A Boston school turnaround
Fourth-grader Rashad Brown Mitchell and third-grader Naia Walter are proud of their school. As its ambassadors, they get to show off the E. Greenwood Leadership Academy to visitors. And they aren’t shy about their roles. The pair confidently point out the indicators of student success that dress up their classroom doorways and halls. “This shows the different classrooms and their attendance, how many kids come to class each day,” said Rashad, pointing to an elaborate grid, one of several progress charts prominently displayed. Student attendance at the Greenwood has risen to 95 percent. The school, nestled in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, is a happy, successful place. But it wasn’t always so. In 2009, Greenwood was counted among the Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) lowest performers. The district was threatening to close the school’s doors because it was failing. Greenwood had not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) — a measure of student proficiency reported through MCAS...