achievementfirst-annualreport2009sp

8/14/2019 AchievementFirst-AnnualReport2009sp

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Climbing

the Mountainto College

Achievement First

2009 Annual Report


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Dear Friends,

This is an exciting time in our organizational historyand or education reorm both

locally and nationally. As states vie in an unprecedented Race to the Top, there is a

growing awareness that education reorm is not just a moral imperative, but also an

economic one. As we struggle to get out o our current recession, nothing will do more

to ensure our long-term, collective prosperity than creating outstanding public schoolsor all students. A great education can break the cycle o poverty, level the playing eld

and prepare our students to compete in a global economy.

Five years ago, most traditional school districts were ocused on incremental changes

that were producing, at best, incremental improvements, and Achievement First and

other charter operators were seen as irrelevant and even adversarial. Today, high-

perorming charter schools are a central piece o both local and national strategies to

accelerate eorts to close the achievement gap. Over this time, Achievement First has

grown to serve more than 4,600 students at 17 academies in Brooklyn, NY, and inConnecticuts big three citiesNew Haven, Bridgeport and Hartord. In 2009 in both

New York and Connecticut, our ourth- and eighth-grade students (the oldest students

in our elementary and middle schools respectively) outperormed state-wide averages,

proving again that the achievement gap can be closedand that it can be closed at

scale.

Perhaps more importantly, Achievement First is now doing this work as an active

partner with many o our host school districts. Achievement First Hartord Academy in

its rst year posted the greatest perormance gains o any school in the cityproviding

a powerul validation o Hartord Superintendent Adamowskis courageous decision

to close a ailing school and use the acility to launch Achievement First Hartord. In

New Haven, our hometown mayor and Amistad board member, John DeSteano,

has announced a bold, district-wide reorm plan based, in part, on the success

o Achievement First schools. We are in active discussions with the district about

launching a potential leadership training program and other ways that we can support

New Havens ambitious reorms. In New York City, Chancellor Joel Klein has asked

us to expand rom nine to 20 academies (eight elementary, eight middle and our high

schools), eventually serving more than 7,200 students in central Brooklyn.

Thank you or your continued support and partnership. The more we do this work, the

more optimistic we become about the potential o our collective commitment to make a

real dierence in the lives o kids and the uture they will create or all o us.

Dacia M. Toll

Co-CEO

Doug McCurry

Co-CEO

William R. Berkley

Board Chair


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Achievement First students work hard

every day to climb the mountain to

college. Our students make this climb

with the help o eective instruction

rom great Achievement First teachers

and leaders, a longer school day and

school year, a rigorous college-prep

curriculum, assessments that track

their progress, and a disciplined and

joyul school culture. At Achievement

First, it is cool to be smart and

everyone eels cared or as a part o

the extended school amily.

There is a lot at stake on this

climb. Despite the promise o equal

educational opportunity, the United

States has largely ailed to provide

low-income children access to a

high-quality education. The dierence

in academic perormance between

poor and afuent students, known

as the achievement gap, has

serious implications or the uture

lie opportunities o students and or

our society at large. With only one in

10 low-income students in the U.S.

graduating rom college, closing the

achievement gap is both an econom

and moral imperativethe modern

rontier o the civil rights movement.

Over the last 10 years, thanks

to the example set by individual,

high-perorming schools acrossthe country, conventional wisdom

has shited rom a belie that

demographics are destiny to

an acknowledgment that student

success is possible. Education reorm

skeptics now question whether

success is possible at scale.

Climbing theMountain to College

Achievement First Growth Projections


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Achievement Firsts theory o change

is that by creating the equivalent

o a high-perorming urban public

school district, we prove that the

achievement gap can be closed at

scale and can thus inspire and inorm

broader district-wide reorm eorts.

Our current strategic plan calls or

us to expand rom 17 to 34 schools,eventually serving more than 12,000

students. At this size, we will serve

more students than 95 percent o

school districts in the United States.

