With nearly 300 students graduating East Boston High School (EBHS) last Friday and a four-year graduation rate hovering at 75 percent, students, faculty and staff have had a lot to celebrate this school year.
EBHS recently added yet another reason to pull out the proverbial party hats as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) voted to award the school continued accreditation.
The NEASC, the country’s oldest accreditation association serving more than 2,000 public and independent schools, gave its coveted accreditation to Eastie’s public high school. This was EBHS second accreditation from the NEASC, the first occurring a decade ago. According to their report on EBHS, the NEASC wrote that the accreditation committee was impressed with many of the programs and services at the school.
“The committee was really impressed with our development of opportunities to celebrate members of the school community, including “shout-outs” for and from students, staff, and administration, as well as the addition of Chromebook carts in various departments that strongly supports our implementation of the curriculum,” said EBHS Headmaster Phil Brangiforte. “They also highlighted our use of new data to reflect on and adjust curriculum and instructional practice to meet the needs of all student. We have also incorporated problem-solving, inquiry, higher order thinking, and authentic application of learning opportunities to our curriculum.”
The NEASC also wrote in their report that they were impressed by the development, engagement and empowerment of staff in curriculum development, the differentiated instruction provided in classrooms with high numbers of ELL students as well as the implementing reading, writing, listening, and speaking into all subjects for every lesson.
“The committee was also inspired by our ability to achieve a supportive, safe, and encouraging atmosphere that exudes a culture of pride the strong instructional leadership provided by the building administrative and teacher leaders,” said Brangiforte. “The initiative and investment teachers make in developing resources, community partnerships, and varied student learning opportunities was also something they pointed to in their report.”
The multiple opportunities for students to enroll in dual-enrollment programs through local colleges, universities and community programs as well as the myriad of programs and support networks to address the variety of student needs was, Brangiforte said, something both EBHS and NEASC were proud of at the school.