Calling all “Schools on the Move”

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius remarked in a recent interview, “I wish our partners and community knew more about the great work of educators and school leaders and how hard they work every day for our kids.” At EdVestors, we have the opportunity and privilege to see the powerful work happening in classrooms and schools across the district through our strategic grantmaking and partnerships focused on racial equity, arts education, mathematics, and career pathways. While there is more work to do to ensure every student in Boston receives an equitable, meaningful education, there is also much to learn from, leverage, and celebrate. It is with excitement and enthusiasm that we launch the 2022 School on the Move Prize to recognize and celebrate some of the most improving Boston Public Schools!

Each fall, the School on the Move Prize shines a light on schools, leaders, and teachers who create and continuously improve learning environments where all students thrive, demonstrated through significantly improved outcomes for students. By sharing the stories of how schools improve, we aim to help more schools make significant progress for their students. 

The School on the Move Prize has evolved since its launch in 2006, as the EdVestors team has refined the criteria, selection process, and efforts to document and share strategies from the most improving schools in Boston. This year’s Prize was directly informed by input from various school and district leaders, with a commitment to a process that is both rigorous and equity minded. Specifically, we are inviting more expansive ways to define, measure, and understand school improvement and success. Historically, we have identified a list of eligible schools based on MCAS scores and invited those schools to apply. This year, we are starting with an open call for applications, inviting all Boston Public Schools to share a snapshot of their stories of improvement, outline relevant data, and describe the strategies that helped them accelerate learning. The goals of the School on the Move Prize remain the same – to recognize and celebrate improvement in schools across Boston. However, we hope that the shifts in this year’s process will invite powerful stories of success during a challenging year.

What schools would you celebrate as Schools on the Move? You can send ideas and nominations to Shay McIntosh, Manager of School-Based Investments, at mcintosh@edvestors.org. We will reach out to encourage the nominated school to tell their story of improvement through the School on the Move Prize application. We also encourage you to directly encourage schools to apply.

Round 1 applications are due on Friday, April 29. The School on the Move Prize winner is awarded $100,000 that includes $80,000 of unrestricted funding directly to the school and $20,000 that is set aside to engage in research and dissemination activities that amplify effective practices, insights, and lessons learned. In addition, the other two finalist schools are awarded $10,000 each.

We look forward to celebrating school improvement with you this year, through the School on the Move Prize and otherwise!