About Us
At BCP, we don’t follow fads. We focus on what’s best for kids to build the skills, confidence, and resilience they need to succeed.
Our programs are grounded in research and proven, personalized strategies that drive meaningful results for every student. Discover our programs and the educational research that supports them.
Direct Instruction
What is Direct Instruction?
- Research-based comprehensive school reform model of carefully scripted lessons for reading and language arts, backed by texts and workbooks
- When implemented properly, students attain reading and writing skills beyond their current grade level in a relatively short amount of time
- Supported by over 40 years of research
- Consistently rated as one of the most effective comprehensive school reform models
- Students are assessed every 5-10 lessons to make sure they are on track
- BCP leadership and school-based academic coaches meet weekly to review student data and determine opportunities for additional support and acceleration
The Research:
Project Follow Through (1967–1995, U.S. Department of Education)
Largest educational experiment ever (over 180,000 students, 170 communities).
Compared 22 instructional models; Direct Instruction students outperformed all others in basic skills, cognitive skills, and self-esteem.
National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) Meta-Analysis (Stockard et al., 2018)
Review of 328 studies (1966–2016).
Found strong, consistent positive effects on student achievement across reading, math, and language.
Effects persisted over time and were strongest when implemented with fidelity.
John Hopkins University / Center for Research and Reform in Education (Borman et al., 2003)
Meta-analysis of comprehensive school reform models.
DI showed among the largest gains in reading and math achievement compared to other models.
American Institutes for Research (2005)
Evaluation of reading interventions.
Found DI most effective for early literacy skill development, especially for struggling readers.
University of Oregon longitudinal studies (Engelmann & Becker, 1970s–1990s)
Tracked low-income students using DI programs like Reading Mastery.
Students outperformed peers in higher grades and showed long-term academic benefits.
Florida Reading First Evaluation (2006)
Implementation of DI-based reading instruction in high-poverty schools.
Students showed significant reading gains on standardized tests and decoding measures.
Stockard et al., 2014 (Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk)
Studied at-risk students across multiple grade levels.
Found DI improved outcomes regardless of socioeconomic background or initial skill level.
Restorative Practices
BCP introduced Restorative Practices to Maryland schools in 2007 at City Springs with the support of grants from OSI-Baltimore and the Goldsmith Family Foundation. Today, it is an integral part of school culture for all BCP schools and is used across Baltimore and Maryland.
What is Restorative Practices?
- A proactive approach for building a school community based on cooperation, mutual understanding, and respect and process for holding students accountable for their actions and behavior while building a nurturing school environment
- Helps students build strong relationships, resolve conflict constructively, and create safe, supportive learning environments inside and outside the classroom
Watch the mini-documentary Restorative, Practices Make Strong Schools, featuring City Springs Elementary/Middle School and Hampstead Hill Academy.
The Research:
RAND / Pittsburgh Public Schools (PERC study)
Studied 44 schools using restorative practices vs. control schools.
Found improved school climate and relationships, fewer suspensions, and smaller racial discipline gaps—especially in elementary schools.
University of Chicago Education Lab (CPS high schools)
Looked at 239 high schools over 10 years.
Found 18% fewer out-of-school suspensions and 35% fewer in-school arrests after adopting restorative practices.
Students reported feeling safer and more connected to school.
Learning Policy Institute (California middle schools)
Analyzed data from 485 schools over six years.
Found lower suspension rates, better academic achievement, and stronger belonging—especially for Black and Latino students.
Middle School Whole-School Change Study (two-year trial)
Tested a restorative practices program in 13 middle schools.
Found more supportive environments and less bullying and cyberbullying.
Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Northeast urban district)
18 schools randomly assigned to use restorative practices or not.
After one year, no overall change in suspensions—but students with prior suspensions were less likely to be suspended again.
Community Schools
BCP first embraced the national Community Schools model in YEAR at NAME OF SCHOOL. Every BCP school is a community school focused on supporting the families and communities with the Baltimore neighborhoods BCP calls home.
