Fast Facts

What is a Horace Mann Charter School?

Established in 1997, Horace Mann Charter Schools are independent public schools, that operate under a 5 year charter granted by the State's Board of Education. Although Charter schools operate as district schools, they possess certain autonomies, as well as increased accountability. The areas of autonomy that exist include faculty/staff hiring, budget organization,  access to state and federal funding, curriculum organization and content, school year, and day length and hours of operation. Horace Mann charter schools differ from Commonwealth charter schools in that they abide by collective bargaining  agreeements with teachers. Horace Mann Charter schools grant public school diplomas.

What is a Competency-Based Curriculum?

While traditional school measure student progress in carnegie units, or course credit hours earned, BDEA bases student progress on demonstration of competency through a variety of assessments. BDEA's curriculum is made up of over 300 benchmarks in Humanities, Math, Science, and Technology, that measure the competence of each student, and gives them the knowledge and skills that every high school graduate should possess. To see our competencies, visit the Curriculum Page under Inside BDEA.

Most students enter BDEA with certain competencies that they have gained from their previous schools. After initial assessment, students' competencies are recorded on our student database, which shows students exactly what they have already earned, and what they still need to earn before graduating. Students are assessed at the end of each trimester, through oral and written exams, portfolio presentations, and experiential projects. After students have demonstrated all competencies, they complete a capstone project, which they present to a panel of faculty, administration, and community members.

Do students of Charter Schools need to pass the MCAS exam to graduate?

Yes. All students that receive a Massachusetts high school diploma must pass the MCAS exam.

What is the difference between Day, Evening, and Distance Learning Programs?

The most obvious difference between the three programs is the schedule. The Day Program runs from 9-2pm, Evening from 1:30pm to 7pm, and the Distance Learning schedule is set individually with students and teachers.

Students who enter our Day Program are generally coming out of 8th grade, after being held back, or have repeated 9th grade. Day students are typically 16-19 years old, and will spend an average of 3-4 years at BDEA before graduating.

Evening students are slightly older, and have typically already been to high school. The average age of evening students is between 18 and 21. Evening students generally spend 1-2 years at BDEA before graduating. Many evening students hold jobs while attending school.

Distance Learning students apply to this program because they cannot attend school daily. About 86% of DL students are employed full time, and many of them are full time parents. DL students work independently on projects, while keeping in constant communication with teachers. Many students come to school a few times a week for extra help, check-ins, or for a quiet space to work and do research. (For more detailed information on our programs, please see Inside BDEA, or contact the school)

What do students generally do after graduating from BDEA?

BDEA holds four graduations per year in September, December, March, and June. Most students go on to 2- or 4-year colleges, but some also enter programs such as Year Up or City Year that prepare them for higher learning, or the work place.

No student graduates from BDEA with out a post-graduate plan. Working with the staff in the Post Graduate Planning Office, each student crafts a plan that is tailored to their goals and interests, which may include vocational training programs, job placement or internships, and college.

Some schools that BDEA alumni attend include: Hampshire College, Mass College of Liberal Arts, New England Art Institute, Salem State College, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, Northeastern University, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Centre College, and Brandeis University.

Why choose a school like BDEA?

BDEA is the only high school in Boston whose mission is specifically geared towards students who are overage for grade level and have previously experienced academic failure. At BDEA, students get another chance to experience academic success and reach their full potential.

Recent studies have shown that 47% of Boston's students drop out of school before graduation. Factors that lead to dropping out include being overage for grade level, coming from a low-income household, and having below grade-level reading abilities.

At BDEA, we meet each student wherever they are in their education, and use rigorous, experiential academics blended with non-academic support and community building to bring students to a level at which they are confident, independent learners, and creative and critical thinkers.