoyed the criminology discussion and many students had specific questions about working in the courts, prison systems, probation, computer forensics and counseling occupations in the criminal justice field.

Contact Information: John Zinkowski, Tech Prep Planner, jzinkowski@boston.k12.ma.us.

A+Advancer Pilot Program

The Career and Technical Education Office in collaboration with Bunker Hill Community College-Department of Information Technology, Boston Area Advanced Technological Education Connections (BATEC), Madison Park Technical Vocational High School and Noonan Business Academy at the Dorchester Education Complex is sponsoring an Accuplacer preparation pilot program using A+Advancer software. Fifty students in three math classes at Madison Park and twenty five students in a senior seminar math class at Noonan are participating in the pilot. Somerville High School is also piloting the software with a class of fifty students in the Informational Technology program.

The A+dvancer College Readiness Online Courseware is a web-based educational software application specifically designed as a supplemental prescriptive and instructional program aligned to college-readiness proficiencies-Accuplacer (CPT). The Accuplacer test is the assessment employed by all Massachusetts community and four-year colleges to place students in English and math classes. Scores on the Accuplacer test determine whether the student is eligible for college level coursework or must complete developmental coursework.

A+dvancer College Readiness Online Courseware, through a series of prescriptive assessment tests based on the college-ready proficiencies of Accuplacer in areas of Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Skills, identifies skill-level deficiencies of the test recipient. The application can then automatically prescribe and deliver web-based, direct instructional curriculum designed in the universally accepted study, practice, mastery format. The assessment and instructional components may also be deployed independently for separate diagnostic or instructional uses. Schools have found this product to be of great assistance in their tutoring labs, learning centers, and an alternative to traditional The goal of the pilot is to increase college-readiness of students to test into college level coursework at the time of matriculation to community and four-year colleges. Students will take the Accuplacer in June/08. The results will be used to assess the relative effectiveness of the A+Advancer software as a tool to increase student performance specifically in the Accuplacer arithmetic and algebra tests.

Contact Information: John Zinkowski, Tech Prep Planner, jzinkowski@boston.k12.ma.us.

Brighton High School

Brighton High Fashion Show

Nearly fifty Brighton High School Seniors participated in a glamorous Fashion Show on the stage of BHS's auditorium in April. Students were supported by teachers Katie Linso and Timo Philip. The students were very proud of their production. Modeling gowns were donated by David's Bridal, Maria Lisa Bridal, and House of Culture. The young ladies had a great time showing off spring prom fashions as the young men modeled tuxedos that were generously donated by Allan's Formalwear, Mr. Tux, AWOL, Expressions, and Filenes. The generosity of sponsors gave the BHS students the opportunity to raise money for the senior class through ticket sales. Students planned, practiced, and stayed focused on their goals for the fashion show. They also learned many important life lessons along the way. "These young men and women worked together to make the show a success, and they all left with a great sense of pride at what they accomplished," said Ms. Linso, "It was a fun, entertaining, and professional show that represented our school in a very positive light. The students learned that if they set goals and work together they can accomplish what they set out to do." The show will always be a fond memory for the senior class.

A "Going to College" Culture Growing at Brighton High School

Brighton High School (BHS) has established the goal of creating a culture that fosters post-secondary opportunities. The School Counselors worked diligently to expose our students from the 9th grade on to the opportunities that exist for them after graduating BHS. The following steps have been taken to create a going to college culture:

• Displaying college banners in the College and Career Center
• Distributing school counseling newsletters to senior English classes profiling a local college in each issue
• Creating a College and Career Portfolio for each senior with tips on the college admissions process
• Announcing and posting college exam dates, working with teachers to have entire classes register on line for the SAT
• Scheduling and offering SAT preparation courses.
• Hosting a junior class College Fair to initiate the college selection process before the senior year

On Thursday, May 1st, 300 BHS juniors attended a College Fair in the school cafeteria. Over twenty colleges participated. School counselors visited junior English classes prior to the fair. They discussed the process of selecting the right school for each student, described the difference between a one-year technical school, a two-year community college, and a four-year college or university. The students were then given the College and Career Portfolio to utilize. They were to review the list of colleges by academic majors that were present at the fair and then determine the schools that offered degrees in majors that they might be interested in.

