On Oct. 24, a study of Boston Pilot schools over the past five years concluded that these innovative public schools within the Boston school system are doing a “commendable” job of educating their students, while working with a student population that roughly mirrors the district’s student population.

The Boston Pilot Schools began in 1995 as a research and development offshoot of BPS, to develop best practices, and to be a catalyst for change that could help the rest of the system. The Pilot schools focus on creating communities of learners, providing rigorous and meaningful curriculum, and ensuring that all students are successful.

The quantitative report, “How Are Boston Pilot School Students Faring? Student Demographics, Engagement, and Performance, 1997-2002,” by researchers at the Center for Collaborative Education, offered data from as recently as this past spring. It found that Pilots “are among the top performing schools in Boston on the MCAS, have among the highest daily student attendance of all BPS schools, graduate a high percentage of their students, and send a high percent of their graduates to college,” all while serving “a student population that is generally representative of the larger BPS student population.”

Of the 19 pilot schools in the city, two are in the South End: Josiah Quincy Upper School and Mason Elementary.

© 2003 South End News