Classroom at the Workplace: MCAS

Classroom at the WorkplaceFor the hundreds of 11th and 12th grade Boston Public School students struggling to pass the MCAS, the prospect of leaving high school without a diploma is daunting; without a diploma, they will earn nearly $500,000 less over their lifetime than a high school graduate. The stakes are high. Unfortunately, many students must choose between MCAS preparation and the financial benefit of a summer or school-year job.

Classroom at the Workplace: MCAS Prep addresses this need. This program provides MCAS preparation classes as part of a job. Students receive paid release time from work to take classes at their worksite, during the workday for 90 minutes a day, five days a week, for seven weeks during the summer. Engaging and experienced Boston Public School teachers individualize curricula to student needs for small classes of a maximum of 12 students. This approach to work and learning provides students with viable income and academic support, as well as professional skills development with Boston employers representing the city’s major economic sectors: financial services, healthcare and education, and various community-based organizations.

By attending class at the worksite in a formal conference or training room as part of a summer job, students develop an understanding of the implicit connection between academic and career success. The professional environment and the interactions with supervisors and coworkers improve students’ professional skills and increase their confidence and motivation.

Results

Since the inception of Classroom at the Workplace in 1999, over 70% of student participants have passed the MCAS and earned their high school diploma. Another 20% have passed either the math or ELA test. In all, over 90% of student participants felt more prepared to take the MCAS after completing the program.

Roles

  • Employers provide the job, paid release time to attend class, and on-site classroom space.
  • Teachers from Boston Public Schools run small classes of up to 12 students.
  • The PIC recruits and prepares the students, provides curriculum and student materials, and pays teacher salaries, with the help of an "academic support" grant from the state department of education. PIC career specialists also support relationships between workplace supervisors and students.

Participating Classroom at the Workplace: MCAS Prep employers:

  • Bank of America
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Boston Bar Association
  • Boston College
  • Brigham & Women's Hospital
  • Children's Hospital
  • Citizens Bank
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
  • Gillette
  • Harvard University
  • Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
  • JP Morgan Investor Services
  • Liberty Mutual
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Mellon Financial Corporation
  • Sovereign Bank
  • State Street
  • Verizon

School Year

The school year version of Classroom at the Workplace:MCAS Prep is similar to the summer program, but taking place after school. Students work for their summer employers part time, 4 days per week and attend MCAS preparation class one or two days per week at the job site or a central class location.

The school year program is most effective as a supplement to the summer program. Students who prepare for the MCAS right up to the retest date in November or March are more likely to take the retest and to pass it.

EMPLOYERS: Find out how to participate in the Classroom at the Workplace program.

STUDENTS: Find out how to participate in the Classroom at the Workplace program.