Report no. 5 to the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts on Boston school desegregation

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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS r^<t

BOARD OF EDUCATION L.E^sTON public library

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AUG 8 1985

REPORT NO. 5

TO THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT,
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

ON
BOSTON SCHOOL DESEGREGATION

VOLUME 1
JULY 15, 1985

GOV DOC? J

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MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF EDUCATION

Ms. Mary Ellen Smith, Boston, Chairperson

Mrs. Mary C. Wright, Falmouth, Vice Chairperson

Mr. Christopher H. Collins, Millis
Mr. Robert A. Farmer, Brookline
Mrs. Anne C. Fox, Needham
Rev. Paul V. Garrity, Maiden
Ms. Milca R. Gonzalez, Worcester
Mr. James R. Grande, Hanover
Mr. Howard A. Greis, Holden
Mrs. Loretta L. Roach, Boston
Mr. Joseph C. Savery, Lee
Mrs. Dorothea A. Zanetti, Wilbraham

Dr. John H. Lawson, Commissioner of Education, Secretan^
Mr. John B. Duff, Chancellor, Board of Regents, Ex Officio

Report Coordinated by-
Franklin Banks, Special Assistant to the Commissioner on
Boston Desegregation

Joel Lidz, Editing, Proofreading

Produced by the Bureau of Operational Support

Cecilia DiBella, Director

Susan Gardner, Publications/ Communications Coordinator

Susan M. Ridge, T],ipographist

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COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
BOARD OF EDUCATION

REPORT NO. 5

TO THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

ON

BOSTON SCHOOL DESEGREGATION

VOLUME I

BOSTOISI
PUBLIC
UBRARY

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^J

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page No.
OVERVIEW 1

I. MONITORING REPORTS

Student Assignments and

Special Desegregation Measures 7

Vocational and Occupational Education 19

School Facilities 25

Staff 29

Transportation

( including school bus safety) 31

Parent and Student Organizations 33

II . DISPUTE RESOLUTIONS 37

III. MODIFICATIONS 39

OVERVIEW

This is the Fifth Monitoring Report on Boston Public School
Desegregation filed by the Massachusetts Board of Education and
Conunissioner of Education under the Orders of Disengagement
entered by Federal District Court Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. on
December 23, 1982. The report covers Boston Public School
operations from December 1984 through May 1985, and is based upon
data collected by Massachusetts Department of Education monitors
during this period.

A number of factors in addition to the usual time
constraints presented impediments to our data collection effort
during this monitoring period. Ongoing negotiations among the
parties concerning critical unresolved issues, and the
anticipation of certain Court orders, left the findings and
conclusions in several monitoring areas subject to last minute
revision. In addition, John R. Coakley, who in his role as
Boston's Senior Officer for Implementation has both directed the
processing of student assignments and served as primary liaison
to the Department of Education, was hospitalized during the month
of April. Given these circumstances, an extra measure of
appreciation must be expressed for the assistance provided by
Superintendent Robert Spillane and members of the Boston School
Department, and in particular to Catherine Ellison and her staff
at the Department of Implementation.

The format of the present report is similar to that used in
Report No. 4, except that the sections on Student Assignments and
Special Desegregation Measures have been combined. In addition,
the number of monitoring areas has been reduced to seven, the
Board and Commissioner of Education having been relieved of
monitoring responsibilities (with exceptions, noted below) in the
areas of Bilingual Education, School Safety and Security, and
Student Discipline by the Court's Further Partial Termination of
Jurisdiction, dated May 17, 1985. Our report is once again
presented in two volumes, with an executive summary of findings
in the seven monitoring areas contained in Volume I, and a more
detailed analysis of the findings plus all supporting
documentation in Volume II. As in the past, the parenthetical
page references in Volume I direct the reader to the supporting
materials in Volume II. While Volume II is intended for more

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limited distribution than Volume I, a copy of Volume II will
again be made available for every school in Boston.

The emphasis on the compliance status of outstanding orders
has been retained, given our even greater assurance that the
Boston Public Schools are about to enter a new phase in their
desegregation effort. The Court's commitment to realize further
disengagement at the end of the 1984-85 school year makes this
focus on unrealized portions of the desegregation remedy
imperative; it also suggests that the time has arrived to
consider a revision in the method by which compliance is
monitored in the future. The State Board is committed to
continuing its oversight in appropriate remedial areas, but
favors a more streamlined approach that places greater
responsibilities on local officials, particularly in those areas
not generally subject to state monitoring (e.g., staffing, parent
organizations). For that reason, our summary of monitoring
findings in each of the seven areas also contains suggestions for
a future monitoring process.

STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS: (Note that this section now includes
assignment of bilingual students by Court order.) Assignments
for 1985-86 have been processed, reviewed and distributed. The
Court approved the consolidation of Districts III and IV on May
30. While a complete analysis of desegregation gains must await
data on September enrollments, analysis of student applications
indicates potential desegregation improvement at Burke and
English High Schools, but a continuing decline in requests for
the Humphrey Center and Madison Park High School. Among proposed
and adopted assignment modifications, the Recruitment Incentive
Plan and the new assignment process used in Districts III and IV
show the greatest promise of enhancing desegregation, provided
that each is implemented with the necessary support at the school
and central office level.

