• Category 3

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: 6 - 8
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 0
    Student Enrollment: 264
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 23%
    White/Caucasian: 10%
    Hispanic: 59%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 7%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 12%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 3%
    Founded: 0
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Andrea Metzger
  • CONTACT:
    355 Plainfield Street
    Springfield, MA 01104
    413-285-5860
    mbrunell@sezp.org
Chestnut Accelerated Middle School (Talented and Gifted)
Springfield, MA
"Shared responsibility fosters a sense of collective ownership in our mission and investment in our school’s success."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
TAG became the single highest improving school in the state of Massachusetts and is one of just five schools serving grades 6-8 to have exited underperforming status over the last ten years. More than 97% of TAG 8th grade students believe their teachers set high expectations for their learning. TAG’s success is the result of a collective effort, driven by a strong culture of collaboration, leadership, and community engagement. TAG honors educator voice and engagement through distributive leadership and a shared decision-making model. Students and families are empowered to provide input into our school’s continuous improvement efforts. Shared responsibility fosters a sense of collective ownership in our mission and investment in our school’s success. We’ve worked hard to bring joy into the workplace and create a welcoming, vibrant school community. Events like the Back-to-School BBQ and celebrations throughout the year have strengthened connections between staff, students and families.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
TAG has been part of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP), a model that has given our school flexibilities and created conditions that have contributed to our success – such as the role of teacher voice as formalized through ourTeacher Leadership Team; local setting of our school’s working conditions; school-based budgeting decisions; and a more holistic approach to school and student improvement. As a school, we prioritize open dialogue among staff and between teachers and students, ensuring that everyone's perspective is valued and integrated into decision-making processes. Teachers are empowered to work together in a shared vision of effective instruction. Responsibility-centered discussions with students encouraged accountability and ownership of their learning and behavior allowing students to grow prosocially. The combination of teacher leadership and student-centered dialogue creates an engaged, respectful, and successful school community.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
ESEA funding has played a pivotal role in supporting our school’s success by providing critical resources to enhance both professional development and community engagement. ESEA funds allowed us to send staff to national conferences and allowed us to diversify and strengthen our ILT and Teacher Leadership Team with high quality coaching with the Equitable Pathways to Leadership initiative. Professional knowledge inspired new approaches to teaching and learning creating teacher efficacy and teacher leadership opportunities. Additionally, a portion of the funds helped support our Family and Community Engagement Manager, a vital role in building strong partnerships between the school and our families. This position has been instrumental in organizing events, providing resources to families, and fostering a welcoming environment. Strong family engagement has significantly contributed to student success by ensuring consistent support both at school and home.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
To improve teaching and learning, we implement targeted professional learning that fostered individual teacher growth, higher levels of teacher collaboration, and sense of ownership through shared leadership. Teachers worked closely with instructional coaches to analyze student outcome data and reflect on their instructional practices. Lessons were recorded, allowing teachers to analyze instructional moves and discuss strategies for improvement in a non-judgmental manner. Reflective coaching led to targeted professional growth and improved practice. At TAG, teachers from different content areas collaborate and share best practices to ensure the student experience is coherent and impactful. Cross-curricular teams regularly explore strategies that can be adapted across disciplines, such as critical thinking techniques, project-based learning, and differentiated instruction. Our instructional program is more aligned and student engagement and learning has increased significantly.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
The culture shift that led to our school's success was rooted in creating a collaborative, joyful, and empowered environment for both staff and students.
We embraced a teacher-powered model that engages all voices in our school. Teachers and staff were given opportunities to lead initiatives, from professional development workshops to student engagement programs. This approach built trust, fostered ownership, and allowed diverse voices to shape the school’s direction and progress over the years. We prioritize celebrating achievements—big and small. staff appreciation events, team-building activities, or simply creating spaces for laughter and connection, we made joy a central part of our daily work. This not only boosted morale but also strengthened relationships across the school community. These cultural shifts created an environment where staff and students felt motivated, supported, and inspired to give their best.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
Community involvement with families and student-facing enrichment partners has accelerated our school’s success by creating a sense of unity and shared purpose. Our student-led family conferences empower students to take ownership of their learning by presenting their progress and goals to families. Conferences strengthen the partnership between school and home and builds students' accountability and communication skills. Family events, throughout the year, such as our band concert, continue to build relationships between home and school in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Shared celebrations foster a sense of belonging and team approach to a students’ growing success. To build an inclusionary culture, we hold cultural festivals, academic showcases, and school-wide assemblies that allow all students to shine. Any opportunity to bring the community and families into TAG builds a shared sense of pride and builds ongoing support to help us achieve our mission.
Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: 6 - 8
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 0
    Student Enrollment: 264
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 23%
    White/Caucasian: 10%
    Hispanic: 59%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 7%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 12%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 3%
    Founded: 0
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Andrea Metzger
  • CONTACT:
    355 Plainfield Street
    Springfield, MA 01104
    413-285-5860
    mbrunell@sezp.org