Announcements / EdVestors Announce Schools in Bay Village, Chinatown, and Mattapan as Finalists for Prestigious $100K School on the Move Prize
EdVestors Announce Schools in Bay Village, Chinatown, and Mattapan as Finalists for Prestigious $100K School on the Move Prize
Boston, MA (August 20, 2024) – EdVestors, a non-profit school improvement organization, has announced that schools in Bay Village, Chinatown, and Mattapan have been named the three finalists for its annual School on the Move Prize. The Prize, now in its 19th year, highlights the schools, leaders, and teachers of Boston Public Schools who create and continuously improve learning environments where all students thrive.
The three finalists for the $100,000 School on the Move Prize are:
Boston Adult Technical Academy, Bay Village
Josiah Quincy Elementary School, Chinatown
Mattahunt Elementary School, Mattapan
The School on the Move Prize ceremony will take place from 8:00-10:00 am on Tuesday, October 22nd at the Westin Copley, in front of Boston’s business, education, civic, and philanthropic leaders. The prize winner is a closely guarded secret until the announcement is made and the award is presented live. The other finalist schools will each receive a $10,000 award.
“We are pleased this year to recognize the achievements of three schools that successfully serve students who come to Boston from all over the globe,” said Marinell Rousmaniere, President and CEO of EdVestors. “Each of these schools has utilized innovative and culturally responsive approaches to prepare their students for their next step: be it high school, college, career.”
EdVestors aims to recognize the accomplishments of schools, administrators, and educators who foster and consistently enhance learning atmospheres where every student can excel. By documenting and spotlighting the stories of schools' advancement, we aim to assist more schools in making substantial strides in their students' progress.
Overview of Finalist Schools
Boston Adult Technical Academy in Bay Village is a non-traditional high school for students between the ages of 19-22. Through strategies like theater-based ESL classes, each student being matched with a “primary person” on staff, and student-led focus groups to collect data, students are empowered to meet their goals for their futures as they balance jobs and family obligations. These feelings are shown through data; in 2023, 83% of students rated BATA’s school climate positively..
Josiah Quincy Elementary School in Chinatown is the district's largest elementary school. With an international student population, half of whom speak a language other than English, Quincy became the first school in Boston to adopt the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program. The curriculum, an inquiry-based model designed for international schools, aligns with state standards while allowing teachers more autonomy to test out creative strategies. Since transitioning to this program five years ago, the school has seen a rise in student academic growth and achievement, with the Student Growth Percentile increasing 13% between 2018-2022 in both English and Math. With a particular focus on cultural relevance for all students, Black students at the Quincy have increased achievement by 29%, and their sense of belonging is the highest of any group in the school.
Mattahunt Elementary School in Mattapan reopened in 2017 with a new shared vision: the first dual language Haitian Creole program for early childhood and elementary students in the nation, Toussaint L’Ouverture Academy. The program allows for teachers to create precedent setting Haitian Creole curriculum and assessments for both academic rigor and cultural learning in a school where half of the students speak a first language other than English. The school focuses on academic rigor while bringing together the community to celebrate Haitian culture. In the years since the school has reopened, it’s seen major success for its students, as Mattahunt’s multilingual students are far outperforming their peers across the district in English language progress and attendance.
About EdVestors
EdVestors’ mission is to advance equitable, meaningful education that prepares every Boston student to activate their power and shape their future. EdVestors combines strategic investments, content expertise, and collaborative implementation to drive system-level impact in Boston schools. Since 2002, EdVestors has raised and invested over $42 million in school improvement efforts. We drive toward our mission by activating people and resources; learning and iterating in context; and influencing system change. We believe that continuously attending to all three drivers ensures our activities will create an impact.
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Media contact:
Annie Butkus
732-551-4076
