History of the Boston Day and Evening Academy
The Boston Day and Evening Academy is the City of Boston’s first diploma-granting public evening high school and, as of September 2004, first to become a 12-hour school as a Day Academy was added.
A Horace Mann Charter School since 1998, BDEA exists to serve students for whom traditional education has not worked. “Students First!” is BDEA’s mission. The needs of this unique community of learners inform every aspect of the school, from non-traditional class hours to the distance-learning program to the non-graded, competency-base curriculum. BDEA is now permanently housed at the Phillis Wheatley Complex in Dudley Square, Roxbury.
In January 2003, after an intensive and in-depth review of the school’s academic programs, faculty credentials, leadership and governance structure, the Massachusetts Department of Education renewed BDEA’s charter for an additional five years (from 2003 – 2008). “Your school has proved what a strong vision, high standards and hard work can accomplish for the students of Massachusetts,” wrote Massachusetts Commissioner of Education David Driscoll in the school’s rechartering announcement.
BDEA was also awarded full membership into the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) in 2003, thereby joining a select group of schools nation-wide that are informing the conversation around education reform. The mission of the CES is to transform American public education so that every child in every neighborhood, regardless of race or class, attends a small, vibrant, intellectually challenging, personalized school.
During the 2003 – 2004 school year, members of the school’s Board of Trustees and members of the leadership team from the BPS worked together to develop an action plan that would open a Day program at the Phillis Wheatley Complex for the 2004 – 2005 school year. This latest chapter in the school’s history grew out of the Boston Public Schools’ critical need to establish a program that could serve overage eighth graders who had not yet reached 8th grade BPS benchmarks. These students have three options for graduation: remain in the Day program, transition to the Evening program, or transfer back to a BPS high school as a 10th grader.
The Massachusetts Board of Education approved the proposal, amended the school’s charter to reflect the new program as well approved the new name (Boston Day and Evening Academy), which would reflect both programs within the school. Starting in September of 2004 with 65 students, the Day program now has almost 200 enrolled. In June and September of 2007, the Day program graduated its first classes of students, totaling 15 students, 13 of which were accepted to 2 and 4 year colleges, vocational schools, or trade training programs and 2 of which are on their way to successful careers. As of February 2008, BDEA's application for renewal of charter was approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education for the next five years.
Click here to view Boston Day and Evening Academy's 2006-2007 Annual Report
20 Kearsarge Avenue • Roxbury, MA
02119
Phone: 617-635-6789 • Fax: 617-635-6380