WORCESTER, Mass. – The end of the school year marks the end of the first year for Worcester's superintendent, Brian Allen, in the role.

The South High graduate has served in a number of positions for Worcester Public Schools since 1998 before assuming the title of superintendent in July of last year.

Allen said it was a great school year and the district made tremendous progress on the strategic plan.

"Just being able to see the strategic plan work through another year," Allen said. "And then the highlight, I would say, was just recently when I got to shake 1,700 hands as seniors crossed the stage and received a diploma. And just to see the joy on their faces. And it just makes you realize that's the why of what we're doing is for that moment and to see the students finish their high school career and then go on to whatever the next path is."

Allen noted the district has seen the largest number of students exit multilingual education, the largest number of students who took early college classes, as well as the largest number of students obtain the syllabi literacy this year.