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Mechanisms to Support Culture of Achievement and Rigorous Academic Program:
Leader as "Keeper of the Flame:" Sustaining a high-performing school requires constant tending by the school leader. Unfortunately, the elements that have made UPCS successful are not immutable features of the school. A variety of ongoing threats – from budget cuts to district policy changes – have the potential to undermine the delicate balance that leads to success. The school leader must have the savvy to adapt quickly to change, while avoiding serious damage to the school and its mission. At the same time, the leader must be ever-vigilant of the smaller, day-to-day threats to school culture, such as lax enforcement of behavioral norms or slips in the quality of group work in a classroom.
Student Ownership of School Culture: Students are empowered with meaningful ownership of the school culture. Upperclassmen take on the responsibility of introducing entering students to "what it means to be a UPCS student." They enforce the school's high standard of behaviors and model the supportive relationships that lead to mutual success for all students.
Use of External Standards to Reinforce Rigor: To ensure that students meet college-readiness standards, UPCS measures its success against externally validated measures. These include scores at the proficient and advanced levels of the MCAS exam, as well as the number of students taking and succeeding in AP exams and college courses. External standards prevent the lowing of standards and keep the school’s “caring” for students from taking the form of misdirected paternalism.
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