| Unlocking Potential (UP) is a nonprofit school management organization whose mission is to rapidly transform chronically underperforming district schools into extraordinary schools that sustain high achievement over time.
UP has already restarted two district schools. In Boston, MA, the Patrick F. Gavin Middle School was restarted as UP Academy Charter School of Boston in 2011, becoming an in-district charter school through the restart process. In Lawrence, MA, the James F. Leonard Middle School was restarted as UP Academy Lawrence Middle School in 2012, remaining as a traditional district school through the restart process.
In fall 2013, we will open our third and fourth turnaround schools in Boston and Lawrence, respectively, expanding our reach to more than 1,500 students. In Boston, UP will launch UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester and in Lawrence, UP will launch UP Academy Oliver Middle School. For more information on these schools, please click on the links below.
UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester
UP Academy Oliver Middle School
The launch of our first school, UP Academy Charter School of Boston, represented the first time in Massachusetts state history that an underperforming district school was “restarted” as an in-district charter school by a school management organization. During the 2011-12 academic year, the school demonstrated incredible academic progress, ranking #1 for academic growth in math among all public middle schools in Massachusetts, doubling math proficiency rates from 24% to 48% and improving ELA proficiency rates from 32% to 54%. To learn more about UP Academy Boston, click here.
In fall 2012, UP launched UP Academy Lawrence Middle School, its second “restart” middle school, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. UP Academy Lawrence, which has remained a traditional neighborhood district (non-charter) school through this transformation effort, currently serves more than 100 6th grade students and will expand its enrollment to more than 350 6th – 8th grade students during the 2013-14 academic year. To learn more about UP Academy Lawrence, click here.
In the years ahead, UP will seek to build upon its initial success by partnering with additional school districts to transform more chronically underperforming schools into extraordinary schools. We are committed to eliminating the achievement and opportunity gaps that persist in Massachusetts, and we will do whatever it takes to deliver an exceptional education to the children of Boston, Lawrence, and beyond.
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