Student Survey Comparison School Sample
In spring 2025, SRI researchers surveyed students at ten comparison high schools—five comprehensive high schools, two charter schools, and three alternative schools. SRI selected two or three comparison schools for each Beyond ENE school guided by student demographics such as student gender, race, English learner, and IEP/504 status composition. SRI dropped respondents from comparison schools to align with the grade level or age of each Beyond ENE school (e.g., if the Beyond ENE school did not serve 12th graders, we dropped all 12th graders from its comparison schools).
SRI weighted the sample of comparison students in each comprehensive and charter high school to more closely match the student composition of its Beyond ENE school counterpart 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. For three Beyond ENE schools, we then subset the students in this alternative school composite that matched the grade level or age of the Beyond ENE school to 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 each Beyond ENE school, 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 |
| COA | |||||
| COA comparison A* | Comprehensive | 1,649 | 35% | 17% | Students 17 or older |
| COA comparison B* | Comprehensive | 984 | 21% | 32% | |
| COA comparison C | Composite alternative | NA | NA | NA | |
| Evolve | |||||
| Evolve comparison A* | Comprehensive | 952 | 15% | 25% | 10th–12th graders |
| Evolve comparison B* | Comprehensive | 599 | 20% | 16% | |
| Evolve comparison C | Composite alternative | NA | NA | NA | |
| 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 | |
| Nowell4 | |||||
| Nowell comparison A* | Comprehensive | 695 | 47% | 19% | Students 14 and older |
| Nowell comparison B* | Comprehensive | 599 | 20% | 16% | |
| Promise | |||||
| Promise comparison A* | Charter | 260 | 14% | 23% | 9th–11th graders |
| Promise comparison B* | Charter | 393 | 17% | 21% | |
| Promise comparison C | Comprehensive | 695 | 47% | 19% |
1Enrollment provided by schools.
2Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2024-25 enrollment data; Rhode Island Department of Education, 2024-25 enrollment data.
3This category represents the subset of students used at each comparison school for the survey report.
4Planned alternative comparison for Nowell that served a parenting population dropped out of the survey, leaving two comparison schools.
* Catalyze New Models school.
For more details on the equivalence of the Beyond ENE and weighted comparison student respondent sample, see the student characteristics section of the individual Beyond ENE report.