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Recent test scores from charter schools across Boston show that students are struggling with their academic performance. While students at charter schools were expected to outshine their peers, recent data carried out by The Great Divide team at the Boston Globe shows this is currently not the case. Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, Boston charter schools have been slow in improving their academic performance. Data gathered by the Boston Globe shows that only 34 percent of charter students met or exceeded expectations last spring, falling from 53 percent in 2019. This differs greatly to Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston, where an increase in enrollment was recorded during the pandemic with students outperforming their peers in reading and math according to the Nation’s Report Card. Click here to view the Mathematics NAEP Report Card for 4th, 8th and 12th Graders. 

Many charter schools across Boston are facing the challenge of educating a diverse student body with different levels of learning ability. Although the kids who are struggling with their education come from all backgrounds, they are largely Black or Latino, have a disability, English is not their first language, or live in a low-income household. 

This differs greatly to the scholarship recipients across Greater Boston who are supported by the Catholic Schools Foundation to attend Catholic schools. 77% of the students served are non-white with 68% of students coming from single-parent homes. These students receive a high-quality education, ensuring every kid achieves academic success. This can be supported by the 100% graduation rate amongst CSF scholars and a 98% college matriculation rate. 

Resourced parents have a greater ability to send their kids to private schools, hire tutors and teach their kids at home. This greatly differs from parents who can’t easily support their children further with their education due to having less time, income, or education. As a result, their kids can fall further behind in their academic performance.

At CSF partner schools across the Archdiocese of Boston, the education of our students is a main priority. 100% of CSF scholars graduate high schools and 98% of CSF scholars matriculate to college in contrast to 63% of all MA graduates and 43% of public-school graduates nationally who go to college following high school graduation.

In 2022, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) demonstrates the impact that Catholic schools make. The data shows that students are outperforming their peers in comparison to public, charter, and private non-Catholic schools.

Learn More

CSF scholarship and non-scholarship support totals $14.4M and provides the opportunity for a high-quality Catholic school education to over 3,500 students of diverse backgrounds. Learn more about the ways CSF helps support students and schools across Boston today.

* Read more from the Great Divide Team at the Boston Globe:
www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/metro/reading-skills-top-ranked-ma-schools 
www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/09/metro/boston-charter-schools-post-covid-academic-recovery