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We are so proud of our students for their 2011 achievement results, and we want to extend our deepest gratitude to our students, our families, and our staff for their hard work and dedication and to our supporters for helping Boston Collegiate students achieve their best results to date. In light of our simple yet ambitious mission - to prepare each student for college - we know that it is significant and important that, by the time all of our students reached 10th grade in 2011, they were prepared - every single one of them - to score Advanced or Proficient on the MCAS Math and ELA exams. While there is much more to preparing each student for college than preparing each student for success on the MCAS, these results help to create the foundation necessary for acceptance to and persistence in college: at BCCS, since the very first class of seniors was graduated in 2004, 100% of our graduates have been accepted to college. We are able to bring our mission to life each and every year because of the hard work and perseverance of our students and families, and because of the dedication and talent of our strong team of teachers who prepare our students for college from the moment they walk through our doors for the first time.
At BCCS, we know that without great teachers, nothing else matters. We seek the very best teachers and challenge them to get better through coaching and collaboration. We know that transforming students' lives and changing the course of urban education is hard work, so we have systems and structures in place to make sure teachers are always supported as they do this work. This concentrated focus on coaching and developing all of our teachers makes student achievement results like these possible. Furthermore, it extends beyond the classroom to creating a positive and sustainable overall staff culture, which is also critical to student achievement growth over time.
Looking forward, BCCS aims to continue to raise the bar for students. Although test results are a critical piece of the puzzle in securing college acceptance, they are not enough: students need to perform exceptionally well on gate-keeping exams like the SAT, and they also need to have well-rounded experiences throughout high school. As BCCS continues to expand its high school, ensuring that students are growing both academically and personally is a critical focus.
With a legacy of strong student achievement and college acceptance, BCCS now turns its focus to college persistence and completion. The 2010-2011 school year marked the launch of an official alumni program, with a full-time staff person dedicated to tracking alumni college experiences and providing mentorship and coaching to ensure perseverance in the face of challenges.
BCCS is also eager to look outward, both to learn from and to help contribute to the success of other local schools, including Boston Public Schools. BCCS is an active member of the Boston Charter Compact, a collaboration between charter schools in Boston and Boston Public Schools, and is particularly committed to helping advance cross-school collaboration to improve instruction. Charter schools were originally created to serve as labs of innovation, developing best practices and then sharing them widely to improve the work of all schools. Focusing on collaboration - teaching and learning with other schools in our community - allows us to fulfill our charge as a charter school and remain authentic to who we are. It is also the way we believe we can have the most significant impact on our community, allowing our influence to extend far beyond the walls of our school while also learning important lessons from others to help us improve our own practice.
Again, we are humbled and honored to be able to share the success of our deserving students. For more information or to schedule a visit to our school, please contact Kate Goldenheim, Director of Special Projects. |
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