1. When you are finished changing, you are finished. Benjamin Franklin KEEP ON REACHING Carlos Rivera Class 2005

2.  History  Autonomy Change is an adventure

3. HISTORY  Spring 2000 to 2001: Boston High School (BHS) declared one of the lowest performing schools.  November 2001: Superintendent recommends closing Boston High.  June 5, 2002: School Committee approves conversion of BHS to a pilot school.  September 2002: BCLA is born.  SY 02- 03: Transitional year; 22 new staff joined BCLA.  Sept 2004: BLCA moves to Brighton.

4. Our school has autonomy over:  Curriculum  Schedule  Governance structure  Budget  Staffing

5. Priorities  Vision driven and shared values  BCLA Core values  BCLA Habits of Leaders  Small and Nurturing:  Student support  Teacher to student ration is 1:20  Advisory  High Expectations for ALL students  Assessment by exhibition  Promotion by portfolio defense  Collaborative culture and shared leadership  Structure  Professional Development

6. SUCCESSES  Student achievement  MCAS (moved from 40% to 85% passing)  AP Offerings (0 offerings to 5 AP courses)  College acceptance (From 67% to 95%) (from2 year college to Ivy League)  Suspension  Down from 200 suspensions/yr to 50/yr  Attendance rate  From 83% to 94%

7. Shared Leadership  Governing Board Work Agreement Budget approval Fundraising Evaluation of Headmaster Evaluation of Headmaster  Leadership Team Promotion and Graduation Requirements Daily Schedule Professional Development  Student Voice Students Working All Together (SWAT) Step Team Engineering Club Winter School (Juniors & Seniors)

8.   Choose a school that respects your priorities   Publicly financed and accessible   Racially and ethnically diverse student body   Rigorous college preparatory curriculum   Participatory decision- making and leadership opportunities   Advisory/Guidance   Strong student support Why conversion to pilot school? For Staff:  Teach in a school that shares your values  Union protections and benefits  Small class size in a small school  Genuine and self-crafted professional development  Participatory decision- making and leadership opportunities For Students:

9. Challenges For Students:   How to succeed with a rigorous curriculum?   How to benefit from an increasing number of AP classes?   How to learn from authentic assessment protocols?   How to demonstrate leadership?   How to effectively participate in school governance? For Teachers:  How to deliver a rigorous curriculum to ALL students?  How to increase productivity and accountability?  How to guide diverse learners to success with authentic assessments?  How to clarify roles and communication within school governance?  How to crystallize and embed Leadership/HOL across the curriculum?  How to raise funds to maintain the same level of services?

10. Leadership in action

11. DOES SCHOOL REFORM MEAN:  Gradual change for the better?  To reinvent and transform?