A group of 20 innovative public schools within the Boston Public Schools (BPS) system, Pilot Schools are outperforming the district averages across every indicator of student performance and engagement.  Pilot Schools have higher performance by students at all grade levels on the statewide standardized assessment (MCAS), higher college going rates, and higher attendance rates.  As one student said in describing her Pilot School, “[This] is the kind of school I’ve been waiting for.”
   Pilot Schools serve a student population that is generally representative of BPS, do not select students based on prior academic achievement, and receive the same per pupil allocation as all BPS schools.*  On the MCAS, Pilot Schools outpace the district at every grade level tested in English Language Arts, reading, and math, in percent passing and percent proficient.  Seventy-nine percent of Pilot high school graduates are enrolled in post-secondary education one year after graduation, as compared with 67% of district high school graduates.  At the high school level, Pilot Schools have a 95% attendance rate compared to BPS at 89%, which translates into Pilot School students attending school a full two weeks longer per year on average than do students in regular district high schools.  Suspension rates in Pilot Schools are about half the district rate.  Pilot Schools have far lower grade level retention rates, known to correlate with a lower risk of a student’s dropping out of school (Roderick, 1994; Goldschmidt & Wan, 1999). 
   The result of a unique partnership of the mayor, school committee, superintendent, and teachers union, Pilot Schools were first opened in 1995 to serve as laboratories of innovation and research, and as development sites for effective urban public schools.  Now a reform strategy over ten years old, Pilot Schools represent a collaborative approach to relationships between teachers unions and school districts.  Both parties give up part of their historical authority in order to allow school administrators and staff more school-based decision-making power.  The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) contract states:

   Each Pilot School has autonomy from Boston Public Schools policies and Boston Teachers Union contract provisions in exchange for increased accountability.  Pilot Schools have control over budget, staffing, curriculum and assessment, governance, and schedule.  These areas of autonomy allow schools to maximize their resources in order to best meet student needs.  In return, Pilot Schools are held to a higher standard of accountability through a School Quality Review (SQR) process, which measures schools based on a set of benchmarks for high-performing schools. 
  Each Pilot School uses its autonomy to create a school culture that supports high expectations and achievement.  Pilot Schools are by design small schools, with each school enrolling ideally no more than 450 students.  With the same per pupil budget as BPS schools, Pilot Schools as compared to the district average have low class sizes (18-20), secondary student-teacher loads that average 55 students per teacher in core academic classes, substantial common planning time for faculty to improve instruction, and a nurturing culture that provides substantial support to students through such structures as advisories and learning centers.  Rather than relying on course completion and test results alone as graduation requirements, Pilot School students must demonstrate mastery over a set of competencies through portfolio reviews and exhibitions.
   As a result of their emphasis on high expectations and a caring school culture, Pilot Schools are highly sought after by students, families, and staff. All Pilot Schools partner with families and involve them in a range of school decisions and activities. Pilots have long waiting lists for enrollment, and unlike BPS Exam Schools, they do not select students based on prior academic achievement.
   Pilot Schools have learned that a powerful network of schools within the Boston Public Schools, aided by a third-party organization, is better able to promote collaboration among schools and leverage change within the district.  The Center for Collaborative Education (CCE), a nonprofit education organization, convenes the Pilot Schools Network and works with Pilot Schools to improve practice and results.

*(In February 2006, the Boston Public Schools and Boston Teachers Union agreed on new Pilot contract language that allows for 105 uncompensated hours above the contract, and the district will pay the contract rate for up to 50 required hours worked over that amount. Some Pilot Schools do require teachers to work over 105 hours above the contract hours, and thus teachers in these schools get extra compensation from the district. See Tools and Resources for “Boston Teachers Union Contract Language on Pilot Schools.”)