As we develop the Achievement Firs

network, we are guided by three big

goals: quality, scale and sustainability

We remain committed to creating

the kind o top-quality schools our

students need and deserve, and to

doing so at a meaningul scale and

with a per-student cost equal to

or less than that o our host publicschool districts.

Achievement First isfocused on continuing toclose the achievement gapin a manner and scale that

is replicable and relevantfor traditional public schooldistricts.


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Achievement First is much more than great individualschoolsit is an interconnected team and familyof students, teachers, parents, school leaders, data

specialists, operations and nance professionals, contentexperts, and more. Teachers learn effective classroom

practices from on-site coaches, network leaders and peersat sister schools. Innovative techniques are spread fromHartford to East New York as principals come togetherregularly to reect and share, and everyone benets from

efciencies created by our operations teams and sharedcentral support services.

We call this The Power of the Network.

Power of the NetworkClimbing the mountain to college is a team sport.


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To ensure the success o our schools,

Achievement First has created a

network-wide school support team

o proessionals ocused on nance,

curriculum, talent development,

operations, recruitment, human

capital, technology, data practices,

external relations and more. Our

network-wide support team has ve

objectives:

Freeng Schls t Fcs n

Achevement

Running an outstanding school

is a dicult and complex job.

Achievement First has ound that

by centralizing certain unctions

teacher recruitment, undraising,

budgeting and scal operations,data management, inormation

technology, acilities operations,

and morewe are able to ree

principals and teachers to ocus on

the most important things: teaching

and learning. Centralizing and

coordinating these services enables

us to deliver them at both a higher

level o quality and lower cost than

a single school would on its own. In

addition, within each school, teachers

and principals are supported by an

outstanding school operations team

that handles most non-instructional

tasks, including busing, acilities, ood

service, eld trips, purchasing, budget

management and state reporting.

Talent Develpment

Finding, developing, recognizing and

retaining great educators is the key

to the success o our students and

the network as a whole. Achievement

First has ocused on recruiting the

best people rom around the country,

providing them with outstanding

proessional development, and

creating opportunities that will inspire

and support them in their careers. For

example, we have a leadership ellows

program or aspiring school leaders

and are piloting a new master teacher

career path or outstanding teachers

who want to stay in the classroom.

Knwledge Captre and Sharng

One o the greatest benets othe network is that Achievement

First schools, while sharing some

common elements, are also ree to

innovateeach discovering new

answers to the signicant challenges

o urban education. We share a core

ocus on results and continuous

improvement, which means that

successul practices at one school are

oten shared and systematized or the

benet o the entire network.

Schl Spprt and Qalty Cntr

The Achievement First network

provides a variety o support services

rom direct coaching or principals by

assistant superintendents (who have

previously been successul principals

o their own schools) to network-

wide proessional development

or teachers, teacher leaders

and principals. At the same time,

Achievement First has a commitment

to ensuring that every school delivers

on its big promises to students and

amilies; when a school is not meeting

goals, Achievement First has the

power and expertise to intervene

and make whatever changes are

necessary to set the school up or

success.

Efcences That Enable the

Netwrk t be Sstanable

Through economies o scale and

specialization, Achievement First

perorms key tasks (e.g., student

recruitment, real estate) with

signicantly less expense and with

higher levels o quality than the

schools could on their own. These

eciencies are what enable the

network to operate at cost levels that

are the same or less than our host

districts.

The Achievement First Network Approach


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Helpful Tools

for the Climb

Packing for

the Climb

Network-wide supportteams provide

backpack essentialsfor schools as theyclimb.


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Our 4,600 students benet each and every day

from the power of the network as they climb themountain to college. In the next several pages, we wishowcase four network elements utilized by teachersand school leaders to help students maintain theirfooting and complete their difcult journey.

Honing Trail Skills

New staff training,content experts,coaching and continuous

professional developmentensure that teachersand school leaders areconstantly learning andare prepared for thework ahead.