Data provided on bilingual assignments suggests that one-
third of middle school bilingual students have been enrolled for
six or more years without mainstreaming. The Department of
Education is confirming this data with on-site visits to selected
Boston schools.

Monitoring of all student assignments, in terms of both the
process and the results, should continue under the auspices of
the State Board, under its general charge to monitor racial
imbalance and desegregation in Massachusetts public schools. The
State Board also plans to produce a follow-up study during the
fall of 1985 on the transition of bilingual students into regular
education programs in Boston and other Massachusetts school
districts .

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SPECIAL DESEGREGATION MEASURES: Further progress has been
observed at Burke High School and the East Boston Business
Magnet. The issue of support services at the examination schools
remains unresolved, and has been the subject of negotiations
among the parties.

The State Board recommends that future monitoring of special
desegregation be combined with general student assignment
monitoring.

VOCATIONAL/OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION: (Note that this section
retains the provision of vocational/occupational education
services to bilingual students by Court order.) Once again
problems have been identified in several areas, including middle
school exploratory clusters, bilingual services and management
support. A State Board proposal for modification of the Unified
Plan for Vocational and Occupational Education has been the
subject of negotiations with School Defendants, Plaintiff-
Intervenors and Plaintiffs, and the State Board hopes to forward
its proposal to the Court at the time the present monitoring
report is filed.

Continued monitoring of vocational/occupational education in
Boston should be conducted by the State Board in line with its
statewide authority for occupational education. Assignments to
vocational programs should continue to be monitored under general
student assignment monitoring.

FACILITIES: A Unified Facilities Plan was filed with the
Court by the School Department, the City of Boston and the State
Board. This filing was rejected by the Court, although leave was
given to proceed with the major renovation and repair projects
scheduled for the first year of the Plan. The Court also
announced its intention to file further orders on facilities but
had not done so as of June 10. Further recommendations on
monitoring under this area await receipt of the new order.

STAFF: A discrepancy has been noted in the progress made in
obtaining the goal of 25% black teachers and administrators, with
no appreciable progress in the former category and steady
progress in the latter. More commitment to minority teacher
recruitment and maintenance is required, as well as a review of
the impact of the recall policy provided for under the current
collective bargaining agreement.

- 3 -

Monitoring of staff desegregation can continue through
periodic reports by the Boston Schools, similar to the reports
currently filed under Court orders. These findings should be
provided to the State Board and other parties of record.

TRANSPORTATION: (Note that this section now includes
transportation safety by Court order.) Boston has yet to respond
to issues raised in Reports #3 and 4 regarding management of the
transportation system. The School Bus Safety plan implemented
last fall, on the other hand, appears to have been successful in
reducing the number of incidents occurring on school buses.

The areas of transportation and transportation safety may be
monitored in the future through a combination of internal reports
generated by the Department of Implementation and additional
reports prepared by the Citywide Parents Council. Both types of
reports should be provided to the State Board and other parties
of record.

PARENT AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS: The strengthening of
parent and student organizations, either through increased
efforts to comply with existing orders or proposals for
modification, is still required; although the CPC has been able
to address some of its organizational problems. Further
strengthening of the CPC requires the creation of a narrower and
more specific set of monitoring tasks for the organization, plus
a clear recognition by the School Committee and School Department
that the CPC is the parent organization responsible for all
desegregation-related efforts, together with other mandates of
state law where parental input is required. Both School Parent
Councils and Racial/Ethnic Student Councils must be either
constituted in accordance with present Court orders, or
alternative student organization structures must be proposed
through the modification process.

The State Board is confident that the monitoring steps
proposed above can be achieved by the appropriate parties after
final orders have been entered by the Court, and that progress
toward completing the desegregation remedy can continue. For its
part, the State Board is prepared to pursue those issues that
fall under its authority without the direct mandate of the
District Court. For example, the transition of students from
bilingual to regular education programs, identified as a concern
in the Student Assignment section of the present report, is not
viewed by the State Board as an issue requiring the ongoing
oversight of the Court. This issue will be addressed through

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follow-up studies in Boston and other Massachusetts communities,
and the State Board will report its findings in the fall of 1985,
under its authority to enforce state law. With continued
attention to the responsibilities of state and local officials,
the disengagement of the Court will not impede further progress
toward the realization of a unified school system in Boston.

Mary Ellen Smith John H. Lawson

Chairperson, Massachusetts Commissioner, Massachusetts
Board of Education Department of Education

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STUDENT ASSIGNMENTS AND SPECIAL
DESEGREGATION MEASURES

I. ASSIGNMENTS
ORDERS

Student Desegregation Plan, May 10, 1975

FINDINGS Compliance with respect to Assignment
Process

The assignment process took place in
accordance with Court-approved procedures,
and the various steps (including
examination school invitations and
assignments to schools) were reviewed and
approved. Report No. 3 (Volume II, pages
0-103) contains a description and
documentation of this process as it was
carried out in 1984.

