Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Brian Allen reflected on his first year leading the district during his inaugural self-evaluation on July 16.
Allen reviewed a series of goals he set last fall, including improving communication, increasing the number of students reaching academic benchmarks and advancing three district improvement plans. He acknowledged the goals were “aggressive,” but said the district saw mostly positive results.
The presentation marked the first step in Allen’s annual evaluation process. School committee members now submit their own assessments, which are then combined and presented publicly in August.
Allen began with the district’s student learning goal, which called for increasing the percentage of students meeting or exceeding benchmarks on STAR assessments in reading and math.
Reaching the target would have required greater one-year improvement in both subjects than the district had previously achieved. Worcester Public Schools recorded its strongest growth under the current assessment system but finished one percentage point below the 36% goal in both reading and math.
The district also recorded its lowest percentage to date of students who were not meeting benchmarks in either subject, which Allen described as an encouraging trend.
“The percent of students meeting or exceeding the state benchmark at end of year was the highest observed since school year 2022 both for STAR Reading and STAR Math,” Allen said. “Within-year growth across 2026 was the highest observed in a five-year span – Instruction is reaching students of all skill levels. The percent of students at the lowest benchmark categories continues to drop at the end of the year.”
The superintendent’s professional practice goal focused on collaborative teaming, including the use of consistent structures by Professional Learning Communities, departments and grade-level teams. Teams used a new online tracker to monitor meeting practices, including standardized agendas, meeting norms and documented action steps.
By the end of the year, 78% of Worcester schools were determined to have effectively implemented collaborative teaming structures, exceeding the goal of 70%. Allen said the effort was essential to “laying the groundwork for more effective, efficient, and collaborative teamwork” across the district.
Allen also discussed three district improvement goals. The first focused on strengthening the district’s communication strategy through a unified framework intended to streamline staff updates and community outreach while creating more consistent messaging.
Another centered on the design and implementation of a five-year “grow your own” pipeline for students interested in becoming teachers in the district. The inaugural cohort included 41 students, and 25 graduating seniors participated in the district’s first Future Educators Signing Day to formalize their intent to return to Worcester Public Schools as educators.
The third goal continued the district’s work on school boundary and quadrant alignment. School officials recently outlined plans to present possible realignment scenarios in August, followed by public input sessions in the fall and a potential final recommendation before the end of the calendar year.
Allen’s report also covered culturally responsive learning, the district’s leadership restructuring, the Vision of a Leader framework, restorative practices and program expansion.
The superintendent said the district’s progress was not his alone, describing administrators and staff as the “team in the bullpen” and key contributors to the district’s continued growth.
“The progress made reflects the tremendous collective work and dedication of all of these people at the school and district level,” Allen concluded. “For my part, I am confident that I was able to create a district vision and provide the appropriate systems, structure, and culture or ensure this work is successful.”
School committee members must submit their individual evaluations to the mayor’s office by July 31. The combined evaluation is expected to be presented to Allen at the committee’s Aug. 13 meeting.
Jason Bleau can be reached at bleau.jason@yahoo.com