Navigating Rough

Terrain

Teachers and schoolleaders work together

from grade to gradeand school to school tocollectively ensure thatstudents continue onthe right path.

Following Trail

Markers

Interim assessmentsand the strategic use

of data help provide keymarkers along the trailfor teachers and schoolleaders to plan forsuccess.


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School Support

Assistant superintendents each

coach and support our to six schoo

principals in order to help them

achieve their ambitious student

achievement goals. The assistant

superintendents train and coach

principals, develop and share best

practices, serve as a principals

liaison to the network team, and

conduct school evaluations.

Data andInformation Technology

AF AthenaTM is a custom-built, web-

based student perormance tool

that allows teachers and principals

to analyze and interpret student

perormance data ater each six-

week interim assessment. The Data

Team works with school leaders

and teachers to use the data in their

instructional planning and identies

areas o network-wide strength and

need. The broader IT Team works to

ensure that schools have access to

all necessary technology, while also

maintaining our tech inrastructure

and providing desktop support.

Packing for the ClimbNetwork-wide support teams provide backpackessentials for schools as they climb.

The Achievement First network-wide team takes the rocks o the road

by ocusing on the countless unctions essential or eective day-to-day

school operations. In traditional schools, these tasks can dominate the time

o teachers and school leaders, taking critical time away rom their ultimate

goal o student achievement. As a result o the Achievement First network

approach, our principals are able to serve as true instructional leaders,

spending the majority o their time observing and coaching teachersand

even teaching classes themselves.

With a goal asaudacious asCLOSING the

achievement gap for ALL students, our school leadersand teachers do not have a minute to spare onmeetings with bus companies, food service providers

or facility maintenance staff. The operations teamhandles all of the non-instructional aspects ofrunning a school so that our school leaders andteachers can focus on students.

Greg FosterRegional Director ofOperations - New York


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Curriculum andProfessional Development

Our Curriculum and Proessional

Development Team creates and

acilitates the sharing o instructional

resources, teaching tools and interim

assessments. The team also provides

instructional leadership training

or school leaders and a range o

proessional development activities or

teachers. The Special Ed Achievement

Team trains and supports learning

specialists and teachers in intervention

strategies and ensures that our

special education students achieve at

high levels.

Operations, Financeand HR

Our Operations Team provides

oversight o the daily nancial

operations at all schools, negotiates

and manages contracts or common

services (e.g., employee benets,

commercial insurance), plans and

leads school start-up/expansion,

and manages key school-site

data systems. The Finance Team

provides schools and boards with

nancial reports on a monthly

basis, oversees all audit and legal

needs, and negotiates and monitors

network-wide contracts with key

vendors to leverage our purchasing

power. The Human Capital Team

promotes consistency in HR policies

and practices across the schools toensure all employees are treated with

airness and respect.

External Relations

Team X manages Achievement

Firsts relationships with all external

parties, including philanthropic

organizations, individual donors,

local communities, charter school

authorizers, state and local

governments, board members, and

advocacy organizations.

Talent Development andRecruitment

The Recruitment Team aggressively

recruits and selects the nest

teachers and leaders. The Talent

Team provides an intensive leadershiptraining program or all new principals

and deans, acilitates ongoing training

and collaboration or school leaders,

and partners with our schools to

ensure strong talent practices are

creating a great place to work or all

o our team and amily members.


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Honing Trail SkillsNew staff training, content experts, coaching and continuous professionaldevelopment ensure that teachers and school leaders are growing in their craftand prepared for the work ahead.

Prior to the school year, new

Achievement First teachers and school

leaders spend three weeks together

learning the Achievement First

Essentials o eective instruction. New

teachers collaborate and learn in

subject- and grade-specic trainingsessions around lesson and unit

planning, the joy actor, academic

rigor, classroom management and

engagement, long-term planning,

school culture, and moreorming a

cohesive picture o instructional

excellence across Achievement First.