Review of proposed assignments suggests
that there may be some improvement in the
number of schools in compliance with the
racial/ethnic guidelines (taking into

account assignments to
programs). Because of the
"shrinkage" of white numbers
assignments and the actual
(see Report No. 3, Volume I,
Report No 2, Volume
attempt will be made

bilingual

history of

between the

enrollments

pages 38-39;

II, pages 94-98), no

to determine overall

compliance with Court-established
racial/ethnic guidelines until Fall
enrollments are available. High school
enrollments have been the subject of
particular attention, however, and the
projections for Fall 1985 will be
discussed:

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Projected High School Enrollments

English and Madison Park High Schools have
come into compliance, though at the lower
limit, in projected white enrollment (each
is projected to be 20% white, with a
permitted range of 20%-30%). To some
extent this reflects bilingual program
assignments; the white projected
enrollment of the two schools would be 24%
and 23% white, respectively, without
bilingual enrollment.

Report No. 4 noted improvement in
compliance with desegregation requirements
at English, but some deterioration at
Madison Park (Volume I, page 9).
Comparison of the first-choice assignment
requests made by students entering the
ninth grade in 1983 and 1985 shows that
requests for English are up in all three
racial/ethnic categories, while requests
for Madison Park are down in all three
categories. This suggests that English
High School is "turning around"
educationally, and that the merger of the
Occupational Resource Center with Madison
Park will be confronting formidable
barriers in converting two relatively
unpopular facilities into a single school.

Burke High School — a special desegregation
school--is projected to come into
compliance with the permitted
racial/ethnic ranges, after several years
of impressive effort to create a safe and
educationally-sound program, and
Dorchester High is projected to remain in
compliance after achieving it in
.1983-84. Several district high schools —
Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Brighton —
which were having compliance problems in
1983-84 are projected to be in compliance
in 1985-86. Dorchester and South Boston
are projected to be high in Other Minority
enrollment, but justifiably so as a result
of large bilingual programs.

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II.

SPECIAL DESEGREGATION MEASURES

ORDERS

May 3, 1976; May
April 20, 1982

6, 1977; March 21, 1978;

FINDINGS Partial Compliance (Improving)

The four elementary and two middle schools
for which special desegregation measures
have been ordered by the Court are all
included among the Recr-uitment Incentive
Plan schools, and will be discussed below;
no new monitoring of these schools, or of
the Tobin K-8 school, took place in this
period.

Report No. 4 found that full compliance
had been achieved with the voluntary
special desegregation plan for Dorchester
High, and no further monitoring took place
in this period. Requirements for improved
enrollment and staffing of the Spanish
bilingual program at Charlestown High had
been met, and continue to be met. Two
special desegregation schools require
further discussion here:

Burke High School

Facility improvements have largely been
completed. Efforts to develop distinctive
and high-quality educational programs in
order to attract students and thus to meet
racial/ethnic guidelines have continued,
though uncertainty over the School Com-
mittee's proposal to make the Burke a
city-wide magnet school have reportedly
led to an interruption of support from the
central administration. (P. 19)

East Boston Business Magnet

The last monitoring report found that the
administration of East Boston High School
had undertaken promising steps to redress
the non-compliance issues identified in
earlier reports. These concerned lack of
support services for students, and general
neglect of the business magnet, which had

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resulted in an undistinguished program.
However, the report also found that the
school administration's efforts were not
receiving support from Boston's central
administration.

The picture is brighter this spring.
Federal vocational education funds have
been allocated to the business magnet for
the first time and there is a promise of
federal funds from Boston's block grant.
(PP. 20-26)

III. MODIFICATIONS TO THE STUDENT ASSIGNMENT PLAN
ORDERS February 20, 1985

FINDINGS It must be noted, of each of the measures
discussed below, that they were requested
by the School Committee and permitted by
the Court; to the extent that they have
not been implemented, and Boston continues
to abide by previous orders of the Court,
there is no "non-compliance" cited.

(1)

(2)

(3)

Administrative

Consolidation

of

Districts

Has not yet taken place.

Permission for Kindergarten Students
to Anticipate Grade 1 Assignment

The impact of this new assignment
provision was negligible.

Guarantee of District High School,
on Request

All first-choice requests for the
district high school were honored.
In most instances fewer students of
each racial/ethnic group requested
their district high school than were
actually assigned to it.

The impact of this new assignment

provision was slight.

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(4) Madison Park Linked to Humphrey
Occupational Resource Center

While this will not be implemented
until 1986-87, Boston is taking
steps to assure that students will
have the necessary information to
make sound decisions about whether
to apply for a ninth grade
assignment to Madison Park/ORC next
Spring. All eighth grade students
in the system will participate in a
one-week exploratory program (see
page 19) at the Humprey Center in
1985-86.