What are Community Schools?
- Vibrant hubs where schools, families, and communities collaborate to support the holistic development of every child
- Rooted in evidence-based practices of integrating academic instruction with essential services like health care, mentorship, and after-school programs to ensure that students have the resources they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom
- Partnerships with nonprofits and agencies across region to provide comprehensive services
Read how Wolfe Street Academy and its lead agency, Elev8 Baltimore, serve the school’s families.
The Research:
Learning Policy Institute Review (Maier et al., 2017)
Looked at 143 studies from various years.
Found well-run community schools improve attendance, engagement, and behavior.
Communities In Schools (MDRC Evaluation, 2006–2010)
Studied case-management supports in elementary and high schools.
Improved student engagement and sense of connection; smaller effects on academics and attendance.
Tennessee Evaluation (Truwit, 2025)
After ~3 years of implementation, schools saw better English test scores, fewer suspensions, and less teacher turnover.
No big change in math or dropout rates; absenteeism increased slightly.
California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP, 2019–2021)
Chronic absence dropped ~30%; suspensions fell ~15%.
Academic gains: math ~43 days, ELA ~36 days of extra learning.
Biggest gains for Black students and English learners.
Montgomery County, MD Evaluation (2015–2018)
Looked at 49 community school programs.
Many showed academic gains, better behavior, and more parent/community involvement.
Educator Support
At BCP, professional growth isn’t just a goal—it’s part of our culture, empowering educators to help every student thrive. We believe that if a student hasn’t learned, it’s our responsibility to ensure teachers have the tools, training, and guidance they need to succeed.
How BCP supports educators:
- Dedicated, full-time academic coaches in every BCP school providing daily collaboration and hands-on support and training for all teachers and staff to problem-solve challenges, and model effective practices
- Intensive professional development training programs like the BCP-created and -led New Educator Summer Institute for all new BCP educators
- Attendance at the National Institute for Direct Instruction for numerous BCP educators and leaders.
- Principals and academic coaches from all BCP schools meet regularly to share strategies and learn from one another
The Research:
Kraft, Blazar & Hogan (2018) – Meta-analysis of 60+ coaching studies (pre-K through high school) from 2000-2016
Coaching improved teacher instructional practice (≈0.49 SD) and student achievement (≈0.18 SD).
Strongest effects when coaching was content-specific, ongoing, and included modeling + feedback.
Neuman & Cunningham (2009) – Literacy coaching in early elementary schools from 2006-2008
Teachers receiving literacy coaching improved reading instruction quality; students made significant gains in early literacy skills.
Sailor et al., 2013 – Coaching in inclusive classrooms (K–12) from 2010-2012
Coaching increased teacher fidelity to differentiated instruction and positively affected student engagement and behavior.
Joyce & Showers (2002, updated 2013) – Professional development & coaching synthesis from 1980-2010s
Adding coaching to workshops/PD improved teacher skill transfer; one-off workshops alone had minimal effect.
Matsumura et al., 2010 – Math coaching in middle schools, 2006-2009
Teachers who received coaching implemented inquiry-based math instruction more effectively; student achievement in math improved modestly.
Kraft & Papay (2014) – Urban school districts, literacy coaching, 2010-2013
Coaching improved instructional quality and increased student reading gains; effects stronger for teachers with lower initial skill levels.
Biancarosa et al., 2010 (What Works Clearinghouse) – Literacy coaching in early grades, 2004-2009
Teachers improved instructional practice; students showed moderate gains in reading outcomes.
Neuman et al., 2013 – Literacy coaching in high-poverty schools, 2010-2012
Coaching led to improved teacher practice and classroom literacy environment; early evidence of student reading gains.
Van den Bergh et al., 2017 – Meta-analysis on teacher coaching worldwide, 1990-2015
Teacher coaching consistently improves instruction quality and has positive, though smaller, effects on student achievement.