The students enjoyed the taste of the college experience as they talked with college and university admissions representatives and filled out informational surveys. Many teachers plan to spend a class period with their students reviewing the college brochures with their class to delve deeper into the selection process. The students left the cafeteria looking at their brochures and handouts from several schools. The next step is to build upon the excitement from the college fair by registering for summer SAT preparatory courses and visiting college campuses over the summer. The college fair began a journey for the Brighton class of 2009 to post-secondary success.

Brighton High School's Theater Production

Brighton High School's spring production of Little Shop of Horrors was a great success! The cast performed the show for three different audiences. The first performance was for neighboring elementary schools, the second was for BHS's freshmen class, and the final show was for friends and family of the Brighton High School community. Standout performances included junior Dan Ibeh as Seymour, senior Brittni Kinard as Audrey, and senior Tykia White as the voice of the Plant, while every student member of the thirty-five plus cast and crew worked extremely hard to make this fast-paced, feel-good performance a success! The production was four months in the making, and the magic of the final performances made all the effort worthwhile for both the cast and the directorial staff!

Charlestown High School

Peer Mentoring in Unit D at Charlestown High School

Charlestown High School Unit D's peer mentoring program is in its second year and thriving! This year, the program has been led by 25 junior and senior mentors, who meet bimonthly with their freshmen and sophomore mentees. The upper school mentors each co-lead a small group of 5 to 6 ninth and tenth graders.

This year, the peer mentoring program kicked off when our junior mentors joined the freshmen on their team-building retreat at Project Adventure. After a day-long mentor training at UMass led by College for Every Student (CFES), we started small group meetings with mentors employing icebreakers and fun activities to get to know their lower school students and start to build trust and relationships within their groups. The groups have discussed a variety of topics, including "Making the most of Unit D," "Navigating Charlestown High School," "Analyzing your report card," "Dealing with drama in school," "Is college for me?," and other related topics, as well as visiting Keene State College this past winter.

Peer mentoring has helped our lower school students develop academic identity within Unit D, their SLC. It has also encouraged our upper school mentors to take on positive leadership roles. CFES helps Unit D and Unit E to fund and plan this program.

English High School

ETV Voted Best High School Newscast in New England

By Risa McKenzie '09

ETV, The English High School's student produced television program was voted Best High School Newscast in New England by Fox News Boston. In just three short years, what started as a ragtag operation with one tired camera and an old Mac has grown into a full multimedia studio offering advanced digital media design and literacy classes, a radio station (WEHS) and television production courses.

Xavier Rozas, ETV's faculty advisor boasts, "Beating out the suburban schools that have much nicer equipment and financial support really shows our kids that despite the difficulties they face growing up in the inner city, if they work hard, strive for excellence and put in the rigorous hours necessary, they too can compete with the best of them."

This victory is sweet for the staff and students of The English High School. Many of the other schools that submitted videos for consideration were technical schools that are working to prepare their students for careers after graduation. As a commonwealth pilot school, English has extended hour days and an intensive college preparation curriculum designed to prepare all students for college study. The increased workload students are facing combined with after-school jobs, makes the sacrifice these students make even more impressive.

Anchor for ETV news, Shana Auguste 09 explains, "I love seeing the show aired on the televisions throughout the school, I feel kind of famous. People are always saying how much fun it must be writing skits and making cool videos, but they have no idea how much work goes into it. I go to classes all day, then a production meeting to finish up scripts, then we shoot for 2 hours. After that I hustle over to work then home to finish up my homework...It is totally crazy, but now I know I will be able to handle a college workload!"

With continued support from Court Street, EHS administrators and Boston Plan for Excellence, ETV will only improve over the years. It is this commitment to the students and the media arts that is the hallmark of successful students and schools. English High, you make us proud.

Fenway High School

Survey Looks at After School Activities

This spring, Fenway tackled the following question; what do our students do when they leave school? We wanted to investigate what our students do to relieve stress. We wanted to learn if they played sports or got involved with the arts. We also wanted to find out what kinds of obligations they had outside the walls of the school and if those obligations could cause or increase stress as well. A survey was developed and distributed to the student body.