(5) Recruitment Incentive Plan (RIP)

Initial preparations to implement
this "affirmative action to
desegregate" are discussed below.
In brief, notice to community
district superintendents and
affected principals of the
opportunity to recruit students went
out so late that few efforts took
place, except in one district, and
specific guidelines on how the RIP
will be implemented were not
available as of late May. This
failure to move vigorously to
implement a program which the School
Committee urged the Court to accept
in December, 1984 may be attributed
to (a) the habit of administrators
in Boston, at all levels, of leaving
"affirmative action to desegregate"
entirely in the hands of the
Department of Implementation, and
(b) the preoccupation of the DI with
testing the assignment modification
proposed for districts 3 and 4.
(PP. 27-42)

(6) Mather and Elihu Greenwood
Recruitment

No efforts were made to implement
the new provisions for the
Greenwood, which will be affected by
the district 3 and 4 modifica-
tions. Notices were sent to all

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parents eligible for new Mather
School assignments; 52 Black, 20
White and 12 Other Minority students
requested the Mather and were
assigned from outside of its
attendance area.

(7 ) Expansion of the Hernandez Model

Although the move to the Holland
School and the expansion of this
model to the Mackey Middle School
will not be implemented until
1986-87, preliminary discussions
have begun and will continue over
the next months.

IV. DISTRICT 3 AND 4 ASSIGNMENT MODIFICATIONS
ORDER February 20, 1985

FINDINGS The implementation of the process of
expanded options in Districts 3 and 4 is
discussed below. In brief, the
application process offered parents a
number of "guaranteed" options, each of
which would contribute to desegregation,
and the assignment process gave priority
to honoring these guarantees in such a way
that as many choices were honored as
possible, consistent with desegregation.

This process was discussed on a number of
occasions among the parties, creating a
possible precedent for future negotiations
about modifications in student assignments
which would be equitable and positive in
their desegregation impact. (PP. 43-56)

V. BILINGUAL ASSIGNMENTS

ORDER May 10, 1975

FINDINGS Non-Compliance

The academic history, Lau (language
proficiency) category, and "step" (degree

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of mainstreaming) of 7,800 students in
bilingual programs were reviewed. This
review raised major questions about the
large number of students who remain for
six or more years in a program intended to
teach English-language skills so as to be
transitional after three years. It
appears that hundreds of Hispanic students
are remaining in the program without
achieving mastery of English-language
skills, and that many Italian (and, to a
lesser extent, Greek) students are
remaining in the program after acquiring
such skills. The resultant equity and
desegregation problems will be monitored
in depth over the next months.
(PP. 57-78)

VI. ciTYWiDE vcx:ational program assignments

ORDER September 8, 1975

FINDINGS Non-Compliance

Proposed 1985-86 assignments were not
available for review during this moni-
toring period. The 1984-85 enrollments
and retention rates and assignments for
1985-86 are reviewed below.

There is a worsening problem with
enrollments at the Humphrey Center, due to
the high attrition rate of all racial/
ethnic groups. Programs vary in their

attrition. Desegregation
remains poor and is not
The Headmaster is making
efforts to improve program
school climate, but only a
greatly heightened commitment on Boston's
part will lead to the intended enrollment
levels and desegregation compliance.
(PP. 87-136)

rates of
compliance
improving .
significant
quality and

VII.

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS IN EXAMINATION
SCHOOLS

ORDER May 10, 1975; May 3, 1976; March 21, 1978

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FINDINGS Progress in providing the support services
recommended in previous reports is
reviewed below.

Monitors concentrated on four major
efforts in following the progress of the
examination schools to improve recruitment
and support services for Black and
Hispanic students:

1. Monitors re-interviewed 64 of the
135 students interviewed for Report
No. 3 to determine the extent of
improvements in counseling and other
supports over a year. Analysis of
results indicates that while all
three schools continue to make
progress in improving support
services, more improvements are
needed. In particular the avail-
ability of tutors for all students
who need them was cited as a
continuing problem.

2. Monitors surveyed 88 faculty members
at all three examination schools for
their views on causes and remedies
for high Black and Hispanic
attrition. In the opinion of most
faculty members, poor academic
preparation, poor student attitudes
and motivation and a lack of
effective home and community
supports were the major reasons for
high attrition; at Boston Technical
High poor attendance and tardiness
was also listed as an important
cause. In addition, faculty also
cited inappropriate admission
standards. Among Black and a few
White staff, insensitivity shown by
some staff toward the problems of
Black and Hispanic students was also
cited as a cause for attrition.
Major recommendations for improve-
ments in reducing the attrition rate
fell into these categories:

(a) improvements in counseling,
school organization and

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curriculum (33.9% of total
responses)

(b) increased outreach to parents
(18.4% of total responses)

(c) staff training, changes,
redeployment (17.5% of total
responses)

(d) improve academic preparation
(15.9% of total responses)

It should also be noted that twenty-
one respondents provided either no
recommendations for improving
retention or chose not to respond at
all. Although most faculty members
were able to cite between one and
five specific support services
offered at their school (76%), many
were not aware of other vital
support efforts available at their
school. This raises the question of
how referrals to various support
options can be made if faculty are
not fully apprised of those options.

3. The Director of the AWC/ATS program
continues to report progress in
improving the quality of that
preparatory program, as well as
progress toward modifying the
identification and selection
criteria. The quality of the
program, however, is still far from
where it should be.

