By DUANE M. ELLING
Elisangela Dos Anjos, 22, was born and raised in Cape Verde, a string of rugged, volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa. When she decided in 2004 to join family members already living in Boston, Massachusetts, she had several goals in mind.
Foremost among them was learning to communicate effectively in English. Few in Cape Verde had much experience with the language, but Dos Anjos was determined to master it. She was also focused on resuming her education and earning a high school diploma.
But she soon discovered that many traditional high schools in the U.S. are unprepared to accommodate an older student, particularly someone so inexperienced with English.
Helping young people such as Dos Anjos complete their education and rediscover their potential is the focus of the Boston Adult Technical Academy (BATA).
 Elisangela Dos Anjos |
BATA, established in 1998 in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, serves individuals ages 18 to 22 who, because of their age or other life circumstances, cannot attend conventional schools. Students include many recent immigrants, whose unfamiliarity with English makes it difficult for them to complete mainstream education programs.
The school is one of 15 sites nationwide participating in the Diploma Plus program, an alternative education model coordinated and managed by the Boston-based Center for Youth Development and Education, a division of the Commonwealth Corporation.
Diploma Plus, launched in 1996 with the support of the Stratford Foundation in Boston, uses a supportive school culture and performance-based approach to challenge young people to progress academically. The students also gain experience through workplace internships, community service and enrollment in college-level courses.
The Mott Foundation’s support of Diploma Plus has totaled more than $2.4 million since 1998, including a three-year, $700,000 grant in 2005. The Gates, Irvine and Lumina foundations also fund the program.
The model is producing promising results. A formal study of 916 Diploma Plus students between September 2002 and September 2004 found that 62 percent completed the program. The study also revealed that 59 percent obtained their high school diploma.
Studies of other dropout prevention programs serving similar populations of at-risk youth frequently report significantly lower completion rates.
Many point to the Diploma Plus model’s holistic approach as key to its emerging success.
“Some of our students have social and emotional issues that need to be addressed, while others need help with transportation or finding a job,” said Rachel Bonkovsky, headmaster at BATA.
“Providing them with the tools to resolve these non-academic problems also helps them realize their potential to succeed in school. And that realization is all that many of these young people need.”
Dos Anjos was among them. She enrolled in BATA shortly after arriving in Boston and, with the help of her teachers and fellow students, became much more comfortable with the English language. She also progressed academically and graduated in June 2006. She is exploring a career in social work.
“Coming to BATA helped me to want to study and learn,” Dos Anjos said. “It gave me the opportunity to move forward and meet people who care about me. It has been a wonderful experience.”