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Launched in the Lynch School of Education in 2001 to develop a new model to support struggling students, the City Connects’ intervention initiative delivers significant, long-term academic benefits to students in 21 Massachusetts public schools, according to a new report.
The program, which still maintains close ties to the Lynch School under the direction of founder and Kearns Professor of Education Mary E. Walsh, shows that addressing the in- and out-of-school needs of students living in poverty has a lasting impact on academic achievement, evaluators found.
Among the leading findings, City Connects unique approach made gains including:
Reduced dropout rates: Students who attended City Connects schools beginning in kindergarten have 50% lower odds of dropping out of high school than students never in a City Connects school.
Improved test scores: City Connects students outperform their peers in middle school and achieve close to state proficiency levels on both English and Math statewide assessments. In elementary grades, City Connects students scored significantly higher than peer students in Reading and Math on the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT-9) in grades 3, 4, and 5.
School transformation: After one year of implementing City Connects in Springfield’s persistently underperforming “turnaround” schools, the achievement gap between these schools and other Springfield schools was significantly reduced in grades 3, 4, and 5, based on English and Math MCAS test results.
“The data in this report make clear that thoughtful strategies and rigorous practices that provide non-academic supports for students can make a significant difference toward closing the achievement gap for children living in poverty,” said Walsh.
The report also notes that students in City Connects elementary schools are, on average, more likely to attend Boston’s “exam schools,” which are highly selective secondary schools. Students were less likely to miss school or be retained, or “held back,” in grade.
City Connects serves approximately 9,500 students in 16 Boston and 5 Springfield public elementary/K-8 schools.
City Connects “optimized student support” approach addresses the non-academic factors that can limit academic achievement, especially for children living in poverty. The intervention identifies the strengths and needs of every child and connects each student to a tailored set of prevention, intervention, and enrichment services in the community and school.
“Schools have always made efforts to address students’ out-of-school needs,” Walsh said. “This report shows that using evidence to inform practice, making effective use of community resources, and tailoring a plan for every student can alter trajectories for children. It has implications for changing the way school counselors, social workers, and other student support staff meet the needs of students.”
Students in City Connects schools were linked to 55,400 services and enrichment opportunities provided by the district and 550 community partners. Surveys showed that teachers, principals, and community partners consistently reported high levels of satisfaction with City Connects.
In addition to schools in Boston and Springfield, City Connects is active in 35 public and private schools and centers in Massachusetts, New York City and Dayton, Ohio. In addition to support from Boston College, the Boston Public Schools and Springfield Public Schools, City Connects’ has been backed by funding from the Barr Foundation, the Better Way Foundation, the Charles Hayden Foundation, the GHR Foundation, the Ludcke Foundation, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Mathile Family Foundation, the New Balance Foundation, the Philanthropic Initiative, and Strategic Grant Partners.
To learn more about City Connects, visit the website http://www.bc.edu/schools/lsoe/cityconnects/.