Of the 296 students enrolled at Fenway, 287 completed an informal survey on their after school activities.

Almost 40% reported having jobs. Of the employed students, 50% work over 10 hours a week; 31% work 20 or more hours a week.

Over 75% are engaged in regular after school activities, such as academic study, arts, athletics, and family care. 33% reported having more than one after school activity.

Fenway was pleased to discover how many of its students participate in community, education, and museum services. Over 10% spend out of school time directly contributing to the civic life of Boston, a data point that fits well with Fenway's mission "to create a socially committed and morally responsible community of learners."

Some of the interesting activities include:

1. Lila & Jesse Handy, Erika Leger, Alisha Torrejon. Job: create programs, design activities for children at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum.
2. Shaquan Gabriel. Activity: plays drums or steel "pan" with Branches Steel Orchestra. Performed at Governor Patrick's Inaugural Ball.
3. Paoli Roman. Job: Children's Hospital; Activities: Posse Foundation; Youth Coordinator at church
4. Jason Kelly (in front of Fenway mural picture of Muhammad Ali) Activity: amateur boxing

Jeremiah E. Burke High School

Burke Student Science Fair Entry Analyzes Comet Holmes

Burke Recycling Program

The Burke Recycling Program is in its second year and doing very well. The students work diligently to collect discarded paper products from around the school. The staff and students are instructed to place proper materials in the designated boxes around the school. This program is owned by the students themselves. They work together to collaborate on setting their collection goals and determining schedules and duties. Senior members also take on the responsibility of recruiting and training underclassmen for the following school year. Faith Nwaoha , a senior, has worked extremely hard to move the program forward and has demonstrated how powerful her leadership skills are. Ms. Fontes, the advisor, provides guidance and support to the group.

Talented and Gifted Latino Program

The Talented and Gifted Latino Program (TAG) is in its second year at the Burke High School. Although this program was designed for a Latino population of students, UMASS program organizers and Burke staff felt the program would also be beneficial for Cape Verdean English language learners. The objective of this program is to help improve and increase English reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Although specifically designed for first and second year ELL students, the program is open to all Cape Verdean students interested in participating. Students meet two days a week and receive homework help as well as English instruction. Students have also attended field trips to the local Stop & Shop and JFK Library. Both field trips were coordinated to allow students the structured opportunity to further utilize their English language skills in both an every day business setting, as well as an environment of learning outside of school. Students have worked with teachers to develop a newsletter from the TAG program that was distributed to Burke staff and families. Articles were proudly written and edited in English by students.

Josiah Quincy Upper School

Non-Violence Awareness Week at JQUS

Violence is prevalent in our American society. Schools, as part of that society, are not immune to this serious problem. For this reason, the Student Government Association (SGA), led by Ms. Tina Lu, staff advisor, came up with the idea of organizing a Non-Violence Awareness Week during March. On each day during the week activities were scheduled for both the high school and middle school levels. Students targetted community issues of bullying and street violence. The week long program was supported by a grant received by our SGA under Facing History's "Choosing to Participate" initiative. Activities included listening to inspirational speakers including Richard Smith, Dimitri Anselm and Miguel Colon, staff members of Teen Empowerment. Freshmen students Amy Duong and Stephanie Chow spoke on issues of non-violence analyzing the poetry of Luis Rodriguez. They also wrote poetry in reaction to the issue of violence and hopes of a better future. Poetry Slams were also hosted by Advisory groups.

T-Shirt Reflects Students' Opposition to Violence

JQUS students were asked to enter a T-shirt design in connection with the JQUS Non-Violence Awareness Week in March. The winning design was created by Helen Mei, a talented 10th grader. In her design, Helen asked a provocative question: "Where are the good people?" One day in March, the hallways and classrooms at JQUS were filled with students and staff wearing T-shirts with the winning design. This was indicative of their solidarity when it comes to reducing violence in the community.