Network-wide content experts in math,

English, science, history, music and PEnd, create and share top-notch

curricular resources or teachers, while

allowing or fexibility and creativity in

the classroom. These experts meet

with school leaders and teachers to

diagnose student and teacher needs,

and to implement school-specic and

network-wide training to improve the

quality o instruction. Experts also

oversee the creation o interimassessments, ensuring that they yield

the best possible data on the skills that

students have mastered and the skills

that still need work.

Achievement First teachers are

constantly supported, challenged and

inspired to take their skills to the next

level. We recognize that the number

one actor impacting student

achievement is teacher quality, so

every teacher at AchievementFirstwhether a 10-year veteran or a

recent college graduatehas an

instructional coach. Principals, deans

and master teachers all serve as

coaches who provide teachers with

individualized support to help achieve

their proessional learning goals and

maximize student achievement. The

pair meets regularly to refect on

instruction, debrie lesson observations,

and co-plan lessons and units.

All Achievement First teachers come

together twice a year or a day o

network-wide proessional

development to learn rom master

teachers and each other. In addition,

every Achievement First school

releases early on Friday aternoons so

that teachers can participate inschool-based sessions. School

leaders structure these Friday

aternoons to support teachers in

analyzing video, data and/or student

work, in planning upcoming lessons

and units, and in sharing instructiona

best practices.

We also know that teacher

eectiveness and satisaction are

heavily infuenced by the quality o

school leaders. Achievement First

works hard to select outstanding

school leaders, many o whom now

come rom the ranks o our great

teachers through our Leadership

Fellows Program. Ater serving as an

instructional coach or grade-level

chair, some teachers become deans

ocused either on teacher coaching

and proessional development

(academic deans) or school cultureand parent engagement (deans o

students). I an Achievement First

dean or top external candidate is

ready and interested in becoming a

principal, they have a ull additional

year o training as a principal in

residence. During this residency yea

the aspiring principal receives

additional training, spends time

observing great schools both insideand outside the Achievement First

network, and perorms many o the

tasks that they will be required to

handle as principalall while receivin

eedback rom their mentor principal

and Achievement Firsts director o

leadership development.


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Nancy LivingstonDirector of MathAchievement

I am passionate aboutmath, and I want allAchievement First students

to feel that way too, but I know that math can be a

challenging subject. I work hard to create curricularmaterials and professional development sessions thatsupport our teachers in teaching math in a way thatis rigorous, clear and fun. At AchievementFirst, we believe that ALL students canlearn, and an important part of my job ismaking sure that we explore

and utilize a variety ofinstructional approaches tohelp all students achieve masteryof math content and developcritical thinking skills.

Sara KeenanDirector of LeadershipDevelopment

It is absolutely rewardingto witness a talented

teacher develop into aneffective leader. Many of our principals and deansbegan their Achievement First careers as teachers,giving them unique insight into the challenges theirteachers face and helping them become respected andempathetic leaders.


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Following Trail MarkersInterim assessments and the strategic use of data help teachers andschool leaders plan for success.

Our curriculum or each grade levelis divided into ve cycles, each o

which culminates in a cumulative

assessment where students

demonstrate mastery o the standards

they have learned. A school-wide

Data Day ollows each cycle, giving

teachers the inormation they need

to edit their unit plans, target their

instruction and design interventions

or struggling students. This data-

driven lens gives teachers the fexibility

to target their instruction or each

individual student. As a network, the

work being done helps us gain a big

picture overview o our results.

Athena, Achievement Firstscustom-built, web-based interim

assessment platorm, has been

instrumental in increasing the

eciency o our data analysis and

the eectiveness o our planning and

instruction. Athena acilitates the

data analysis or teachers and schoo

leaders and helps them create data-

driven instructional battle plans.


