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For Immediate Release
Friday, June 13, 2003
Contact:Heidi B. Perlman 781-338-3106 or Kimberly Beck 781-338-3105

Department of Education Announces 2003 Commonwealth Compass Schools

Malden - Education officials designate 10 schools to serve as 2003 Commonwealth Compass Schools during the 2003-2004 school year. These schools have demonstrated significant improvement in student performance on the MCAS tests in English language arts and mathematics. The purpose of the Compass Schools program is to recognize and celebrate schools that are showing improvement and to help generate information gleaned from their success. Each school will receive $10,000 for participation in the program, to be used to pay for the preparation of materials for a conference in October, and to cover the cost of the hosting on-site information sharing events in the spring Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll congratulated the students, teachers, administrators and parents of these schools and said that their commitment to achievement is a model to other schools. "We are moving in a direction of excellence in every school and these schools are leading the way," he said. "The Compass Schools program allows schools showing significant improvement to share ideas and practices that other schools can model." Four high schools and six elementary schools were selected for the award: Auburn High School, Hyannis West Elementary from Barnstable Public Schools, Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School, Boston Arts Academy, Webster School from Everett Public Schools, Ipswich High School, Glenwood School from Springfield, Mary O. Pottenger School from Springfield Public Schools, Academy Avenue School from Weymouth Public Schools, Indian Head School from Whitman-Hanson Public Schools. One hundred and forty-four schools completed applications, including a description of the improvement initiatives they had implemented over the past four years that they thought were having the most positive impact on student achievement and a survey on factors affecting student performance. Fourteen finalist candidates were selected for visits by a review panel and from that pool, 10 Compass Schools were selected. The 2003 Commonwealth Compass Schools will be recognized at the State House. In October the Department of Education will hold a conference in Marlborough to provide an opportunity for each of the 2003 Compass Schools to present their best practices to school district personnel from across the state. The Department will publish the third annual edition of Pathways to Improved Student Performance Report in the fall, summarizing the findings of this year's Compass School applications, and including profiles of each of the Compass Schools.



Last Updated: June 13, 2003



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