Job Shadow Day at JQUS

In February,thirty-four juniors spent time with officials at prominent Boston organizations including State Street Bank, Tufts Medical Center, and the Boston Water & Sewer Commission. In addition, one lucky student, Daniel McKoy, was fortunate to be invited to shadow Dr. Lawrence Bakow, President of Tufts University. At each of these enterprises, students were able to "shadow," listen to, and question executives and officials. For example, students visiting State Street Bank commented that they learned about stocks, bonds, foreign currency and big business. Students learned about the nature of the business, the particular responsibilities of the individuals being shadowed, and their educational background. This experience left students with a greater sense of what the world of work is like. They also learned about the work world's dress code. Students were accompanied by Ms. Agatha Tong, Ms Makeda Weaver and Ms. Robin Coyne.

Madison Park Technical Vocational High School

Keys to Success

Madison Park Technical Vocational High School student Ricardo Torres was recently nominated to be featured on the Keys to Success web site by Village Automotive Group. Ricardo is an eleventh grade Auto Tech Student nominated by his instructors. Ricardo is number one in the class of 2009, a member of the Madison Park Robotics Team, as well as the Baseball Team. He has been nominated for induction into the National Honor Society this week. Ricardo plans to attend college to study engineering.

The Village Automotive Group has sponsored the Keys to Success Program at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School since September. To date, MP staff members have nominated almost five hundred students for a Key. To earn a Key, students meet a set of criteria that includes: citizenship, attendance, leadership and scholarship. The Key entitles students to select an incentive prize and enter a raffle for a car which will be awarded at the June Key Off. Madison staff is very grateful to the staff at Village Automotive for their donation of rebates for car purchases and service at any of their dealerships.

National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)

Josiah Quincy Upper School Class featured in NFTE Video

Josiah Quincy Upper School's NFTE entrepreneurship class is featured in a new marketing video for the organization. The "NFTE is..." marketing video debuted at NFTE's Annual Salute to the Entrepreneurial Spirits Awards Dinner. It features classroom shots from the entrepreneurship class, as well as students and teachers William Chan and Robin Coyne.

In addition to Josiah Quincy Upper School, NFTE teachers from Excel High School and Brighton High School were also interviewed for and featured in the video, as well as several alumni of the Boston Public School system. To view the video, visit http://www.nfte.com/video/.

For more information on NFTE New England, please visit http://newengland.nfte.com.

NFTE Business Plan Competitions

NFTE's entrepreneurship classrooms have rounded out a great year by hosting their final business plan competitions. Across the city, students presented business plans to panels of local professionals and entrepreneurs. There was a great variety of business ideas -special occasion make-up, hockey mask painting, cell phone charging stations, dance lessons, organizational tools, and more!

The top winners from each school will receive monetary awards upwards of $100 and will go on to compete in the Boston Citywide Youth Business Plan Competition where they have a chance at $1,000.

Members of the Boston Public School community are welcome to attend the competition on May 28th from 2-4 pm. Student expo booths open from 1-2 pm) at the Marriott Hotel at 275 Tremont Street.

For more information about NFTE or to RSVP for the competition, please visit http://newengland.nfte.com.

O'Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science

BPS Freshman Earns $15,000 Scholarship at Power of an Idea® Awards Ceremony

Soaking in raucous applause from more than 300 fellow students, a jubilant Bradford Mei from the John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science in Roxbury on Thursday, May 8, claimed a $15,000 first-place prize in the third annual Power of an Idea® Scholarship Contest sponsored by Boston-based law firm Burns & Levinson LLP.   "What will I do with this money?" asked an exultant freshman, 16. "I’m going to put it toward MIT and I’m going to be an engineer and learn how to play music. And I’m telling every student here today to get involved with Power of an Idea."  Mei invented a so-called "sleep-alert wristband" that awakens individuals when their pulse reaches a certain rate. Judges lauded the invention for its usefulness to truckers, heavy equipment operators and others. Mei was one of 50 applicants in the contest; six students made it to the final judging round.  This year, all of the finalists were from the O'Bryant. 

With the first-place win, Mei earned a $15,000 scholarship to be used for tuition and expenses for higher education beyond high school and legal patent services from Burns & Levinson. Burns & Levinson recently filed a provisional patent on Mei’s behalf with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and will file a full patent application within one year.