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Harris FerrellChief Information Ofcer

Especially as the Achieve-ment First network grows,we need to develop systemsthat allow us to continue

doing what weve been doingfor the last 10 yearsdelivering an achievement-gap-closing education toall of our students at ahigh level of quality. TheInformation and Data Team

is excited about utilizingtechnology to dojust that.


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Chi TschangAssistant Superintendent

I feel incredibly honoredto help our talented andcommitted teachers and

leaders become even better.We are constantly asking,What is the next level interms of instructionalplanning and delivery andschool culture? Tappinginto a network of 17 schools

means that instead of alwaysstarting from scratch, ourschools are able to buildupon the strengths of sisterschools and leverage thepower of many. After all, asthe African proverb says, If

you want to go fast, go alone.If you want to go far, gotogether.


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Navigating Rough Terrain

Teachers and school leaders work together from grade to grade and school toschool to collectively ensure that all students continue on the right path.

Closing the achievement gap is a

team sport. Teachers and school

leaders across the Achievement First

network support each other and

collaborate to develop and share best

practices, both at in-person, network-

wide proessional development daysand through online tools. When the

network comes together twice a

year, there is extraordinary energy in

school chants and cheers and in the

structured sharing sessions.Teachers

trade successul teaching strategies

and materials, with many o the best

documents posted on the network-

wide shared server (which can be

accessed by any Achievement Firstemployee at school or at home). In

addition, since most Achievement

First schools oer complete K to

12 programs, teachers appreciate

knowing that the progress they

make with a student continues

when he or she moves onto a new

classroom or school in the network.

In conversations with Achievement

First teachers, they have said that

there is a larger sense o closeness

and community, everyone is looking

out or each other and pushing eachother toward success, and that

it eels like youre part o a greater

mission working collectively with like-

minded educators driving toward the

same goal.

Achievement First school leaders

benet rom an even greater level o

collaboration. All Achievement First

school principals gather ve times

during the year or ormal sessions

ocused on network-wide priorities.

This year, the training and sharing has

ocused on boosting reading

achievement, providing eective

coaching or teachers and deans,

and creating disciplined, joyul schoo

cultures. In addition, principals gathe

more oten within their geographic

areas to participate in inter-visitations

to observe each others schools,borrow good ideas and provide

meaningul peer eedback.

Academic breakthroughs and

high student achievement also

require teamwork with parents. At

Achievement First, students, parents

and teachers all sign a contract

outlining their shared commitment to

hard work and consistent support

o one another.


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Connecticut School Sites

Ten years since its ounding with

84 th- and sixth-grade students,Amistad Academy Middles

inaugural th graders are now

seniors in college.

Amistad-Elm City High expanded to

serve its rst class o 12th graders

and is excited to celebrate their

admission to college later this

spring.

Amistad Academy successully

negotiated the purchase o the

ormer Dwight School on Edgewoo

Avenue in New Haven, Conn. The

school will undergo two years o

renovations and construction to

become the new, permanent home

o Amistad Academy elementary

and middle schools.

Achievement First Bridgeport

Academy moved to a new,

permanent home at the ormer

Barnum School on Noble Avenue.

The board o directors also

purchased the ormer Gareld

School, which will be renovated

so that the school can launch an

elementary program in 2010.

Highlights

Bridgeport

New Haven

Hartford

Amstad Academy Elementary

Amstad Academy Mddle

Amstad-Elm Cty Hgh

Elm Cty Cllege Preparatry Elementary

Elm Cty Cllege Preparatry Mddle

Achevement Frst Brdgeprt Academy

Achevement Frst Hartrd Academy Elementary

Achevement Frst Hartrd Academy Mddle


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Elementary Schools: On the

2009 Connecticut MasteryTest, Achievement Firsts

oldest elementary students in

ConnecticutElm City College

Preparatory Elementary ourth

gradersoutperormed their New

Haven peers in math, reading and

writing prociency by 27 percentag

points and surpassed the state

average by six percentage points.