4. The results of individual written
questionnaires concerning problems
in support services and related
issues administered to the Head-
masters of all three examination
schools indicate steady progress in
making improvements. While the
central office has provided some
additional financial assistance
(mostly "soft"), most efforts remain
school-based. Efforts to retain
needed minority staff at Boston
Latin Academy, and efforts to
reorganize counseling services at

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Boston Latin School have each been
frustrated by provisions of the
union contract. (PP. 137-197)

CONCLUSIONS

Desegregation will be enhanced
substantially if the Recruitment
Incentive Plan is implemented
appropriately in each of the
designated schools, with policy
direction and resources from the
central and district offices.

2. The new approach to student
assignments tested in districts 3
and 4 shows substantial promise to
increase parent choices and enhance
desegregation, if reinforced with
recruitment efforts.

Preliminary review of bilingual
assignments suggests that one-third
of the students in middle and high
school programs (nearly half of the
Spanish-speaking students) have been
enrolled for six or more years
without mainstreaming. Next steps
will include: verifying the data
on-site, determining whether
students are being helped to acquire
English-language skills, determining
whether appropriate language and
other support is provided to
students after mainstreaming, and
reviewing the process for assignment
into and out of bilingual programs.

Continuing review of citywide
vocational enrollments reveals a
worsening situation as a result of
high attrition and low application
rates for many programs. Neither
desegregation compliance nor
efficient utilization of the
educational capacity has been

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achieved. Planning for merger of
the Humphrey Center and Madison Park
High School (itself plagued by
declining applications) must be a
high priority, to assure that the
result is improved education and
attractiveness to students, as well
as desegregation.

Continuing monitoring of support
services at the examination schools
reveals progress but also the need
to carry through on efforts to
identify and provide support to
those students most in need, as well
as to prepare academically-gifted
Boston public school students
adequately in the lower grades.

Progress — and the need to make
more — was also observed at Burke
High and the East Boston Business
Magnet.

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VOCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION

I. ORDER Unified Plan for Vocational and Occupational

Education, September 8, 1975, and amended
June 14, 1976 and January 28, 1978.

FINDINGS

A. RACIAL RATIOS AND ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Partial Compliance

(See Student Assignments and Special

Desegregation Measures Report) (PP. 13;

80-130)

B. CORE PROGRAMS Partial Compliance

Middle School Exploratory Clusters

The type of program offerings and length of
program duration still vary across
districts. There have been some reductions
in staff of exploratory programs. The Tobin
School remains out of compliance in the
Industry Related and Food-Home-Health
Services Related Clusters. Only the
Cleveland and Umana schools have full time
computer technology instructors. A one-week
exploratory program for all 8th graders is
scheduled for September 1985. (PP. 200-201)

Middle School Career Guidance

The dissemination of the Barnstable
Instructional Career Exploratory Program
(BICEP) career education model expanded this
year to include most middle schools. A
transitional package facilitating 8th

- 19 -

graders' choice of high schools was made
available to middle school guidance
counselors. The role of guidance counselors
is being reassessed to expedite the
implementation of the Career Development
Model and Policy. (P. 201)

High School Exploratory

All high schools, except English High, offer
at least 2 exploratory Industry Related
Programs. There are teacher shortages in
some of these programs. Each high school,
except Hyde Park High offers the required 3
courses in Food-Home-Health Services. All
high schools comply with required offerings
in Business-Distribution-Government. HHORC
enrollment is 24% exploratory. (PP. 201-
202)

High School Employability Clusters

Major non-compliance still exists in the
Food-Home-Health Services Cluster and
Distributive Marketing Cluster. Full
compliance exists in the Business Office
Education Cluster. (P. 202)

C. MAGNET PROGRAMS Partial Compliance

Most of the requirements for magnet programs
have been met. Among satellite programs,
only West Roxbury and Dorchester High
Schools have not had significant enrollment
reductions. An enrollment decrease has also
occurred at the HHORC, where retention is
also a growing problem.

The HHORC headmaster has begun to address
these enrollment problems by expanding 9th
grade exploratory options. (PP. 202-204)

D. IN-SCHOOL BILINGUAL Non-Compliance (Improvement Shown)

Boston is out of compliance with the Unified
Plan requirement of native language
programs. Inconsistency in service delivery
exists as the result of the absence of an
approved bilingual vocational education
policy. There is a shortage of bilingual

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aides and counselors. There are no
bilingual counselors at HHORC, although
there are aides and limited English
Proficiency (LEP) support programs.
(PP. 204-206)

E. OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTH Compliance. See Report No. 4,

Vol. II, pp. 190-191.

F. SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS Compliance. See Report No. 4,

Vol. II, p. 191. PP. 207-208)

PROGRAM CHANGES Partial Compliance

The HHORC Cabinet-Making Program will be
consolidated with the same program at
Dorchester High. The East Boston High
Machine Program will close at the end of the
school year 1985-86, as will the Fashion
Design Program at the HHORC this year.
(P. 208)

If the required program transfers of
Dorchester High's woodworking and
architectural design programs are no longer
desirable, a motion must be filed with the
Court to modify the existing order.

