Recognized as a national model by the
Education Trust, the Alliance for Excellent Education, and Newsweek
Magazine, the University Park Campus School has compiled an
unparalleled record of academic achievement since opening its doors in
1997. UPCS, a grade 7-12 school serving 231 students, has ranked first
among urban schools serving low-income students on state-mandated
English and math graduation exams and in the top quartile of all high
schools in the state over the last four years. All members of its first
three graduating classes have gone on to college, each a
first-generation college attendee.
The school’s record of accomplishment is all the more remarkable given
the low academic skills and limited English proficiency of its entering
students. Located in the poorest section of Worcester, UPCS has as its
only requirement for entry that students live in the immediate
neighborhood of the school. Chosen by lottery, the vast majority of
students enter at least two grade levels behind in reading and math.
Three-quarters of the students qualify for free lunch; two-thirds come
from homes where English is not spoken.
