4.8 High Academic Achievement

Building on the momentum of the 1993 Education Reform Act, former Boston Public School Superintendent Thomas Payzant created a five-year plan in 1996, Focus on Children, which was completed in 2001. After major reforms in teaching and learning, and investment in technology and school choice, the Superintendent’s second five-year plan, Focus on Children II, centered on “Whole School Improvement” and emphasized classroom instruction with strategies to build on recent successes. The plan’s unifying goal was “to accelerate the continuous improvement of teaching and learning to enable all students to meet high standards.” Instructional improvement was organized around “Six Essentials for Whole School Improvement:”

1. Focus on literacy and mathematics;
2. Use student work and data to identify student needs, improve instruction and assess progress;
3. Focus professional development to offer teachers and principals the skills they need to improve instruction;
4. Identify and replicate best practices for instruction;
5. Align all resources with the instructional focus; and
6. Engage families, community and partners to support Whole School Improvement.

Each school developed a Whole School Improvement Plan (WSIP) consisting of three parts: a self-assessment of accomplishments and challenges; a plan for the upcoming school year, including goals and action steps; and a professional development plan. Boston’s Public Schools also prepare a year-end summary of progress.