Middle Schools: On the 2009

Connecticut Mastery Test,

Achievement Firsts oldest middle

school students in Connecticut

Amistad Academy Middle and Elm

City College Preparatory Middle

eighth gradersalso outperormed

their New Haven peers in math,

reading and writing prociency by 2

percentage points and surpassedthe state average by our percentag

points.

High School: On the 2009

Connecticut Academic Perormanc

Test, Achievement Firsts 10th

graders at Amistad-Elm City High

outperormed their New Haven

peers in math, reading, writing

and science prociency by 36percentage points and surpassed

the state average by eight

percentage points.

At the conclusion o its inaugural

year, Achievement First Hartord

Academy posted the greatest

perormance gains o any Hartord

public school.

Results

Middle School Results2009 Connecticut Mastery Test

Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math, Reading and Writing

High School Results2009 Connecticut Academic Performance Test

Percent of 10th Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math, Reading, Writing and Science

Elementary School Results2009 Connecticut Mastery Test


AF Hartford Academy Performance GainsOverall Student (OSI) Gain


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Achievement First East New York

Elementary and Achievement First

Crown Heights Elementary both

graduated the rst group o ourth

graders, who are now the ounding

th graders at their respectivemiddle schools. Thus, instead o

admitting th graders by lottery

students who have historically

perormed two years below grade

levelwe now have th graders

who are, on average, one year

above grade level.

The 2009-10 student enrollment

lottery was our most successul todate. We received more than 3,500

applications or only 500 open

seatsgenerating more than seven

applicants or every open seat.

Achievement First opened its

rst New York high school

Achievement First Crown Heights

High. The school is currently

housed in a temporary acility, butconstruction continues on schedule

or occupancy o a new, permanent

acility in 2010-11.

Highlights

Achevement Frst Bshwck Elementary

Achevement Frst Bshwck Mddle

Achevement Frst Crwn Heghts Elementary

Achevement Frst Crwn Heghts Mddle

Achevement Frst Crwn Heghts HghAchevement Frst East New Yrk Elementary

Achevement Frst East New Yrk Mddle

Achevement Frst Endeavr Mddle

Achevement Frst Brwnsvlle Elementary

Crown Heights

Bushwick

East New York

Brownsville

Brooklyn

New York School Sites


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Elementary Schools: On the 2009

New York state tests, Achievement

Firsts oldest elementary students

in New YorkAchievement First

Crown Heights Elementary and

Achievement First East New YorkElementary ourth graders

outperormed their local community

school district peers in math and

English Language Arts prociency

by 23 percentage points and

surpassed the state prociency

average by 14 percentage points.

Middle Schools: On the 2009 New

York state tests, Achievement Firstoldest middle school students

in New YorkAchievement First

Crown Heights Middle eighth

gradersoutperormed their local

community school district peers in

math and English Language Arts

prociency by 30 percentage points

and surpassed the state prociency

average by nine percentage points.

All Achievement First New York

schools received straight As on

the annual NYC Department o

Education Progress Reports.

According to our 2009 Parent

Satisaction Survey, 98 percent o

our parents agree that their child

attends a great school.

Results

Middle School Results

2009 New York State TestPercent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math and English Language Arts

Elementary School Results2009 New York State Test

Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math and English Language Arts

Local Districts17 & 19

7 3

96

82

New York State Achievement First

54

84

75

Local District19

New York State Achievement First


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Amstad Academy ElementaryPrncpal: Tsha Markette

Grades Served: K-3, grwng t K-4

# Stdents: 337

Schl Hghlghts

At the end o the 2008-09 school

year, 91 percent o kindergarteners

were reading at or above grade level,

up rom 29 percent at the start o

the school year, as measured by the

nationally normed Developmental

Reading Assessment. Similarly, 98

percent o rst graders and 94 percen

o second graders were reading at

grade level, with more than hal o

these students reading a ull grade

level ahead.

Joy is a key component o the school

culture. Every day begins with a chan

called Are you going to have un

today?

