Program Descriptions

BDEA provides a combination of strong academics and relevant social and human services that contribute to the academic and personal success of BDEA students.  We have designed three academic programs to meet the needs of students who are both overage for high school and at risk of dropping out. Each of the three—the Day Program, the Evening Program and the Distance Learning Program—share curriculum and services, but address needs which are specific to each group of at-risk students.

• The Evening Program serves 100 over-age students (aged 16-23 years old) who have attended high school, who have had an unsuccessful or interrupted experience, and who are now returning to earn their diploma.  Many of these students have significant gaps in their learning, especially in the core areas of literacy and numeracy. However, some students come to the program with strong skills and are attracted to the school’s small, community-based educational environment.
• The Day Program serves 200 over-age students (ages 16-18) from Boston’s middle schools who have failed to meet 8th grade benchmarks for numeracy and literacy yet have been promoted to high school.  Generally, these students start at BDEA younger than the students in the Evening Program and have significant academic and, in many instances, behavioral challenges.
• The Distance Learning Program serves 50 students whose life circumstances prevent them from attending classes on a regular basis. Supported by technology and a strong team of teachers, the program is for particularly motivated, over-age students who are unable to come to school regularly because of health restrictions, employment responsibilities, or significant family commitments.

Life skills are often the topic in daily advisory sessions during which teachers help students to address their individual growth and to develop essential skills such as self-discipline, goal setting, and anger-management. Advisory also focuses on health and wellness, personal/civic responsibility, career success, social and life skills, and college/post-graduate planning.

One of the ways in which BDEA addresses the unique needs of our students is through the use of an innovative competency-based assessment system around which the curriculum is built. Progress is benchmarked when students demonstrate skills at their own speed, as they catch up to grade level and advance in their studies. The four competency areas and the corresponding number of required competencies in which students must demonstrate proficiency in order to graduate are: Science (72), Math (107), Humanities (119), and Technology (19).