SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, Dr. Sonia Dinnall, delivered a State of the Schools address to discuss the future of education. Dr. Dinall brought together educators, district leaders, elected officials, and Mayor Sarno, to asses the profound work being done in the Springfield Public School system. The address centered on the theme 'Educating to Empower', a concept foundation to her leadership that Dinall says she'll continue to lean on. That concept emphasizes four priorities: early literacy, middle school transformation, college & career readiness, and post-secondary success. Dinall began with a celebration of the gains made over the last year, recognizing schools that performed exceptionally well on the MCAS test. She then assured many of both the past and present systems that have produced educational excellence will remain. "We're still going to continue to just tweak what we've been doing so we can continue to make those gains," Dr. Dinnall said. She cherishes meaningful interactions with students, like 5th grader and assistant emcee Jayvien Dejesus, and Brianna, Levi, and Aiyanna, three high school students who embody the greatness a Springfield student can achieve. "Interacting with them reinforces what I've known all along," Dinall said. "That we truly have the best and brightest students in the state of Massachusetts." Mayor Sarno also took to the podium, and since he took office as Mayor, Springfield public school's graduation rate has increased from just over 50% to the current 86%. By embracing the present while honoring the past, Dr. Dinall hopes to maintain and even surpass this rate, promising her students will make the future brighter. Local News Headlines Agawam resident to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Easthampton public safety complex available as warming center next week State House Spotlight: Preparing for Trump Prepare snowblowers as weekend snow approaches WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.