H. PROGRAM SUPPORT COMPONENTS:

MANAGEMENT MODIFICATION Non-Compliance

Boston has not instituted a distinctive
management structure for an effective
vocational/occupational education. Progress
has been made in:

(1) developing administrative procedures to
provide the Director with firm fiscal and
supervisory control;

(2) evaluating the effectiveness of all
vocational/occupational programs ;

(3) developing an annual accountability
report for school year 1983-84. (P. 209)

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PUBLIC INFORMATION Partial Compliance

While there are many public information
materials about the HHORC, Vocational
Education as a whole has not been adequately
marketed. Many public information
activities remain uncoordinated.
(PP. 209, 211)

PROFESSIONAL AND IN-SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
Partial Compliance

Vocational/occupational staff at HHORC and
satellite programs are in need of in-service
training in instruction strategies for
special needs students, linguistic
strategies for LEP students, and sex
equity. The logistics of scheduling
citywide training for vocational teachers
remains a problem. (PP. 211-212)

INDUSTRY/AGENCY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Partial Compliance

Membership involvement with ACCVOE has

slipped badly. There is also a lack of

administrative support and of sense of
purpose. (P. 212)

CURRICULUM ACQUISITION/REVISION Non-Compliance

The development of Competency-Based
Vocational Education (CBVE) curricula at the
HHORC is still not completed, and their
effective implementation for classroom
instruction is not in place. A plan for the
citywide dissemination of complete CBVE
curricula should be developed and
implemented. (PP. 213-217)

COMPREHENSIVE JOB DEVELOPMENT Partial Compliance

There has been no change since the last
report. There is still no systemwide
approach for job placement. Minimal
coordination exists between the staff of the
Private Industry Council Collaborative and
the Boston Public Schools. (PP. 214-216)

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CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

In each of the following areas Boston needs
to take action:

Core Programs

1. Middle School Exploratory

establish citywide standards for
Industrial Arts curricula and program
implementation

2. Middle School Career Guidance

develop an action plan for implement-
ing the Career Development Model and
Policy.

3. High School Exploratory

offer exploratory programs at English
High

evaluate effectiveness of existing
exploratory programs

4. High School Employability

identify and extol exemplary programs
which have retained students and
provided job placements

modify vocational program requirements
at magnet high schools to increase
citywide consistency

Magnet Programs

follow through on the establishment of
a magnet computer program at Burke
High

develop a plan for retaining students
in all vocational programs

In-School Bilingual

propose modifications to existing
orders to provide bilingual support
services

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- have the School Committee approve the
Bilingual Vocational Education Policy
Paper

- implement the vocational education
section of the LAU agreement

Vocational/Occupational Education for

Special Needs Students

- include all vocational instructors
citywide in inservice training on
special needs

Program Changes and Deletions

- propose modifications to existing
orders if programs are no longer
desireable

Program Support

- submit annual program evaluation
reports to the Massachusetts
Department of Education

- centralize public information
functions and provide adequate funding
support

- assure that all vocational staff
receive the same inservice training

- re-evaluate the operations of the
Industrial/Agency Community Councils

- complete, evaluate, and distribute
Competency-Based Vocational Education
curricula

review and centralize all job
placement activities including those
now being done through the Private
Industry Council (PIC)

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SCHOOL FACILITIES

ORDER

Interlocutory Order of June 21, 1974
(prohibits construction of or changes to
school facilities without Court approval).

FINDINGS Compliance. See Report No. 4,
p. 205. (P. 236)

Vol. II

II

ORDER

III

FINDINGS

ORDER

FINDINGS

IV.

ORDER

FINDINGS

Student Desegregation Plan, May 10, 1975,
pp. 6-7 (limits size of student bodies in
particular facilities and specifies which
schools are to be closed).

Compliance. See Report No,
p. 205. (P. 236)

4, Vol. II,

Memorandum and Orders Modifying
Desegregation Plan, May 6, 1977, pp.

Compliance

37-40

The Unified Facilities Plan was developed
in accordance with Court Orders and filed
on March 25, 1985. (P. 237)

On May 9, 1985, the Court gave permission
for the projects identified on p. Ill B-2
of the Unified Facilities Plan for FY 1986
to be undertaken and authorized the parties
to take all necessary steps to accomplish
them.

Further Memorandum and Order as to Unified
Facilities Plan, August 15, 1979.

Compliance

A ten year facilities plan has been filed.
(P. 238)

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V.

VI

ORDER Orders Relating to Unified Facilities
Planning, March 21, 1980.

FINDINGS Compliance. See Report No. 4, Vol. II,
p. 207. (P. 238)

ORDER Supplemental Orders Relating to Unified
Facilities Planning, April 2, 1980.
(Requires closing of Mead School.)

FINDINGS Compliance. See Report No. 4, Vol. II,
p. 208. (P. 239)

VII.

VIII

ORDER Order on Joint Defendants' Motion for

Adoption, May 11, 1981. (Requires closing
of 27 schools. )

FINDINGS Compliance. See Report No. 4, Vol. II,
p. 208. (P. 239)

ORDER Memorandum and Supplementary Disengagement
Orders, September 17, 1984.