View the awards announcement on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/POI15000.

Odyssey High School

College Readiness - Odyssey High School Partnerships with BFIT

Odyssey High School, in conjunction with Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), has developed a new, experiential Summer Learning Program and another major initiative for college dual-enrollment.

Odyssey High/BFIT Dual Enrollment Program

Unknown to many residents of Boston, Franklin's birthplace on Milk Street, across from the Old South Meeting House, stood just one block away from the first public school in America. The Institute that bears his name locally was created by bequest to fulfill Franklin's vision of "good apprentices [who] are likely to make good citizens." The gift of this most original of our Founding Fathers was matched by industrialist Andrew Carnegie and, in 1908, the "Franklin Union" began as a college for engineering and industrial technologies. From its early days' the school's curriculum focus was on Gas and Gas Engines, Steam Engines and Boilers, and Mechanical Drawing for Carpenters. BFIT has now updated its curricular offerings to better meet today's technology needs: Pharmacy Technology (in partnership with CVS), Marine Trades (in partnership with the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association) and Opticianry (in partnership with the Opticians Association of Massachusetts).

Four strategies drive the make-up of the Odyssey High/BFIT dual enrollment program:

• academic readiness
• curricular alignment
• extra-cognitive skills preparation
• college exposure

Significantly, this program does not target those students who are already college-bound; rather, the "forgotten middle" forms its focus. Ascending tenth-grade students demonstrating a strong desire to invest themselves in exploring the college process and building the social capital needed to succeed in college, once deemed academically ready by a school-based Odyssey High team and BFIT's Director of BPS Partnerships, take placement tests to determine appropriate courses and, where needed, support mechanisms. For example, BFIT's College Success Seminar for dual enrollment students mixes some or all of the following: lectures, demonstrations and team projects to model necessary skills for developing personal responsibility; improving time management, study habits and information literacy; recognizing plagiarism and copyright issues; and, where to go for academic, social, and financial support.

The architecture and design of the Odyssey High/BFIT dual enrollment program captures, at a minimum, the following efficiencies. First, Odyssey High students re-invest their energies in creating meaning and motivation in their last two years. Second, curricular alignment efforts institutionalize an academic bridging mechanism to promote a successful transition to college. Third, it benefits BFIT in identifying which Odyssey High students need what kind of help. Fourth, it demystifies college for Odyssey High students and equips them with skills to get off to a strong college start. Odyssey High students can earn college credit that is also used to fulfill high school credit requirements.

Odyssey High/BFIT Summer Program

Odyssey High and BFIT, addressing the need to develop a "green technology" workforce, stand poised to collaborate this summer on a "Greening Boston through Light" program. During a seven-week course, seminar, and employment for a minimum of fifteen-to-twenty students at a stipend of $1,500.00/ea., students will take a three-credit college course on the basic understanding of the science behind energy savings, develop a marketing and project implementation program, and actually deliver energy-efficient light bulbs to residents of Boston's South End.

Parkway Academy of Technology and Health

Robotics Bridge Battle

On April 18th, 2008, five students in Mr. Andy Oakland's Robotics class (Jose Flores, Justin Jimenez, Kevin Melay, Keith Phillips, and Carlos Romero) pitted their robots against five other Boston-area schools in a Vex Robotics "Bridge Battle" competition sponsored by the Boston University Academy.

"Bridge Battle", is a unique game based on the popular VEX Robotics Design System. It was first played at the Asian Robotics League Championship in October 2007 in Seoul, Korea. This challenging team-based game puts students' engineering and technology skills to the test as they aim to build the most innovative robots possible and work together to obtain the most points possible. Teams were given three weeks to design and construct remote-controlled robots which competed to collect tennis balls from the playfield and place them in a 14-inch-high scoring bin.

Students were challenged to analyze the problem, brainstorm solutions, and construct and refine prototypes in the three weeks of build time, and succeeded in completing two unique robots in time for the competition.

