Holyoke Opportunity Academy Student Survey Comparison School Sample
In Spring 2025, SRI researchers surveyed students at three comparison high schools—two comprehensive high schools and one composite alternative school. SRI selected comparison schools guided by student demographics such as student gender, race, English learner, and IEP/504 status composition. SRI dropped respondents under the age of 16 from comparison schools to align with the HOA student population.
SRI weighted the sample of comparison students in each comprehensive high school to more closely match the student composition of HOA on five student dimensions: gender (female v. other), English learner status, special education status, grade level (12th grade v. other), and whether the student reported failing one or more courses in high school.
We grouped the small number of respondents from each of three comparison alternative schools into a single composite alternative school in order to create an adequate sample size. We subset the students in this alternative school composite to match the HOA population (i.e., only including students 16 and older) and create a synthetic alternative comparison school. Because sample sizes for these schools were small and many of the respondents did not complete the demographic items, responses from these schools were not weighted.
The following table summarizes select information about the comparison schools selected for HOA, including school type, enrollment, percent English learner, percent receiving special education services, and subset of students used. The data in this table are based off the full school sample, not respondents to the student survey.
| School | School type | Enrollment (2024-25)1 | Percent English learner2 | Percent special education2 | Grade level and age subset3 |
| HOA | |||||
| HOA comparison A* | Comprehensive | 984 | 21% | 32% | Students 16 and older |
| HOA comparison B* | Comprehensive | 1,649 | 35% | 17% | |
| HOA comparison C | Composite alternative | NA | NA | NA |
1Enrollment provided by schools.
2Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2024-25 enrollment data.
3This category represents the subset of students used at each comparison school for the survey report.
* Catalyze New Models school.
For more details on the equivalence of the HOA and weighted comparison student respondent sample, see the student characteristics section of the student survey report.