FINDINGS Compliance

On March 25, 1985, a Facilities Plan was
filed. (P. 239)

IX,

ORDER Order to File Unified Facilities Plan,
November 2, 1984

FINDINGS A Unified Facilities Plan was filed on

March 25, 1985, in accordance with these
orders. (P. 240)

ORDER Memorandum and Orders regarding the

Unified Facilities Plan and Excess Seats -
January 4, 1985.

FINDINGS The Joint Planners filed their calculations
of excess seats and were in substantial
agreement. (P. 240)

XI

ORDER

Approval to proceed with first year
projects in the Unified Facilities Plan -
May 9, 1985.

26 -

FINDINGS The city of Boston is processing appli-
cations for certain first-year projects.
Many of these will be considered for
approval at the Board of Education's
June 25, 1985 meeting. (P. 240)

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

The Board of Education now awaits the
written findings of the Court with respect
to the Unified Facilities Plan filed on
March 25, 1985. (P. 240)

- 27 -

- 28 -

STAFF

I.

ORDER

FINDINGS

The desegregation of faculty and admini-
strative staff shall be implemented
according to the standards contained in the
orders of July 31, 1974, et al.

The percentage of Black teachers increased
only 0.62%, and of other minority teachers
0.21%. The number of Black teachers
increased from 870 to 922 (up 52), of other
minority teachers from 351 to 386 (up 35),
and of White teachers from 2951 to 3111 (up
160). The mandatory level of 20% for Black
teachers has been maintained, but little
progress has been made towards the goal of
25%. (PP. 393C-394; 397; 404)

Changes
follows

in administrators have been as

Black
Black
Other
4.92%
Other
to 7.

principals: from 23.58% to 23.77%
administrators: from 23.80% to 24.21%
minority principals: from 4.88% to

minority administrators: from 7.02%
01% (PP. 393C-395; 397; 405-407)

Implementation of the new Court-approved
(and simplified) promotional rating system
for acting appointments has resulted in
the rating of 130 department heads,
pending appointments. In addition, since
September 1984, 62 ratings for new
vacancies have been scheduled, though only
1 appointment has been made.
(PP. 408-411; 413-417)

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

The lack of
percentages of
teachers is

significant increase in
Black and other minority
a cause for concern.

- 29 -

Apparently, Boston's teacher recruitment
efforts have been neither extensive,
aggressive, well-funded nor effective.

Boston should advertise all teacher
vacancies widely in newspapers, and make
strong efforts to retain current Black and
other minority teachers.

Boston is to be commended for its
increased use of the promotional rating
system.

- 30 -

TRANSPORTATION

I.

ORDER May 10, 1975, pp. 80-83

FINDINGS Partial Compliance

Monitors have not had a response from
Boston relative to concerns raised in
previous reports about a lack of strong
management controls over transportation
standards and procedures. In particular,
Boston has not described how it will
resolve problems related to lack of ade-
quate follow-up on complaints filed with
the transportation department. Continuing
stories in the pess regarding incompe-
tence, criminal records and malfeasance
among some school bus drivers, and other
safety concerns further emphasize the need
for stronger management controls and a
system of contractor and school bus driver
accountability. (P. 421c)

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Boston should develop and implement
standards and procedures to ensure con-
sistent, high quality transportation
service. (P. 422)

II.

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY

Monitors have continued to follow the
progress of the school bus safety plan
implemented in September. Evaluations
conducted by the Department of Safety
Services and the Citywide Parents Council
this spring provide strong evidence that
the new program is a success, with Boston
reporting a 70% drop in reported incidents
on school buses since September (90% drop
on those buses with attendants). The

- 31 -

addition of school bus attendants has been
the key to the success of the plan. The
only major complaint coming from the
respondents to the Safety Department eval-
uation is a desire to see school bus
attendants on all school buses rather than
the few who are currently assigned accord-
ing to a formula. (P. 422)

- 32 -

PARENT AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

PARENT ORGANIZATIONS

I.

ORDER

FINDINGS

Memorandum and Orders Establishing Racial
Parent Councils, October 4, 1974, and sub-
sequent modifying orders.

Partial Compliance

Further modifications in the structure and
purposes of the councils are necessary to
insure parent participation, to redefine
the council's desegregation monitoring
responsibilities and to guarantee parent
participation in decision-making and
planning. (P. 458)

II.

ORDER

Order of May 10, 1975 mandating the
establishment of a Citywide Coordinating
Council.

FINDINGS

Compliance,
p. 468. (P.

See Report
459)

No. 4, Vol. II

III

ORDER

Supplemental Order of November 8, 1976,
concerning the role of the School Com-
mittee in citizen participation groups.

FINDINGS

Compliance,
p. 469. (P,

See Report
459)

No. 4, Vol. II

IV.

ORDER

Memorandum and Further Orders of
September 1, 1977 concerning organ-
izational relations among the Citywide
Parents Advisory Council, the Community
District Parent Advisory Councils and the
Racial Ethnic Parent Councils (P. 459)

- 33 -

V.

FINDINGS

ORDER

FINDINGS

Compliance. See Report No. 4, Vol. II,
p. 469.

