METCO Merits More

METCO Merits More The History and Status No. 74 June of METCO 2011 A Pioneer Institute White Paper in collaboration with The Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School by Susan Eaton and Gina Chirichigno Pioneer’s Mission Pioneer Institute is an independent, non-partisan, privately funded research organization that seeks to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts through civic discourse and intellectually rigorous, data- driven public policy solutions based on free market principles, individual liberty and responsibility, and the ideal of effective, limited and accountable government. Pioneer’s Centers This paper is a publication of the Center for School Reform, which seeks to increase the education options available to parents and students, drive system-wide reform, and ensure accountability in public education. The Center’s work builds on Pioneer’s legacy as a recognized leader in the charter public school movement, and as a champion of greater academic rigor in Massachusetts’ elementary and secondary schools. Current initiatives promote choice and competition, school-based management, and enhanced academic performance in public schools. The Center for Better Government seeks limited, accountable government by promoting competitive delivery of public services, elimination of unnecessary regulation, and a focus on core government functions. Current initiatives promote reform of how the state builds, manages, repairs and finances its transportation assets as well as public employee benefit reform. The Center for Economic Opportunity seeks to keep Massachusetts competitive by promoting a healthy business climate, transparent regulation, small business creation in urban areas and sound environmental and development policy. Current initiatives promote market reforms to increase the supply of affordable housing, reduce the cost of doing business, and revitalize urban areas. Pioneer Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization funded through the donations of individuals, foundations and businesses committed to the principles Pioneer espouses. To ensure its independence, Pioneer does not accept government grants. METCO Merits More Susan Eaton The History and Status Gina Chirichigno of METCO Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 3 The METCO Story 3 What is METCO? 4 METCO by the Numbers 8 METCO Demographics 10 METCO’s Enabling Legislation: “The METCO Bill” 15 METCO’s Track Record 16 How Do Families, Students and Alumni Assess METCO 22 METCO in the Context of Intense Regional Inequalities in Metro Boston and Springfield 24 Conclusion and Recommendations 25 About the Authors 29 Endnotes 30 METCO Merits More Executive Summary In spite of its popularity, METCO has faced budget cuts in recent years, forcing local communities to Massachusetts’ METCO program (Metropolitan cut back on services. In 2008, METCO’s budget Council for Educational Opportunity) enables was $20.2 million. Three years later, in 2011, about 3,300 students who live in Boston and lawmakers slashed METCO’s budget to $16.5 Springfield to attend opportunity-rich suburban million. schools. Since the vast majority of the students in METCO are either African American or Achievement: Latino and most suburban districts remain Before outlining the encouraging data on METCO overwhelmingly white, METCO fulfills two student performance, it is important to stress that goals: it creates a degree of racial and ethnic these trends are likely the result of many factors diversity and provides students who’d otherwise and cannot be attributed solely to the METCO attend challenged school districts the opportunity program. In order to remove the other potential to attend schools with reputations for rigor and influences on achievement, it would be necessary excellence. to compare METCO with a control group made up of students who are similar to METCO students METCO is one of eight voluntary interdistrict but who did not participate in the program. (This school desegregation programs in the United study is beyond the scope of this brief). Thus, we present data only to demonstrate that METCO States and the second longest-running program students are performing well in what are highly of its kind. This paper describes the structure competitive academic environments, and doing and history of METCO and summarizes what so in spite of the stresses that long bus rides and is known about the academic achievement and early morning risings that the program requires. experiences of students who participate in the program. We argue that given METCO’s generally METCO students consistently graduate high positive track record, its enduring popularity and school at far higher rates than the state average and the well-established benefits of racial and ethnic higher than students in Boston and Springfield. In 2009, 93 percent of METCO students graduated diversity in schools, educational leaders should high school on time compared with 81.5 percent seriously consider expanding METCO, should of students statewide, 61 percent in Boston and provide more incentives to suburban districts to 61 percent in Springfield. participate and should conduct more rigorous, transparent analyses of the program. Test scores from 3rd, 6th and 10th grades show that on average, from 2006 to 2010, METCO METCO Merits More makes the following students, who are overwhelmingly African findings: American and Latino, tended to dramatically Popularity & Funding: outperform their African American and Latino METCO enjoys enduring popularity among urban counterparts both in Boston and Springfield. With families, suburban educators and state legislators. rare exceptions in Math in some years, METCO In the program’s initial year, just seven suburban students, on average, also outperformed Boston communities participated in METCO. In 2011, and Springfield students overall on the MCAS, 37 districts are participating in METCO. even after factoring in the MCAS scores of White and Asian students in those cities. In 2011, about 900 students were on the METCO waiting list for kindergarten placement for the Diversity & Long-Standing Inequality: following school year; about 600 were on the list More than half of METCO students come from for first grade, and 600 for second grade. Most low-income families, compared with 74 percent METCO students are placed in suburban schools in Boston and 84 percent in Springfield. between kindergarten and second grade. 1 Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research A higher share of METCO students are categorized The state and the METCO officials should as having “special education” needs (25 percent provide accessible data and information about in 2010) than the share of students so designated the structure of the program, the student-selection in Boston (19.4 percent) and Springfield (22.8 process and student performance. percent). METCO is the only program designed to redress the long-standing racial and economic segregation of the Commonwealth’s public schools. As recent reports in 2009 and 2010 show, the state’s schools are intensely segregated and African American and Latino families are far more likely even than low-income white families to live in “low-opportunity” neighborhoods characterized by unemployment, higher crime rates, fewer job opportunities, poorer transportation infrastructure, low graduation rates and inadequate school resources. As discussed in this report, racial and economic diversity are associated with a host of educational and social benefits, while racial and economic segregation tends to contribute to lower achievement and graduation rates. METCO Merits More makes the following recommendations: The state should provide adequate, reliable funding for the METCO program and state educational leaders should publicly endorse and promote the program. The state should find new ways to support school districts participating in METCO program, possibly by tying building reimbursements to participation and offering competitive grants for teacher training or innovative programs that enhance the educational experience of METCO students and help foster positive relationships between METCO students and resident students. State officials should appoint a working group or advisory committee to explore the feasibility, cost and community interest in expanding the METCO program to provide more students from other challenged urban communities access to high-performing public schools. 2 METCO Merits More Introduction organizers Ruth Batson and Ellen Jackson, this grassroots movement was institutionalized. The nation’s second longest-running program of With cooperation from suburban educators, the its kind, Metropolitan Council for Educational program (operating under the name “METCO”) Opportunity (METCO) enables approximately transferred African-American students out of 3,300 students from Boston and Springfield, the the city into affluent, white schools just beyond vast majority of them either African American the city line. In its first official year, 1966, the or Latino, to attend opportunity-rich suburban Carnegie Foundation funded the program, schools. This research paper describes the enabling about 220 African-American children to structure and history of METCO, and summarizes attend suburban schools in Arlington, Braintree, what is known about academic achievement and Brookline, Lexington, Lincoln, Newton, and the experiences of students who choose to take Wellesley. Soon afterward, the state began part in this program. paying for METCO by providing annual grants to

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