Workaday leader made the grade

Thomas W. Payzant had been poised to transform the Boston public schools into one of the finest urban districts in the nation when he became superintendent 11 years ago.

There was nowhere to go but up: The system had been in shambles for decades, with a revolving door of superintendents, confusion about what students should learn, and routine overspending. The previous superintendent was ousted after battling City Hall and the School Committee for four years.

Payzant, who retires June 30, was the first superintendent to enjoy unwavering support from the mayor and his appointed School Committee. As hoped, Payzant brought order and discipline to a system in chaos, and there were steady gains in student achievement on key measures such as the MCAS exams .

But, based on test data and reports, and interviews with researchers and school system observers, Payzant's tenure has produced mixed results , and he will leave stubborn challenges for his successor. Boston hopes to name three finalists for the superintendent's position by the end of the month.

``The system's moving forward slowly," said Paul Reville, president of the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, which will hold a meeting next week reflecting on Payzant's tenure.

Payzant, who previously was an education official in the Clinton administration and a superintendent in several cities, said he came to Boston to build a system of excellence, not just to improve a few schools.

Average SAT scores are higher. More high school graduates are enrolling in college. But dropout rates are stagnant, with nearly a third of the city's students quitting between freshman and senior year, according to state estimates. While MCAS scores have risen, the majority of students are not on grade level in math and English.

Black and Latino students, who make up 77 percent of the school system, continue to lag behind their white and Asian peers in academic achievement. That gap, which Payzant vowed to fix in his early years, has widened in all grades tested on the math and English portion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems test.

For example, less than 30 percent of black sophomores scored on grade level on MCAS exams last year, compared with roughly 70 percent of white students. Special education students and those with limited English skills are also trailing. On a national reading and math test for fourth graders, however, black and Latino students in Boston fared better than those in many other cities.

Payzant's low-key demeanor and preference for not making waves have both helped and hurt the school system, supporters and critics say. His steady influence has encouraged businesses and private foundations to pump about $100 million into school reform, but change has been incremental and uneven systemwide.

``Have I been too slow? Should I have pushed harder and jammed people more to produce more quickly?" said Payzant, 65. ``If you push people too hard, you can shut them down. It's getting that balance right."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino praised the superintendent for not shying away from adversaries.

``He takes criticism well, not like a turtle," Menino said. ``He doesn't put his head in and say, `I'm not going to do it.' Tom has given people confidence in the system."

As the second-longest-serving urban superintendent in the country (most of his counterparts last no more than three years), Payzant set citywide standards for what students were to learn in math, English, science, and social studies. He used the results to hold principals accountable for student achievement and dismissed those with dismal records.

But given Payzant's longevity, some parents and educators say, they are frustrated that he has not accomplished more.

``Too much of the school system is still broken," said Hubie Jones, dean emeritus of the Boston University School of Social Work and head of a citizens group preparing guidelines for the next superintendent.

Payzant's initiative, starting in 2003, to break large high schools into smaller units with academic themes has not resulted in better schools, according to a recent study by the Cambridge-based group Education Matters. The goal was for teachers to get to know students better in schools that provided a more intimate setting , with enrollments of roughly 300 students.

But classes have not become smaller, and students reported feeling disengaged, unchallenged, and often lacked interest or knowledge in their high school's specialty. Headmasters said they struggled to design courses that fit with their school's themes. Payzant said it's still too early to determine the effects of the smaller high schools, since seven of the 13 just opened last September.

Disparities still exist among schools, which vary widely in expectations, quality of programs, and in resources and staffing.

Payzant did not turn around every school, but he did lay the groundwork for widespread improvement, said Elizabeth Reilinger, chairwoman of the Boston School Committee.

``Tom's legacy is that the next person coming in does not have to go back to the cleanup work," Reilinger said. ``The next level of leadership should push things along and be more aggressive."

Maria Sacchetti of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Tracy Jan can be reached at tjan@globe.com.