NECN and the Boston Foundation are proud to team up for a year-long examination of the Massachusetts education system. "State of Education: Making the Grade in Massachusetts" will explore the myriad issues and challenges facing the state's education system from kindergarten to college, and seek out the success stories that serve as possible building blocks for an improved system.

The 2008-2009 series kicked off October 28 - and will continue monthly throughout the year.

January 8: Pilot, Charter or Traditional?:

On January 8, 2009, The Boston Foundation and NECN led a discussion of the Boston Foundation's new report examining and comparing the progress made by students in Boston's pilot, charter and traditional schools. Chet Curtis of NECN and Paul Grogan of the Boston Foundation were joined by a panel that included:

Paul Reville, Commissioner of Education for the state of Massachusetts

Greg Shell, Chairman of the Board of the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School

Janet Palmer Owens, Boston Public Schools Superintendent for Pilot Schools

Chris Gabrieli, co-founder and chair of Massachusetts 2020

Click on the images below to watch segments of the show.

	Setting the stage for the night's discussion, NECN's Peter Howe takes a closer look at the findings of the Foundation report, and gets reaction from some key players in education in Boston, and Massachusetts.
	Having set the stage with Peter's report, Chet and Paul get initial reactions from the panelists on charter and pilot schools. They comment on what aspects make each school unique, and successful.
	In this segment, the focus turns to funding - and the challenges and opportunities of each school type - charter, pilot and traditional.
	In the first half of the program, the panel has focused a lot of what works from a broad perspective. Peter Howe begins the second half of the program with an example of a successful charter school - Roxbury Prep Charter School in Boston.
	With Greg Shell of the Roxbury Prep Charter School on the panel, the panelists look more closely at the success at the school, and the critical importance of quickly separating out the innovations that improve education from those that do not.
	As we wrap up the fourth installment in our series, the panelists discuss the intersection of charter and pilot school development and civil rights, and provide their final thoughts on tonight's program.

December 17: The education pipeline

December 17th, the Boston Foundation and NECN focused on one of the most comprehensive reports on education ever undertaken in the city of Boston. The Education Pipeline: A Report Card examined the performance of higher education from pre-K to college and beyond in Boston. It made for a rich jumping off point for the discussion, which was led by Chet Curtis of NECN and Paul Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. Panelists included:

Margaret Blood, Founder and President, Strategies for Children

Mandy Savitz-Romer, Director, Risk and Prevention Program at Harvard Univ. Graduate School of Education

Michael Contompasis, Director of Intergovernmental Relations and External Affairs, City of Boston

Rev. Ray Hammond, Pastor, Bethel AME Church, Boston

Click on the images below to watch segments of the show.

	The Boston Foundation report "The Education Pipeline" for the first time examines in data-rich detail the entire arc of the educational experience in the city - from early childhood through college or post-secondary training and on to the regional workforce. Peter Howe takes a look inside the numbers.
	With the stage set, Chet Curtis and Paul Grogan introduce the panel and begin the conversation with a discussion on the importance of getting to children early, and the challenge of getting parents involved.
	The conversation continues with another of the amjor challenges facing educators: How do you identify and engage at-risk children with the services they need to succeed?
	The Boston Foundation report looks at the education pipeline from pre-K to college and beyond. And one effort to improve the system involves engaging students from all the levels, and getting them together. NECN's Peter Howe reports on Jumpstart-- which pairs college students with pre-schoolers and it's a life changing experience for all those involved.
	It's easy to get caught up in the challenges outlined in the report, but there are signs of progress as well. In this segment, the panel discusses strides that have been made in the Boston Public Schools, and how to build on them.
	The panelists close out the show with a discussion of changes and reforms that should be made, and then offer some final thoughts on tonight's discussion.

November 20: A focus on higher education

November 20th, the Boston Foundation and NECN continued with the second show of the 'State of Education' series with a focus on higher education. RD Sahl of NECN joined Boston Foundation President and CEO Paul Grogan for a discussion that began with a disturbing statistic - that two-thirds of Boston Public Schools graduates who go on to college never graduate. But while the system faces challenges turning are still blocks to build from, as RD and Paul discussed with the panel, which included:

Dr. Joseph Aoun, President, Northeastern University

Irvin Scott, Academic Superintendent, Boston Public Schools

and Susan Dalelio, Director, Posse Foundation

Click on the images below to watch segments of the show.

	While close to 2/3 of all graduating Boston seniors go to college, barely a third are actually graduating. NECN's Peter Howe takes a closer look at the issues raised by a new report from Northeastern University.
	Following the story by Peter Howe on the shockingly small number of students graduating from Boston Public Schools went on to finish college, our panelists delved into a closer examination of the problem as it stands now, and some of the possible ways to address it.
	In this segment, successful higher education programs are discussed such as Northeastern's Co-Op program, which connects learning and real-world work in the student's field.
	One of the major obstacles for even the most successful academic college students is the cost of a college education. But a non-profit has been working to make college accessible to as many Boston Public School students as possible. Peter Howe reports on Access.
	The program Access is just one of a number of programs out there endeavoring to make college more affordable. In this segment, the panel discusses the difficulty of paying for college, and what institutions are doing to help make college more accessible to everyone.
	So how do we make progress? Panelists provide their final thoughts.

October 28: Where are we now?

On October 28th, the Boston Foundation and NECN kicked off the series with a panel discussion that sets the stage for our yearlong examination, looking at the current state of the system, and some of the innovations that are already underway in Massachusetts. Chet Curtis of NECN and Paul Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, moderated the panel, which included:

Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester

UMass-Boston Chancellor Keith Motley

June Eressy, Principal of the University Park Campus School in Worcester, Massachusetts

Charlie Baker, CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare and a founding member of 'Leaders for Education', a group of corporate leaders advocating for education reform.

Click on the images below to watch segments of the show.

	After more than a decade leading the Boston school system, Thomas Payzant is taking on big ideas. As an author and lecturer, adviser and reformer, Payzant is taking the message of setting high standards and preparing and rewarding teachers across the nation.
	Chet and Paul introduce the panel, and get first impressions on where Massachusetts stands, and where the system needs to improve to continue the trend of improvement.
	Improving public education is a large challenge, but in recent months, there has been a new burden placed on districts, to do the job of improving schools in an economic environment that makes education dollars more scarce. The panel discusses cost-effective improvements.
	Educators looking for inpiration can turn an eye toward Worcester, Massachusetts. University Park Campus School is a school whose academic achievement would be a success anywhere, and a triumph in a neighborhood like Worcester's South Main section.
	Preaching success is one thing - achieving it can be another. Paul and Chet bring University Park Campus School principal June Eressy and the panel into the discussion, to discuss what makes University Park a success, and how to replicate those successes in the larger system. Are charter schools the answer? Pilot schools? The panel takes up the issue.
	How do you create an environment to attract stronger teachers, reward success and encourage innovation? The panel gives their thoughts, and wraps up the hour of spirited discussion.