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RECENT RESEARCH
Massachusetts Department of Education, Progress Report on Students Attaining the Competency Determination Statewide & by School & District, Classes of 2007 & 2008 (03/07) (pdf): With MCAS retests, 94% of the Class of 2007 was able to earn Competency Determinations (required for graduation), but Hispanic and African American test results continue to lag behind those of Whites and Asians by 13% to 14%.
National Center for Education Statistics, The Nations Report Card: Grade 12 Reading and Mathematics Report (02/07) provides comparative information on the US Region's progress in improved student achievement scores.
Center for Collaborative Education, The Essential Guide to Pilot Schools: This website provides information on Boston's pilot schools. Research on the success of these schools, and tools for those interested in pilot schools are available.
Boston Higher Education Partnership, From College Access to College Success: College Preparation and Persistence of BPS Graduates (01/07) (pdf): Reports on both the preparation of Boston Public School students for college and their level of success once enrolled in higher education, and recommendations include much more coordination between schools and colleges in terms of curriculum and services to insure success.
Education Week, From Cradle to Career: Connecting American Education from Birth through Childhood (01/07): Presents a "chance for success" in schools index for Massachusetts children, which ranked 5th. Others states are available on the website.
Pioneer Institute, Education Reform in Massachusetts: Aligning District Curricula with State Frameworks (11/06) (pdf): Reports that many underperforming districts have been unable to align their curricular programs with state standards.
Pioneer Institute, Education Reform in Massachusetts: Using Student Data to Improve District Performance (11/06) (pdf): Presents the results of a study of the way in which local school districts use educational performance data to drive improvements. Local districts need much improvement to meet the goals of state policy in this area.
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, How Well Are States Educating Our Neediest Children? (11/06): Reports on the condition of education across the US and its Massachusetts summary reports that whole progress has been made, race/ethnicity based achievement gaps remain substantial.
National Assessment of Educational Progress, Science Report for the Trial Urban District (11/06): In a trial assessment of 10 urban districts (including Boston), the study found that urban districts continue to lag national test scores in science. While Boston was comparable to the other 9 cities studied, it fell behind competitor cities Austin and Charlotte.
The Education Trust, Ed Trust Statement on NAEP Science Urban Assessment (11/06): Provides charts on science score outcomes for 10 major cities (including Boston). Boston's overall scores were in the middle of this group of 10, and the acheivement gaps based on race or income were smaller than most of the cities studied.
The Education Trust, Engines of Inequality: Diminishing Equity in the Nation’s Premier Public Universities (pdf) (11/06): Reports that the nation's finest public universities are less economically and racially diverse due to changes in financial aid choices.
Institute of International Education, Opendoors 2006 Fast Facts: International Students in the U.S. (11/06): Reports that after a fall over the pervious 2 years, the number of international students in the U.S. remained steady from 2004/2005 to 2005/2006, and there has been an 8% increase in the number of newly enrolled international students. Massachusetts has the 4th highest number of international students.
Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Preparing for the Future: Employer Perspectives on Work Readiness Skills (10/06): Through employer focus groups, this study found that Massachusetts students not only do not receive the academic and technical training needed by today's employers, but that there are large deficiencies in communication, critical thinking, and "soft" skills such attitude and work ethic.
Massachusetts Department of Education, Spring 2006 MCAS Tests: Summary of State Results (09/06): The annual report of MCAS test results reveals continued improvement among 10th graders, but no gains among 3rd and 8th graders. District results are also available.
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2006: The National Report Card on Higher Education (9/06): Provides indicators of the health of US post-secondary education and highlights improvement of other countries' educational systems compared to the U.S.
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up 2006: The State Report Card on Higher Education--Massachusetts (9/06): Reports on Massachusetts' ability to prepare students for post-secondary education as well as the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education. Lack of affordability is stressed as the greatest challenge facing Massachusetts' post-secondary education system.
The Education Trust, Promise Abandoned: How Policy and Institutional Practices Restrict College Opportunities (8/06): Reports on the rising costs of college, accompanied by changes in financial aid policies, shifting resources away from low-income students.
Nellie Mae Education Foundation, New England 2020: A Forecast of Educational Attainment and Its Implications for the Workforce of New England States (06/06): Reports that the number of workers with a BA or higher will fall in Massachusetts and New England as a whole between now and 2020.
Boston Youth Transitions Task Force, Too Big to Be Seen: The Invisible Dropout Crisis in Boston and America (05/06) (pdf): As many as a third of Boston's youths drop-out of school, and despite the existence of number of programs for these youths, an increase in funding, coordination, and outreach is necessary to tackle the issue.
Pioneer Institute, Framing the Debate: The Case for Studying School Vouchers (03/06) (pdf): Reports that there are some signs of progress in urban districts since the introduction of education reform, but that scholarship vouchers may be needed to add additional competition and improvement to the system.
More Recent Research on Education......
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