Magnet Schools Assistance Program Project Abstract

FY 2013 Competition

Applicant / Springfield Public Schools
PR Award # / U165A130071
School District / Springfield Public School District
State / Massachusetts
Project Title/Name / Just Schools: Promoting Equity Through Next
Generation Educational Practice
Contact
Title / Joshua Bogin
Project Director
Phone413.787.7752
Fax413.886.5495

Grant Award Amount / Total: $11,550,000 over 3 years
  • Year 1 $3,850,000
  • Year 2 $3,850,000
  • Year 3 $3,850,000

School and Grades Served / Theme
Duggan Middle School (6-12) / Expeditionary Learning and Social Justice
Springfield Renaissance School (6-12) / Expeditionary Learning and STEM
Springfield Central High School (9-12) / STEAM and Advanced Studies
Springfield Conservatory of the Arts(6-12) / Visual and Performing Arts

Project Description:

Springfield (MA) Public Schools seeks funding under the Magnet Schools AssistanceProgram to support four magnet schools in their efforts to bring about the equity of opportunity,access and achievement long anticipated in the almost 60 years that have followed upon Brownv. Board of Education. The target schools in this “Just Schools: Promoting Equity through NextGeneration Educational Practice” project proposal are: Springfield Central High School(Central) (2250 students); Springfield Renaissance School (Renaissance) (700 students);Duggan 6-12 School (720 students); and a new Springfield Conservatory of the Arts (SCA)(420 students). The special curricular magnet programs for the four schools are: Central:STEAM and Advanced Studies; Renaissance: Expeditionary Learning and STEM;Duggan: Expeditionary Learning and Social Justice; SCA: Visual and Performing Arts.

Project Objectives:

This proposal anticipates achievement of several key project objectives, among them:

1.To reduce minority group isolation at four “feeder schools,” South End Middle, ChestnutMiddle, High School of Commerce and High School of Science and Technology; and at one new6-12 MSAP project school, Springfield Conservatory of the Arts;

2.To increase access for all students to rigorous and engaging STEM courses;

3.To provide extensive professionaldevelopment for teachers in the STEM areas; 3) specific improvement in academic achievementfor all critical sub-groups;

4.To increase enrollment and engagement of secondary students inadvanced level courses;

5.To engage students through the Arts as an access point forintegrated learning of the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards; and

6.To actively include parents in engagement and decision-making in the shaping of their children’s school experiences.

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