Boston Public Schools has not made significant improvements for student outcomes despite an agreement made with the state five years ago, the nonprofit organization Boston Policy Institute found in a new report.

“The study finds that while the intervention prompted BPS to address long-standing operational and administrative deficiencies, it has not resulted in improved academic outcomes for BPS schools or students— particularly for Black and Latino students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students,” the BPI report states.

In March 2020, BPS and state education officials signed a deal for the district to take steps to address systemic issues in order to avoid a state takeover. The deal led to the 2022 Systemic Improvement Plan (SIP) between the district and state, requiring BPS to take steps to address facilities, chronic absenteeism, bus performance and more.

The BPI report, titled “Beyond Small Fixes: The Case for Continued Accountability in BPS,” examines the district’s state five years into the state intervention.

“With the SIP set to expire in June 2025, this report examines the effectiveness of the intervention, identifies persistent challenges, and outlines options for the future,” the organization states.

In evaluation of the intervention, the report made several key findings, including that academic outcomes declined and there is “little evidence” of pandemic recovery. The analysis also found the concentration of high-need students in low-performing schools grew; and that despite operational improvements, “key operational priorities are incomplete.”

The report cites a 52-point achievement gap between Black and Latino students and white students in 10th grade math, arguing these such gaps have grown since 2019 “in all subjects and grade spans.”

BPI said the state intervention in BPS “focused on compliance over student and school outcomes,” noting that less than a third of the 41 state-mandated goals for BPS were focused on student and school outcomes. BPS has met 63% of the requirements, the report said.

The BPI report recommends DESE construct a third improvement agreement with BPS to “shift from compliance-focused interventions to accountability for measurable improvement in student outcomes.” The recommended agreement would set goals for things like literacy and post-secondary/workforce readiness, and set up accountability assurances like monthly public progress reporting and an independent accountability lead within the district to report to DESE.

“This June, state leaders will decide whether to conclude the state’s intervention or to continue pursuing the goal of improved educational outcomes,” the report states. “Without sustained accountability focused on student outcomes, BPS risks repeating cycles of stagnation that have historically limited opportunities for its most vulnerable students.”

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