Can A Year-long Intensive Program Close Achievement Gap
Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael F. Flaherty has filed a hearing order regarding the feasibility of implementing Year 13 programming in the Boston Public Schools System. Year 13 programming could be utilized as an additional resource to close the achievement gap for our students.
The hearing order comes in response to feedback from residents and other stakeholders in support of the concept of an intensive, year-long focused program that provides additional support to students who may opt into the program before leaving high school. Year 13 provides students with an extra year of high school that allows for students get on track for entrance to four-year colleges, vocational-technical school and/or community college as well. If implemented, Boston would be joining the ranks of many other schools across the country that are building student-centered curriculums and supports that provides all students with opportunities to flourish. Some schools across the country have even partnered with their local colleges for student transition.
“The Boston Public School system is home to over 16,000 high school aged students across, on minimum, twenty high schools throughout the City of Boston,” noted Councilor Flaherty. “Further, as we know, we live in a competitive global economy that requires our students to have equally competitive skills to access and fully participate in this economy. As a result, we need to advocate for innovative solutions to close the achievement gap in our education system. Boston is home to some of the best colleges and universities in the country and there are incredible companies that call and are looking to call Boston home. Our students deserve to access the opportunities waiting for them in their own backyards, and yet, we’re finding that they’re not.”
The hearing order has been assigned to the City Council’s Committee on Education. Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael F. Flaherty is looking forward to a robust, collaborative discussion about Year 13 as a tool to provide all students with opportunities to succeed in whatever path they decide to pursue. For further information, please call Councilor Flaherty’s office at 617-635-4205.
