Harvard-Kent Elementary a Finalist for EdVesters School on the Move

The Harvard Kent Elementary School has been named one of three finalists citywide for the School on the Move Award, Principal Jason Gallagher said this week as the school prepared to open its doors Sept. 5.

EdVesters invites schools to apply for the School on the Move program and prize each year based on improving test scores and improving school culture. With Harvard Kent’s move to a Level 1 school and its continued success thereafter, the Charlestown school was invited to compete for the prize.

“This year we’re one of the three finalists for the School on the Move prize,” said Gallagher. “We’ll find out if we win some time around Halloween. It’s a very positive thing to be able to say as we start the new school year. We’re very proud of our school.”

Last year, the Donald McKay Elementary in East Boston won the prize.

Each spring, EdVestors invites a select group of Boston public schools to apply for the School on the Move Prize based on a rigorous quantitative screen of student achievement using historical and current state standardized assessment data.  The criteria identify schools with improvement that is substantially higher than their peers’ in one or both core subjects (English Language Arts and Math), as compared to BPS schools serving similar grades, with additional criteria related to school performance, student demographics, and graduation rates for high schools.

Typically, only 5-10 percent of schools each year meet the eligibility criteria and receive invitations to apply for the Prize. Invited schools are asked to prepare a written Prize application that details how they achieved dramatic improvement and outlines the strategies and best practices they employed. EdVestors’ Prize Selection Panel reviews applications and conducts site visits before announcing the winner at our annual Prize Ceremony.

The Harvard-Kent was one of nine elementary schools invited to apply this year, and the only one from Charlestown. That was whittled down to three finalists recently.

The Harvard-Kent and schools all over the Town began a new school term today, Sept. 5.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.