In the fall of 2005, the Boston schools began exploring the education reform strategy of extending the school day for its middle schools. The extended school day gives students more time for learning at a crucial time in their education. The middle school years provide the much-needed preparation for students to enter high school, college and the workforce. Last year, the Boston schools applied for and was awarded a $40,000 planning grant for three schools.
The Boston schools have been awarded grants again this year for another three schools. These three Boston schools were among ten schools across the state that included five school districts. The other four districts are Cambridge, Fall River, Malden, and Worcester, who shared with the Boston schools a total of more than $2.2 million in implementation grants to extend the learning time at the ten schools.
The three Boston schools are: