By Lou Manzo
Special to the Reporter

A banner hangs above the entrance to the former Dorchester High School. It reads, "We knew we were smart. Now the world does too." The latest round of MCAS scores &endash; released last week- lend new credibility to this statement.

Four years ago the former Dorchester High underwent a radical transformation. The school transitioned into three separate learning communities within one building: TechBoston Academy, Noonan Business Academy, and the Academy of Public Service. The hope was to create smaller learning communities where students would receive more attention. Four years into the process, that hope is becoming a reality.

 All three schools showed radical improvements in MCAS results this year. Students who received "proficient" or "advanced" grades increased in each school. Tech Boston increased their math scores by 29 percentage points and their English by 17 points. The Academy of Public Service increased their math scores by 34 percentage points and their English scores by 26 points. The greatest advancement was at the Noonan Business Academy, where math scores increased by 38 percentage points and English scores by 33 points.

While all three schools are still below average as compared to better-financed suburban public schools, the leap forward in achievement has drawn national recognition. The Boston Public School system was awarded the Broad Prize this year for showing the greatest overall improvement in achievement in an urban school system and for reducing the achievement gap among poor or minority students.

"It's been a great start to the year," said Jack Leonard, principal of the Noonan Business Academy. "People walk in and they can't believe the changes. Every year it gets better."

The most obvious change in the school is the new administration set-up and school-focused learning. Under the leadership of former school superintendent Thomas Payzant, large underperforming high schools in Boston were broken up into smaller schools. Now South Boston High, West Roxbury High, and Dorchester High all have multiple high schools functioning in each building. The schools may combine for sports but otherwise they are separate.

"The large schools were impersonal and kids fell through the cracks," said Lisa Rodriguez, the director of academics and technology at Tech Boston. "It's difficult for students to hide if we know all their names."

Leonard echoed some of the same sentiments.

"Once everyone knew each other's name, they calmed down. The first step was to stop the fights. Next was to get kids to focus on homework and getting to school on time. Now we're in the third step: Building a culture of achievement," Leonard said.

Reasons vary as to why this culture of achievement is finally taking root. One reason that is frequently sighted is the amicable relationship between educators in the classroom and the administration of the school system

"With [former BPS Superintendent Thomas] Payzant and [interim Superintendent Michael] Contompasis there was a sense of consistency in the system. There was a sense of ownership and commitment to making things better," said Pamela Civins, executive director of Boston Partners in Education.

Leonard also sights the work the lower schools are doing. "Coming into high school the students are better prepared. They are taking algebra in the eighth grade, which is a great shift," Leonard said.

Boston Public Schools have been receiving some added financial help. Both TechBoston and the Noonan Business School receive large amounts of grant money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. TechBoston, in fact, is one of the eight original pilot schools in the country that the foundation sponsored.

The latest in classroom technology is in every classroom at TechBoston. Students have individual laptops and classrooms are equipped with "smart boards," which are interactive electronic whiteboards that tie into a computer.

The Noonan Business School, meanwhile, has received a grant from the foundation to fund longer school days. Leonard sights this as one of the major reasons his students are doing better. "It gives them time for MCAS tutoring and for extra classes. Now the kids are bragging to each other about who goes to school the longest," Leonard said.

Each school has focused increased hours on MCAS tutoring. Two test analysts at TechBoston identify the strengths and weaknesses of each student so the faculty can pinpoint what areas need the most improvement. If needed the student attends after school tutoring, or as the administration puts it, "Boot Camp."

Many in the public school system feared that the reliance on standardized test scores to measure proficiency would promote an atmosphere where teachers teach for the test and not for the greater educational good of the student.

"I felt that way when we began the MCAS testing," said Mary Teixeira, former teacher and now registrar and external grants manager at TechBoston. "But now the test fits the curriculum."

Each school in the Dorchester Educational Complex seems committed to offering more than extra test-taking help.

Tech Boston offers students a "Facing History" class where they travel to Eastern Europe in the summer. Both The Academy of Public Service and The Noonan Business School offer their students internship and job shadowing opportunities in the public and private sector.

"Real world experience helps these students grow up. The stuff they learn at school begins to make sense and the attitude change is dramatic. They're asking to do homework now," Leonard said.

All this has led to a palpable sense of change within the Dorchester Educational Complex. When Rodriguez opened the door to a classroom and announced that this was a physics class, one student piped up and said, "Excuse me, this is honors physics."

If the students didn't always know they were smart, they do now.