Religion in the Early Boston Public Schools

During the mid-nineteenth century American physicians were greatly troubled by what they thought were the evils of excessive academic demands placed on children in our public schools. The editorial below, published in 1854 in the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, is typical of many of a similar nature. Our city prides itself on the superiority of its public schools; and we think Boston is justly entitled to take the highest rank among the cities of the civilized world for the facilities afforded by its citizens for the education of youth. But notwithstanding the large expenditure of money for the erection of beautiful and commodious school-houses, for mathematical and other instruments, for teachers, &c., all which give a character to our Boston schools, there exists an evil in the present system of educating, which seriously demands attention, and, if possible, a remedy. It is the ambition of the teachers of our schools, to have their scholars thoroughly instructed, and that they may appear well before the committees at examinations; and for that purpose, lessons in great numbers and requiring toilsome study, are imposed upon them. No discrimination is made, as regards the mental or physical capacity of the individual members of the class, but all are required to be perfect in their answers, or else they lose their position in the class and school. Not one fifth of the time devoted to school hours is allowed for study, being occupied in recitations; and the severe tasks the poor children have in getting their lessons must be apparent, when it is known that so long a time is required in reciting them. The scholars of the second class, for instance, have to commit to memory from twelve to twenty-five pages of geography, three to six pages of arithmetic, the same of grammar, three pages in spelling, besides exercises in reading, writing, &c. Now these lessons must be studied out of school, at the time which should be devoted to exercise and recreation. The imposition of such severe tasks upon the young and growing children, must enfeeble their constutions, and often incapacitates them, if they arrive at maturity, for enjoying life. We have seen many children who were ambitious to accomplish all that was required of them by teachers; and to do so, the greatest portion of the twenty-four hours was necessarily devoted to their books, scarcely allowing any time for taking their meals. It must be obvious to every one, that such close application to study, produces, in their turn, a train of diseases which cannot always be eradicated. Aching heads, loss of appetite, sleepless nights, inflamed eyes, with other deviations from health, are the accompaniments and the consequences of excessive mental exertion.

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PERMISSION TO CONDUCT THE FIRST STUDY OF THE HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.42.2.311 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 311-311

Author(s):

T. E. C.

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Schools ◽

Medical School ◽

Harvard Medical School ◽

The United States ◽

Harvard University ◽

The Public ◽

Boston Public Schools ◽

School Committee ◽

Boston School

The beginning of all growth studies in this country occurred less than a century ago when the Boston School Committee approved the following order permitting Henry Pickering Bowditch, Professor of Physiology at the Harvard Medical School, to measure and weigh children in the Boston public schools. This document is one of the great, and I believe little known, landmarks in modern pediatrics.1 In School Committee, March 9, 1875 Ordered, That permission be given to Prof. Henry P. Bowditch, of Harvard University, to ascertain the height and weight of the pupils attending the public school, through such an arrangement as the respective chairman and the headmaster, or masters, may deem most convenient.

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The Long-Run Impacts of Specialized Programming for High-Achieving Students

American Economic Journal Economic Policy ◽

10.1257/pol.20180315 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 127-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah R. Cohodes

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Public Schools ◽

Latino Students ◽

Sixth Graders ◽

Fuzzy Regression ◽

Boston Public Schools ◽

High Achieving Students ◽

Long Run ◽

High Achieving ◽

Work Class

I evaluate long-run academic impacts of specialized programming for high-achieving students by analyzing Advanced Work Class (AWC), an accelerated curriculum delivered in dedicated classrooms for fourth through sixth graders in Boston Public Schools. Fuzzy regression discontinuity estimates show that AWC has positive yet imprecise impacts on test scores and improves longer-term outcomes, increasing high school graduation and college enrollment. These gains are driven by black and Latino students. An analysis of mechanisms highlights the importance of staying “on track” throughout high school, with little evidence that AWC gains result from peer effects. (JEL H75, I21, I28, J15)

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Physical Training in the Boston Public Schools

American Physical Education Review ◽

10.1080/23267224.1897.10649643 ◽

1897 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 101-107

Author(s):

Walter Channing

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Physical Training ◽

Boston Public Schools

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If You Offer It, Will They Come? Patterns of Application and Enrollment Behavior in a Universal Prekindergarten Context

AERA Open ◽

10.1177/2332858419848442 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 233285841984844 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Anna Shapiro ◽

Eleanor Martin ◽

Christina Weiland ◽

Rebecca Unterman

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Low Income ◽

Dual Language ◽

Census Data ◽

School Level ◽

Universal Prekindergarten ◽

Administrative Records ◽

Boston Public Schools ◽

Opt Out ◽

Prekindergarten Programs

Universal public prekindergarten programs have been expanding in recent years, but not all eligible families apply to these programs, for reasons that are not well understood. Using two cohorts of students ( N = 8,391) enrolled in Boston Public Schools, we use geographic information systems to combine administrative records with census data to compare the student-, neighborhood-, and school-level characteristics of kindergarteners who did and did not apply to the Boston Public Schools prekindergarten program. We find that nonappliers are more likely to be non-White ( SD = 0.27), low income ( SD = 0.11), and dual language ( SD = 0.58), particularly those who did not attend any other prekindergarten program. We find similar differences at the neighborhood and school levels. Our study provides some of the first descriptive information on the sociodemographic characteristics and spatial distribution of families who opt out of applying to universal prekindergarten programs. Findings may inform recruitment strategies to promote equitable and universal prekindergarten enrollment.

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