Failure rates at BPS up 4.6%
Failing grades across four core subjects at Boston Public Schools are up 4.6% compared to last year and the rate of students failing at least one class has also increased, district officials announced in a remote learning update.
The first quarter marking period for Boston students in grades 6-12 wrapped up in November and data shows kids are struggling most in social studies with a 6% increase in failing grades. The rate this quarter was 17% compared to 11% this time last year.
Not far behind is English language arts, with a 5.7% increase in failures, math with a 3.5% increase and a 3.4% failure increase in science courses.
“Consistent with nationwide trends, there has been an increase in course failure rates when comparing to quarter one grades from last year,” said Monica Hogan, of the BPS Office of Data and Accountability in a Wednesday night school committee meeting.
Last year, across the four core subjects, about 12% of students were failing compared to nearly 17% now, according to the presentation from the district.
“Additionally, the percentage of students failing one or more classes has also increased with over one third of Black and Latinx failing one or more classes,” said Hogan.
Nearly 35% of Black students in grades 6-12 is failing at least one class, an increase of 5.5% and 34% of Latinx students are failing, an increase of 5.4%.
School Committee Member Jeri Robinson said, “It’s a red flag for me to see students who are already struggling failing even more during this.”
BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said, “Even though we see this rise in the number of failure within the district, it is not hugely discrepant from previous years,” noting the issue existed before the pandemic.
Boston Public Schools has struggled with reopening plans and remote learning due to rising coronavirus case counts in the city.
Members of the Boston Teachers Union on Sunday passed a vote of no confidence in Cassellius, saying she denied educators equal safety provisions for in-person learning.
There are currently 32 schools open for in-person learning for high needs students while the rest of the district receives remote instruction.
Out of 1,700 high needs students invited back for inperson learning, about 600 accepted the offer, according to Cassellius.