Frederick Harris among schools exhibiting ‘surge’ of academic growth

SPRINGFIELD — Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education highlights schools that have achieved marked progress toward annual accountability targets.

Among the schools identified for the 2025-2026 school year were Springfield’s Frederick Harris and Warner schools.

DESE uses metrics, including schools’ MCAS scores in math and English language arts, to determine what schools have seen the largest accountability gains.

“We improved in all areas, but I think the writing pushed us over,” Frederick Harris Principal Kara Harris said of qualifying for the honor.

The Schools of Recognition distinction is awarded to schools that have seen a “surge of growth,” Harris added.

Frederick Harris has been in the top seven to 10 elementary schools in Springfield for several years, and Harris said it is hard to have such a surge “when you’re performing at a consistent level.” She said a school that was identified by DESE this year may not receive the accolade next year, despite doing equally as well.

Harris explained that the teachers and administration at Frederick Harris have realigned the amount of time dedicated to writing throughout the school week. “We’re providing enough time to have the students practice what they’ve learned.”

The change was integrated into all levels of the K-5 school. “We’ve tried to make sure there’s consistency from grade to grade. Teachers collaborate on how we designed the plan. We designed it as a team, what it would look like,” Harris said, explaining that part of the plan was determining the most effective use of the curriculum. The team meets weekly to follow up on how the students are progressing.

Because the students are familiar with how writing was taught the previous year, it is easier for them to pick up where they left off. “They are familiar with expectations,” Harris said, adding that they are “learning it more on an automatic level. Beyond just an assignment — this is how you express yourself.”

Harris credited the school’s teachers for committing to a change in how they taught writing. “This work is really not possible without the culture and the dedication of teachers,” Harris said. “The last few years, we’ve been working really hard” and “making everyone accountable for their participation in this culture.” She said being named a School of Recognition shows “the work you can do to really make a difference.”