Urban Science Academy

Urban Science Academy Students Lend a Helping Hand with the Ongoing Rebuilding Effort in New Orleans

By: Anita Sutton-Jordan, Community Field Coordinator and Jeff Cook, Senior Curriculum Access Specialist

The Urban Science Academy (USA) strives to provide numerous extra curricular opportunities through electives and after school programs. One such opportunity included twelve USA students who were led by Mr. Cook and Ms. Sutton-Jordan on a community service trip to New Orleans in April. USA students spent four days working together with a group of 12 students from Newton North High School clearing lots and gutting a home. Although the work was hard and the preparation for the trip was time consuming, our students rose to the occasion as they represented the USA community with incredible pride and respect while simultaneously, in a small way, helping to rebuild various neighborhoods in New Orleans. Although our students gave much of themselves, the quotes from some of their journals are indicative of how much they were given as a result of this incredible experience.

Woodger, a USA senior wrote, "I will never forget such a mind-blowing experience. New Orleans is a great city full of life and wonders. Having the chance to take part in its revival was certainly a golden opportunity."

Anne Elie, a USA senior wrote, "I will never forget the amount of hard work and fun we had on this trip, the tours that we took while in New Orleans, and most importantly the people that shared the wonderful moments of the trip with me."

Mueller, a USA junior wrote, "I will never forget how I felt when a New Orleans native came up to me and talked to me about his experience with Hurricane Katrina. He also told me how much he appreciated the work we were doing in New Orleans. I just wished we could have stayed longer."

Lisette, a USA senior wrote, "I will never forget everything that happened and everything we experienced as a group. We all learned a lot from each other. It was a great experience and I know we will never forget it. I created a big bond with a lot of kids on this trip and I will never forget that. Neither will I forget how good it felt to take a shower after all the hard work we did."

Quincy, a USA junior wrote, "I will never forget the experience of going to New Orleans for community service and being able to help people. Also, I will never forget the people I met and people who I got to hang out with more. In addition, I will never forget the people of New Orleans and their nice demeanors, politeness, and commitment to rebuilding their city for which is in need of renovations."

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of the USA staff and the many individuals and organizations in our greater community. Students who participated in the experience are working to produce a short documentary of this experience, which they will share with the rest of the USA community in mid May.

Resource Shelf

BPS Career and Technical Education Website

The Office of Career & Technical Education has updated its website with new photos, features and new graphics by Madison Park Tech Voc Graphic Design student, Wascar Valentin. Go to www.bostonpublicschools.com/cte to see the site. The website also features sections for the CTE Industry Clusters at www.bostonpublicschools.com/cte/ic

Fenway Summer Institute

In Celebration of 25 Years of Teaching & Learning
FENWAY HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES A SUMMER INSTITUTE:
ACCESS AND INCLUSION
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING DIVERSE LEARNERS
25-27 JUNE 2008
BOSTON

In Collaboration With
Lesley University: Graphic Design in Education Initiative
Northeastern University: The Institute in Education

Fenway High School. Fenway High School was founded in 1983 as an alternative program in one of Boston's big district high schools. It is now an established Boston Pilot school, with a student population that reflects the city's diversity in ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic background. Although many incoming students test below grade level, over 87% of freshmen remain at Fenway and graduate, 99% of seniors graduate, and 88% of graduates go on to college. Fenway's success with urban students draws educators from around the world who seek to improve their own teaching practices. Fenway faculty give workshops at educational conferences, lead on-site teacher training programs in collaboration with Tufts University, Simmons College and the University of Massachusetts Boston, and mentor math and humanities teachers at other schools.

Access to the Curriculum. From its first year, Fenway has been committed to finding ways to ensure that all students, whatever their previous achievement levels experience stimulating curriculum in challenging heterogeneous classes. All students study the same core topics in humanities, math and science, and engage in the same academic assignments and activities.

Addressing the individual learning needs of every student has been, and remains a rewarding but difficult challenge. At this summer institute on "Access and Inclusion" we will share successful strategies that have evolved from our work. At the institute, we will include not only classroom-based instructional strategies, but also strategies that offer students access and opportunities beyond the classroom through experiential learning. Finally, we will support participants as they plan for new ways to approach all of their students, including their most challenged learners.

Basic Information