This case study takes a close look at the success of Boston’s New Mission High School, winner of EdVestors' 2012 School on the Move Prize. The school excels at levels only found at some of the best schools in the nation, with students significantly outperforming their Boston Public School high school peers over the past three years, scoring more than 10 percentage points higher in English language arts and almost 20 percentage points higher in math in 2012 on MCAS testing. In addition, the four-year graduation rate at New Mission was more than 90 percent in 2012 – nearly 25 percentage points higher than the district average – with a proportion of students who qualified for free or reduced lunch higher than the city average.
To discover what is driving this achievement, this case study design incorporates interviews, focus groups, and a document review. The findings suggest three common practices form the foundation of New Mission’s effective approach to teaching and learning. First, there is strong leadership that is intentionally shared among all teachers and staff members at the school. Second, decisions are student-focused, data-driven, and based on holistic assessments of strengths and needs. Finally, New Mission has an embedded culture of high academic rigor coupled with personalized support. The result is a high-performing school with strong family and community partnerships. Students excel in and out of the classroom, and share that success with their families and community.