Bulletin MASC www.masc.org March 2017 V.51 n.2 Massachusetts Association of School Committees Graduation Rate Improves MASC Calls on Lawmakers to Enact for 10th Consecutive Year Recommendations t the February 28 Board of an increase of 7.6 percentage points Education meeting, it was from the 2006 cohort, when ESE first of Foundation Aannounced that the state’s began calculating the cohort gradu- Budget Commission four-year graduation rate has im- ation rate. A cohort is comprised of proved for the 10th consecutive year, students who entered high school as MASC has voiced its support of pro- with 87.5% of students who entered ninth graders or who transferred into posed legislation that would revise the as ninth graders in 2012-13—or who the same cohort at any time during state’s complex formula for state educa- transferred into that same cohort at high school. tion aid in the current session. MASC any time during high school—gradu- The dropout reduction—from the President Patrick Murphy (Barnstable) ating within four years. high point of 3.8 % in 2006—7 to announced the Association’s support In addition to the overall improve- 1.9% in 2015-16 – resulted in less for the bill filed by Sen. Sonia Chang- ment in the graduation rate, the than half as many students dropping Diaz, S.223, An Act Modernizing the graduation rate for all major ethnic out in 2015-16, when 5,523 students Foundation Budget for the 21st Cen- and racial groups and for urban dis- dropped out, than in 2006-07, when tury. tricts continues to grow. The state’s 11,436 students dropped out. Approx- “This bill has substance and fol- annual dropout rate remained at imately 5,900 fewer students dropped lows through on the blue print that 1.9% in 2015-16, the lowest overall out in 2015-16 than in 2006-7. targets badly needed financial support rate in more than three decades. In addition, all major subgroups to where it is needed most and makes According to the data released this improved their four-year graduation significant adjustments to key areas of year, 87.5% of the 74,045 students rates compared to the previous year. expense that have been understated in the 2016 cohort graduated within The largest gains were made by black since the original formula was created four years, an increase of 0.2 percent- males (up 2.9 percentage points from 23 years ago,” said Murphy. age points from the 2015 cohort and continued on page 3 “We’ve been dealing with mandates, regulations, and new challenges to serve students. The pressure on educa- Number of homeless families in MA doubles in 9 years tors is enormous. Adequate financing The number of homeless families in state-wide and longer in Boston. of an equitably distributed source of MA has more than doubled in the past Children make up 60% of t he revenue is key. This bill (S.223) sets its nine years, an increase among the 13,000 people who are experiencing goal of fair funding for the real costs of highest in the nation, according to a homelessness on any given day in MA. educating children and includes all the report released last week by the Boston Contributors to the report attribute things that work for the ‘whole child.’ Foundation. the increase in homelessness to sev- That includes not only the basics for More than 33,000 families, or more eral things, noting that the time frame teaching and learning, but counseling, than 100,000 people, have spent at overlaps the recession in 2008 and its teacher training, arts, extra-curricular least one night in a homeless shelter aftermath and the ongoing skyrocket- activities, and early education for some since 2008, said the report, which ing costs of housing in the state. MA is of our most economically vulnerable analyzes the housing trends of families. also the nation’s only “right-to-shelter” kids,” Murphy added. Families make up more than half the state, which means it guarantees shelter Filed by Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz, state’s homeless population, a reality for homeless families (New York City S.223 fully implements the recommen- on only one other state (New York), ac- also guarantees right to shelter). dations of the appointed, bi-partisan cording to the report. The report also shows that during 2015 Foundation Budget Review Com- mission (FBRC). The FBRC found that Length of stay in shelters is also on the last two years the state has begun continued on page 3 the increase, averaging nearly a year continued on page 2 Because YOU asked... Homeless Families continued from page 1 ISSUE: What school districts are doing/ Mitchell Chester, wrote a letter to state reducing the population of homeless considering doing by way of imple- school officials. families which coincides with the use menting policies that would effectively In it, Chester said, he “would like of other homeless assistance programs prevent ICE entry into schools (and to affirm for you that Massachusetts that offer both prevention and stabiliza- the turning over of records) has been a remains dedicated to protecting the tion supports as well as recent changes recent topic on the MASC listserv. rights of transgender students even in in eligibility criteria. light of recent federal actions.” In response to similar concerns raised Families served in MA look demo- The following day, Chester reiterated graphically like families served across by a number of school departments the state’s commitment to all students, the country: on average, a family who are seeking to reassure their saying in a statement: “Educating and staying in a MA shelter is headed by communities that protections remain supporting all students strengthens our a female about 30 years old, with one in place for immigrant and transgen- communities and our Commonwealth or two children. A little more than der students, Attorney General Maura as a whole.” half (56%) are white, 37% African- Healey issued an advisory last week The advisory provides three bullet American and 40% Hispanic. Race reminding school districts statewide points for what school leaders state- and ethnicity vary somewhat by region that children have a right to primary wide must do: (1) allow all students to however with Boston having the low- and secondary education regardless of attend; (2) avoid asking for informa- est percentage of families identified as immigration status. tion that might discourage or deny ac- white (35%) and the western part of “In light of the current climate cess based on race, national origin, or the state having the highest percentage around matters of immigration, par- immigration or citizenship status; and of white families (78%). The western ents should not be afraid to send their (3) protect all students from bullying part of the state also serves the highest children to school,” said Healey. “In and harassment. percentage of Hispanic families (57%). Massachusetts and across this country, MASC Field Director Mike Gil- The report, which hopes to catalyze we open our schools to all children bert suggest that districts refer to the legislative and other advocacy deci- because that is how we build a produc- Attorney General’s Advisory on Equal sions to prevent and address home- tive, educated, and safe society.” Access, which can be found online at: lessness, provides detailed analysis The advisory said state and federal laws http://www.mass.gov/ago/consumer- that can guide future decisions. Data guarantee every child “equal access to resources/your-rights/civil-rights/ focuses on understanding the challeng- public education — irrespective of race, equal-access-to-public-education. es of families receiving shelter through color, sex, gender identity, religion, na- html. the state’s Emergency Assistance (EA) tional origin, sexual orientation, disabil- In addition, he suggested that programs, including changes in the EA ity, or immigration status.” Children are population’s size, characteristics and members refer to policies AC - Non- protected under the federal Civil Rights use of shelter services over the time- discrimination, IJ Instructional Materi- Act of 1964 and by state laws that frame of the study and compares these als, JB – Equal Educational Opportu- prohibit bullying and discrimination, to trends nationally and in selected nities, and JFBB – School Choice in according to the advisory, which also communities. your policy manuals (links are to the points to a 1982 Supreme Court ruling The full report can be accessed MASC reference manual) which affirm that says states cannot constitutionally online at: http://www.tbf.org/~/media/ the district’s commitment to providing deny students a free public education TBFOrg/Files/Reports/Homlessness%20 a public education to ALL students on account of immigration status. Report_Feb2017R.pdf F regardless of citizenship status. F This case “made clear that a child’s immigration or citizenship status (or that of his or her parent or guardian) is not relevant to the child’s right to a On Friday, March 10 MASC is cosponsoring with MASS its first ever public education,” said the advisory. SUMMIT ON POVERTY at Clark University in Worcester. The program “Enrollment practices that single out will focus on the unique challenges of poverty that urban, suburban and students based on their actual or per- rural school districts confront; strategies in the field to mitigate the im- ceived citizenship or immigration status violate state and federal law.” pact of poverty on children and families; and reports from students them- Last week, Trump’s administration or- selves on the effects of poverty on their academic and social well-being dered schools nationwide to disregard and how school initiatives that helped them bridge these challenges.