Boston Arts Academy is a pilot school within the Boston Public Schools. The Pilot schools, as noted in a Boston Public Schools memo (1995), were intended “to provide models of educational excellence which will help to foster widespread educational reform throughout all of the Boston Public Schools.” With that goal in mind, pilot schools were granted “autonomies,” or freedoms, to create their own structures that support their individual school models.

Two of the autonomies we have are to create our own assessment structures and to create our own schedule. Traditional grading systems don’t always meet the needs of the arts or support students to success, and the traditional BPS bell structure does not meet our unique needs as an arts high school.

As you know, some courses have been piloting an outcomes-based assessment system and the faculty and staff are evaluating how well that pilot is going. In addition, in preparation for our move to our new building, the faculty and staff are discussing next year’s schedule.

I am sharing this context because we want your input. Students and families, please fill out this survey to give us your thoughts on grading and schedule. The Equity Roundtable will be reviewing your responses this coming Tuesday, November 16. There will be a prize for those advisories with the most responses. Shout out out Advisory 19, Ms. Facey’s advisory, for working with me to draft the survey.

Have a great week!