Central Mass. Innovation Schools Proposed

Three local school districts have approved proposals for eight new "innovation schools" in Central Massachusetts.

Five of the new schools are being proposed in Worcester, along with one in Framingham, one in the North Middlesex Regional district and one in the Quaboag Regional district. Local districts approved 27 new schools across the state.

Innovation schools, introduced by Gov. Deval Patrick in 2010, are designed to offer creative approaches to education, like charter schools, but operating within local school districts.

So far, there are three innovation schools in the state, including the Pathways Early College Innovation School, which is a partnership between Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner and the Ralph C. Mahar School District.

School ideas are developed locally and must be approved by superintendents, school committee members and local unions. The 27 schools that have received that approval now go through a state-level process. Some could be up and running by the fall.

Innovation schools get support from the federal Race to the Top competitive grant and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Boston Foundation and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.