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Boston Opportunity Agenda: Ninth Annual Report Card

New report examines Boston's education pipeline and highlights areas of progress and concern

May 19, 2021

On May 19, the Boston Foundation hosted the release of the ninth edition of the Boston Opportunity Agenda Report Card. Officially the Ninth Annual Boston Opportunity Report Card, this year’s edition uses data from 2019-20 and 2020-21 to capture how some of the learning landscape from early childhood to adult education has changed during over a year of pandemic-disrupted learning and data.

Opportunity Agenda Chair Deborah Rambo, the President of Catholic Charities, emceed the festivities, which included a tribute to outgoing Boston Foundation President and CEO with Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond, Chair Emeritus of the Opportunity Agenda

Read Boston Opportunity Agenda's Ninth Annual Report Card here.

WATCH THE WEBINAR VIDEO

Paul Grogan shared some of the history of the Opportunity Agenda as a public-private partnership, before handing the virtual podium off to Boston Opportunity Agenda Executive Director Kristin McSwain, who ran through the data. Despite the limitations, such as the lack of new MCAS data since 2019, the data do show areas of progress (such as a decreasing dropout rate and higher college graduation rate among BPS, public Charter and Catholic school students), and areas of concern – such as how well students are prepared for college, career and life opportunities post-graduation.

The pandemic has encouraged creative innovation among several programs, and the remaining time in the event was spent with five presentations from Boston Opportunity Agenda partners:

Elizabeth Santana, Owner, Heavenly Stars Child Care & Learning Center
Melinda Weber, Program Director, Shared Services Massachusetts
Ayele Shakur, CEO, Campus Without Walls
Yarice Hildalgo, Executive Director, Fontbonne
Katrina Shaw, CEO, Freedom House
Kathy Hamilton, Youth Transitions Director, Boston Private Industry Council

The presentations highlighted changes and opportunities throughout the early education to college pipeline, leaving participants with ideas and areas to explore further.