Research & Insights / New Mission High School: A 2026 School on the Move Semifinalist
New Mission High School: A 2026 School on the Move Semifinalist
The ten semifinalists for the 2026 School on the Move Prize are excellent examples of the conditions of sustainable school improvement EdVestors’ research has identified. Please join us at the Prize Ceremony on November 10th!
New Mission High School serves nearly 750 students who reflect the vibrancy of the school’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Since 2019, the school has grown by around 300 students, with multilingual learners and students with disabilities making up a larger portion of the student body as the school introduced specialized programming. While schools sometimes experience instability during such periods of change, New Mission has seen impressive academic growth – reaching the state’s 71st percentile, up from the 62nd percentile in 2023 – and was named a School of Recognition in 2025. School leaders credit this progress to three key strategies: instructional coaching that is student-centered and prioritizes the needs of multilingual learners and students with disabilities; universal and targeted academic supports such as additional English and Mathematics class blocks, tutoring, and small-group instruction; and expanded access to Advanced Placement and Early College coursework.
Every teacher at New Mission works closely with an Instructional Coach throughout the school year, centering their learning on three focus students, at least two of whom represent multilingual learners or students with disabilities. Tracking student progress through the year, instructional coaches co-plan lessons, support instruction in the classroom, and facilitate asset-based analysis and reflection on student work samples to reach new understandings that lead to improved student outcomes. Analysis of student data and work samples informs planning next steps for student success.
All 7th, 8th, and 10th graders at New Mission have an additional class block to support their learning. In grade 7, students take two English Language Arts classes, each focused separately on reading or writing. Similarly, in grades 8 and 10 each student takes an additional math class. Students also receive more targeted and individualized supports as needed, including tutoring and small-group instruction. Targeted support interventions are provided not just to the students who are struggling the most but also to students who may need a boost in order to get to the next performance level on MCAS standardized testing, for instance from “partially meets expectations” to “meets expectations”.
A focus on equity in access to advanced coursework drove New Mission leaders to expand Advanced Placement (AP) and Early College offerings at the school, starting in the 10th grade. Early College coursework offered in partnership with UMass Boston and Wentworth Institute of Technology focuses on the career fields of Computer Science, Engineering, Business, and Health. An expanded set of AP classes recently made available to students includes AP African-American History, AP Seminar, and AP Precalculus. School leaders cite family engagement, a schoolwide focus on rigor, and after-school tutoring and support during the school day as key strategies behind increased student access and success in AP and Early College coursework.
