Boston Day and Evening Academy

What is a Horace Mann Charter School?

Established in 1997, Horace Mann Charter Schools are independent public schools in Massachusetts that operate under a 5 year charter granted by the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, receive their per pupil allocation from the Boston Public Schools district, and whose teachers are part of the collective bargaining unit. Although Horace Mann charter schools operate as district schools, they possess certain autonomies, as well as increased accountability. The areas of autonomy include faculty/staff hiring, budget organization, access to state and federal funding, curriculum development and content, school year and day length, and hours of operation. Horace Mann charter schools differ from Commonwealth charter schools in that they abide by collective bargaining agreements with teachers. Horace Mann Charter schools grant public school diplomas.

 

What is a Competency-Based Curriculum?

While traditional schools measure student progress in Carnegie units (A,B,C,D,F), or course credit, BDEA bases student progress on demonstration of competence in content or subject areas, using a variety of assessments. BDEA's curriculum includes over 300 benchmarks in Humanities, Math, Science, Post-graduate Planning, and Technology, that measure the competence of each student, and is aligned with the Common Core. Most students enter BDEA with some competencies that they have gained from their previous schools. After initial assessment, students' competencies are recorded on their individual learning plan (ILP), which shows students exactly what they have already earned, and what they still need to earn before graduating. Students are assessed at the end of each trimester, through oral and written exams, portfolio presentations, and experiential projects. After students have demonstrated all competencies, they complete a capstone project, which they present to a panel of faculty, administration, and community members.

 

Do students attending Horace Mann Charter Schools need to pass the MCAS exam to graduate?

Yes. All students that receive a Massachusetts high school diploma must pass MCAS exams in ELA, Math and Science, but we make sure that students take these tests when they are ready to pass them.

 

What is the difference between Day and Evening programs?

In the past, the Day and Evening programs were differentiated by distinct schedules, with no overlap between them, and by the median age of students who attended each program. Today, we consider ourselves one school, with one voice, and schedule options for everyone.  There are no longer distinct "Day" and "Evening" programs or schedules. Instead, we have a 5.5 hour school day with start times of 9 a.m. and 10 a.m..  All students have the option of extending their day to 4:30 in order to take Erncihment classes, add an academic class, or make use of the Learning lab.

 

What do students generally do after graduating from BDEA?

BDEA holds four graduations a year, one after each trimester and summer academy. Most students go on to 2- or 4-year colleges, but some also enter programs such as Year Up or City Year that prepare them for higher learning, or the work place. No student graduates from BDEA without a post-graduate plan. Beginning in Orientation, and continuing with Beyond BDEA, advisory, internships, and the Post-graduate Planning Office, each student crafts a plan that is tailored to their goals and interests, which may include vocational training programs, job placement or internships, and college. Some schools that BDEA alumni attend include: Hampshire College, Mass College of Liberal Arts, New England Art Institute, Salem State College, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, Northeastern University, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (where students can enroll while still taking classes at BDEA), Endicott College, Lesley University, and Brandeis University.

 

Why choose BDEA?

BDEA is the only high school in Boston whose mission is specifically to meet the academic needs of students who are overage for grade level and have not previously experienced or are struggling with achieving academic success. At BDEA, students get another chance to reach their full potential. Factors that lead to dropping out include being overage for grade level, coming from a low-income household, and having below grade-level reading abilities. At BDEA, we meet each student wherever they are in their education, and use rigorous, experiential academics blended with non-academic support and community building to bring students to a level at which they are confident, independent learners, and creative and critical thinkers.