Memorandum

and

Further

Orders

of

September 15, 1978 clarifying the respon-
sibilities of the various citizen
participation groups as well as certain
procedural matters.

Compliance,
p. 470. (P.

See Report
459)

No. 4, Vol. II,

VI.

ORDER

FINDINGS

Order of May 8, 1980 establishing
procedural guidelines for monitoring
school desegregation.

Partial Compliance

Procedural guidelines need to be reviewed
and modified. (PP. 459-460)

VII,

ORDER

VIII,

Memorandum and Semi-Final Orders
reorganizing the parent participation
councils to increase their effectiveness.

FINDINGS Partial Compliance

During the past six months there has been
improvement in (1) levels of parent
participation in SPC's, (2) tensions
between the CPC and the school department,
and (3) the organizational problems with
the CPC. (PP. 460-461)

ORDER Memorandum and Further Orders completing
the restructuring of the parent councils.

FINDINGS Partial Compliance

CPC ' s monitoring responsibilities need to
be reviewed and modified. The issue of
parent participation in the screening of
applicants for administrative positions
has been resolved. (PP. 461-462)

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Strong efforts are still needed to
develop duly constituted, effective

- 34 -

SPCs as mandated by Court Order. Low
parent turn-out, and absenteeism among
elected officers impede the functions
of some SPCs. CPC candidates should
have at least a year's involvement
with the SPC before they can serve as
CPC members.

2. The parent councils should be retained
as organizations independent of the
school department, and Boston should
make it clear that the CPC-SPC is the
only legitimate parent organization
responsible for parent involvement in
the implementation of court orders,
legislation, and/or collective
bargaining. CPC should work with
other parent groups for the benefit of
all students.

3. The Court should narrow the CPC's
monitoring responsibilities to include
only the areas of transportation,
screening and rating of staff,
collective bargaining, maintenance of
buildings, and student recruitment
efforts in special desegregation
schools and/or schools named in
special court orders.

4. Boston and the CPC should agree to a
procedure for determining furture
funding levels for the CPC.

5. All CPC reports and other findings
should be available to all parties in
the Boston desegregation case as well
as all parents in the system. CPC
should publish an annual report on all
of its activities. (PP. 464-465)

Recent reports of internal discord within
the CPC suggests the need for continuing
strong efforts to stabilize the CPC so
that internal disputes do not impede the
important functions of the organization as
a whole.

- 35 -

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

I.

ORDER

FINDINGS

Memorandum and Order of
establishing racial
councils in every middle

Non-Compliance

October
ethnic
and high

4, 1974
student
school .

Only the Thompson Middle School had a
functioning RESC. The councils received
little, if any, school department aid.
The suggestion to replace RESC ' s with
Communications Boards has been without
support. (PP. 467-468)

II

ORDER

FINDINGS

Amalgamation Plan, which established the
system's student government organizations,
and made the Racial Ethnic Student
Councils subcommittees of racially repre-
sentative student council.

Partial Compliance

Thirteen schools did not submit timely
election data to the Student Affairs
Office this school year. No data has been
submitted on the election of RESC ' s or
student representatives to SPC's.
(PP. 468-469)

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Boston must develop a policy with respect
to RESC ' s or Communication Boards
including a procedure, timeline and
funding for their implementation. Middle
and high schools must submit yearly
election data on student councils by
November 1 of each school year. Finally,
student participation on high school
School Site Councils should be encouraged
and insured. (PP. 469-470)

- 36 -

DISPUTE RESOLUTIONS

Only one dispute reached the level of request for State
Board mediation described at section V{D)(1) of the Orders of
Disengagement. This dispute concerned permanent appointments for
certain members of the Department of Implementation, and was
resolved informally between the Boston Teachers Union and the
School Department prior to the actual commencement of the
mediation process.

Complaints raised by Plaintif f-intervenors, which had
previously been the subject of Dispute Resolution at the School
Department level, continued to be addressed by the concerned
parties without a request for State Board mediation. At a
hearing held on May 13, 1985, counsel for El Comite informed the
Court that School Defendants had promised a response on these
outstanding issues within the week.

- 37 -

- 38 -

MODIFICATIONS

Extensive negotiations among the parties were conducted
during this monitoring period, relating to a variety of Court
Orders. The State Board, through its counsel and the Associate
Commissioner for Occupational Education, initiated a series of
discussions regarding revision of the Unified plan for Vocational
and Occupational Education. As of June 1, these discussions were
still being conducted, though the State Board hoped to be able to
present its recommendations to the Court in June. The State
Board also authorized counsel to begin a series of negotiations
regarding various modifications of student assignment orders.
The first four meetings in this series of negotiations were held
on May 8, May 13, May 23, and May 31, and covered School
Defendants' proposed consolidation of Districts III and IV, and
Plaintiffs' request for modification of orders relating to the
Examination Schools.

In addition to the above negotiations, which have been
conducted in accordance with Section VI of the Orders of
Disengagement, School Defendants, City Defendants and the State
Board held lengthy negotiations prior to the joint filing of the
Unified Facilities Plan.

- 39 -