As one of 24 school systems selected by the Carnegie Foundation, SEZP will help shape the future of high school education nationally

Springfield — The Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership (SEZP) has been selected as one of 24 school systems nationwide to participate in the Future of High School Network, a new, national initiative led by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Network is bringing together innovative systems from across the country to catalyze learning, knowledge and progress to support a ‘new architecture’ for high school nationwide.
The Network is built around a shared vision: high schools should be places where students gain meaningful skills, engage deeply in their learning, and graduate ready to thrive in a changing world. Through this partnership, SEZP will explore and elevate new models rooted in competency-based education and improved tools to measure and support student growth.
SEZP has created six new high schools in Springfield since its inception – Discovery Polytech Early College High School, Rise Prep, Aspire Academy, Commerce Early College High School, Springfield Honors Academy, and Duggan Early College High School. Emergence Academy, which began as a middle school that serves students who are new to the U.S., now also offers high school grades. Five of the six stand-alone high schools were established as smaller learning communities emanating from the long-standing High School of Commerce through SEZP’s partnership with the City.
“Discovery High School stands as proof of what’s possible when talented educators, bold leadership, and an unshakable belief in young people come together,” said Matt Brunell, Co-Executive Director of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership. “Principal Declan O’Connor and the founding team of teachers and staff have built something remarkable—all deeply supported by Kelley Gangi’s vision and leadership as SEZP’s Chief of School Innovation. Discovery reflects the future of high school that this national network is working to advance—a future where schools are engines of opportunity and mobility for every student.” Established in 2015 to accelerate equitable student outcomes at chronically underperforming schools in Springfield, today SEZP serves nearly 5,000 students in the Springfield Public Schools in 17 middle and high schools in the City.
“Our membership in this coalition is a reflection of our deep commitment to economic mobility for the graduates of the City of Springfield,” said Kelley Gangi, Chief of School Innovation of Springfield Empowerment Zone. “We are excited to partner with our peers in the field to catalyze strategies that work and to disrupt institutional filtration systems that impede postsecondary success.”
As part of the Network, SEZP will also contribute to the Carnegie Foundation’s upcoming National Research and Development Agenda—a comprehensive roadmap outlining research and development priorities that support high-quality high school transformation across the country. Insights from network members will help identify the conditions necessary for innovation to take root, sustain, and scale.
“The Carnegie Unit has become the bedrock currency of the educational economy, defining almost all aspects of schooling and systematically conflating time and learning,” said Dr. Timothy Knowles, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “The insights and partnerships generated by the extraordinary members of this network—in parallel with the priorities outlined in our forthcoming National Research and Development Agenda—will support knowledge building to enable innovation to flourish in high schools everywhere.”
To learn more about the Future of High School Network, visit: www.carnegiefoundation.org

About SEZP
Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership is a ground-breaking initiative to empower the students, families, and educators of Springfield, MA with a commitment to equity and anti-racism.

About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The Carnegie Foundation is dedicated to catalyzing transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Established by Congress in 1906, the Foundation has helped drive major educational milestones, including the creation of Pell Grants, the GRE, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. ■