Amistad Academy Elementary had100 percent teacher retention rom

the 2008-09 school year to this schoo

year.

Amistad Academy Elementary has its

inaugural class o third graders this

year, and they are excited to show

what they have learned when they tak

the rst third-grade state test in 2010

I work here because I know that everyone doeswhatever it takes to give our kids the top-quality instruction they need. Before I came toAchievement First, I had nightmares about whatmy kids would face when they moved to otherclasses and grades. Now Im surrounded by

phenomenal teachers.

Morgan Barth, Principal, Elm City CollegePreparatory

Connecticut Elementary

School Sites


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Achevement Frst Hartrd

Academy ElementaryPrncpal: Clare Shn


# Stdents: 269

Schl Hghlghts

At the end o the 2008-09 school year,

82 percent o kindergarteners were

reading at or above grade level as

measured by the Fountas and Pinnell

assessment. Similarly, 77 percent o rst

graders were reading at or above grade

level, an improvement o 25 percentage

points rom the start o the school year.

Every day begins with Morning

Motivation, which includes recognition o

exemplary REACH values and a school-

wide song to put all students on track to

have a successul day o learning.

Every teacher has a coach who they

meet with on a weekly basis to identiy

strengths and develop strategies orimprovement.

Achievement First Hartord Academy

Elementary is ocused on ostering open

communication with amilies. Beore

the rst day o homework, teachers

call every amily to explain the schools

homework expectations. As a result o

this and many other eorts, homework

completion rates have been on the rise.

.

Elm Cty Cllege Preparatry

ElementaryPrncpal: Mrgan Barth

Grades Served: K-4

# Stdents: 278

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery

Test, ourth graders outperormed their

New Haven peers by 27 percentage

points and their state-wide peers by six

percentage points.

Teachers nd creative ways to reward

hard work, such as taking students on

trips to local book stores and participa-

tion in Funtastic Friday celebrations.

The curriculum has always included

a three-hour reading block. This year,

the school is adding even more read-

ing time or third- and ourth-grade

students and more interventions or

struggling readers.

Teachers are ocused on relationship

building with parents and amilies,

recently hosting more than 100 parents

or Parent Reading Mania Night.

This is a series o workshops to teach

parents how to use the schools read-

ing strategies to support their children

at home.

Amistad Academy ElementaryDevelopmental Reading AssessmentAverage DRA Level at the Beginning of Kindergarten

to the End of Second Grade

Elm City College Prep Elementary2009 Connecticut Mastery Test


Beginning ofKindergarten

End ofKindergarten

End of 1stGrade

End ofGra

End of 2ndGrade Prociency

End of 1stGrade Prociency

End of KindergartenProciency

Connecticut New Haven Elm City CollegPrep Elementa

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42

81

60

87

Achievement First Hartford Elementa2009 Fountas and Pinnell Assessm

Percent of First Grade Students ReadingAt or Above Grade Level

Beginning ofFirst Grade

End ofFirst Grade

52

77

0

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60

70

80


24/44

New York ElementarySchool Sites

Achevement Frst BrwnsvlleElementaryPrncpal: Gna Msmec


# Stdents: 247

Schl Hghlghts

At the end o the school year, 95

percent o kindergarteners were

reading at or above grade level as

measured by the Fountas and Pinnell

assessment. O these students,

54 percent were reading at a level

equivalent to a student at the end o

rst grade.

The math curriculum uses a

constructivist approach wherein

students generate their own strategie

or solving math problems using

manipulatives, writing and discussion

The entire Achievement First

Brownsville team and amilyteache

students and parentsgather or a

weekly Morning Circle, during which

the community celebrates successes

and identies challenges to overcome

Students share their learning and tale

with parents during quarterly arts

nights and potluck dinners. Students

perorm beore their parents, teacher

and school community while becomin

accomplished dancers, singers and

artists.

