Colorful banners hanging from the ceilings at Springfield Renaissance School call out seven character traits—friendship, perseverance, responsibility, respect, self-discipline, cultural sensitivity, and courage—that students and staff pledge to adhere to. These “community commitments” provide the foundation for the 6–12 school’s culture and climate, which emphasizes building strong relationships so that students and faculty are supported emotionally and academically. Throughout the school, it’s rare to see teachers lecturing in front of classrooms. Instead, they encourage students to take the lead in their learning with self-directed research or cross-curricular projects, known as expeditions. Though more than half of the diverse study body is economically disadvantaged, the Expeditionary Learning school has proved that setting high expectations and providing social and emotional supports can help any student to excel.

• In 2018, 10th-grade students at the school outperformed the state on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests for math and English Language Arts.
• The school achieved a college acceptance rate of 100 percent for all students for the last 10 consecutive years, since 2009.
• It received the Secondary Magnet School Merit Award of Excellence from Magnet Schools of America in 2017—one of only six recipients in the country.