Court orders mandated improved education in Boston’s schools alongside desegregation. Improved educational opportunities were part of the CCC's duties, reflected in its initial Educational Programs Subcommittee. A number of programs fell into this category, including pairings, Chapter 636, and Circular 33 programs. Pairings were court-monitored relationships between local agencies and institutions of higher learning on one side and a local school or, at times, an entire school district on the other. Chapter 636 helped schools and districts fund special education, diversity education, or other related programs. Circular 33, named after Superintendent’s Circular, No. 33, published October 10, 1975, encouraged programs that addressed five Boston-wide educational priorities: basic skills, special needs, bilingual and multicultural education, career education, and democracy.

Files are arranged alphabetically by funding source, then external institution and/or Boston school. The various avenues for supplementary educational funding were used in concert frequently, so overlap exists on many projects. Specific programs make up the bulk of the subseries, with a small amount of additional background information on the programs, their funding, and progress reports. Additional information about pairings projects may also be found under the name of the school in other subseries, particularly in the case of magnet schools.