Research & Insights / UP Academy Dorchester: A 2025 School on the Move Semifinalist

UP Academy Dorchester: A 2025 School on the Move Semifinalist

The six semifinalists for the 2025 School on the Move Prize are excellent examples of the conditions of sustainable school improvement EdVestors’ research has identified. You can read all their stories here. Please join us at the Prize Ceremony on November 13th!

UP Academy Dorchester, a Horace-Mann charter school, focuses on serving K1-8 students who are most impacted by systemic barriers to opportunities and resources. Once a school marked by instability, it has since transformed into a thriving community where students are engaged in learning, families feel supported, and staff are united by a clear vision for success.

UP’s first step towards improvement was cultivating a values-driven culture. The school collaboratively defined TIGER values— Teamwork, Integrity, Growth, Engagement, and Resilience—and embedded them into daily routines, classroom expectations, and professional development. The school community built a shared culture of mutual accountability and celebration, which they credit for staff-reported improvements in sense of connection and student-staff relationships. Staff retention increased to 81% in 2024, up from 66% in 2020, and family approval ratings have consistently improved over the last five years.

With a stronger foundation in place, UP Academy focused on building a truly rigorous academic experience for all students by improving consistency in instructional quality. They designed a schoolwide framework for staff to plan, provide feedback, and execute on instructional goals, anchored in a few key routines. Weekly data meetings, intellectual preparation routines, and a refined Multi-Tiered System of Supports help ensure that all classrooms deliver high-quality, grade-level instruction. These systems have paid off: on the 2023–24 MCAS, UP’s student growth percentile (SGP) was 59 in ELA and 61 in math—higher than the BPS average and other turnaround districts. Eighth-grade SGP was among the highest in the state for high-needs schools, with 66 in ELA and 74 in math.

A data-driven, student and family-centered approach—addressing barriers to attendance like housing instability, transportation, and scheduling challenges—helped reduce chronic absenteeism from 33% in 2022 to 25% in 2024, nearly 10 percentage points lower than the BPS chronic absenteeism rate for the same year. UP has also received 4/4 points for attendance and chronic absenteeism improvements on the state’s accountability framework for the last two years.

Finally, UP Academy expanded joyful, immersive, and experiential learning opportunities that connect students to their futures. Through partnerships with local organizations and businesses, students have explored careers in STEM, data analytics, radio broadcasting, and construction. Participation in career connected learning has more than doubled from 150 in 2024 to 350 in 2025, and MCAS science proficiency scores have increased dramatically—from 5% to 23% meeting or exceeding expectations in grade 5, and 7% to 19% in grade 8.

In just a few years, UP Academy Dorchester has redefined what’s possible for its students. By aligning culture, systems, and joy, the school has built a community where students thrive academically and personally—and where every child can see a future full of opportunity.