Everyone atAchievement First isdriving toward thesame end and heldto the same highbar, yet there is

room for individuality.Achievement Firstrecognizes thestrengths different

people bring to thetable and seeks toleverage and buildupon those strengths.

Kevin Lohela,Academic Dean,Achievement FirstCrown Heights

Achievement First East New York Elementary2009 New York State Test

Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math and English Language Arts

Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary2009 New York State TestPercent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Prociency

in Math and English Language Arts

Achievement First Bushwick Elementary2009 New York State Test

Percent of 3rd Grade Students At or Above Prociencyin Math and English Language Arts

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 19

Achievement FirstEast New York

Elementary

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 17

Achievement FirstCrown Heights

Elementary

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 23

Achievement FirstBushwick

Elementary

0

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82

82

67

74

72

92

99

93


25/44

Achevement Frst CrwnHeghts ElementaryPrncpal: Marn Smth

Grades Served: K-4

# Stdents: 422

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 New York state tests,

ourth graders outperormed their district

peers by 25 percentage points and

their state-wide peers by 17 percentage

points.

Students earn paw prints (the schools

mascot is the cougar) and can redeemthem or special events and activities.

The school recently introduced new

incentive programs to boost homework

completion, attendance and uniorm

compliance rates. A public scoreboard

tracks weekly homework completion

and attendance rates or each class,

and winning classes are treated to a

celebratory party. I a class has 100

percent uniorm compliance, they receive

a un treat rom the dean o students.

Each month, students read stories, role

play, sing songs and create artwork,

which helps them learn about one o the

ve REACH values. At the end o the

month, the school gathers to celebrate

what they have learned and to reward

students who exempliy the REACH

values.

Achevement Frst East NewYrk ElementaryPrncpal: Dennstn Red

Grades Served: K-4

# Stdents: 418

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 New York state tests, ourt

graders outperormed their district peers

by 21 percentage points and their state-

wide peers by 11 percentage points.

The cornerstone o school culture is team

and amily as embodied by the wol

pack (the schools mascot is the wol).Students earn their way into the pack by

demonstrating citizenship, hard work an

achievement.

At Achievement First East New York

Elementary, parents are partners. The

school distributes a weekly parent

newsletter and holds regular workshops

on reinorcing aspects o the school

program at home.

Students can participate in a variety oextracurricular activities, including kung-

basketball, yoga, track, step team, danc

team, chorus, guitar club and Arican

drumming.

Achevement Frst BshwckElementaryPrncpal: Lzette Sx

Grades Served: K-4

# Stdents: 415

Schl Hghlghts


third graders outperormed their

district peers by 25 percentage points

and their state-wide peers by seven

percentage points.

Achievement First Bushwick

Elementary hosts an annual multi-cultural showcase and potluck dinner

to celebrate the cultural heritage o

its students and amilies. The school

serves the largest Hispanic population

in the Achievement First network.

In addition to oering students martial

arts, drama club, health and tness,

and chorus ater school, the school

has partnered with The Piano School

o Brooklyn to oer students lessons

in music.


Elementary has launched a revised

kindergarten reading and math

curriculum ocused on thematic units.

This approach to reading and math

instruction is based on discovery

through the exploration o themes

relatable to the lie and experiences o

a kindergarten student.


26/44

Amstad Academy MddlePrncpal: Matthew Taylr

Grades Served: 5-8

# Stdents: 278

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery Tes

eighth graders outperormed their New

Haven peers by 28 percentage points

and their state-wide peers by seven

percentage points.

The school gathers weekly or Morning

Circle, where students are recognized

or academic achievement and strong

character skills. Town Meetings take p

every six weeks and build school spirit

with music, skits, cheers and awards.

This year, the school team is establish

higher, clearer expectations or studen

achievement and behavior so that ollo

through on academic and discipline

issues is consistent and eective. Theresult has been a dramatic drop in

class time missed by students who are

struggling with discipline issues.

Instructional coaching is a cornerstone

the schools proessional culture. Every

teacher meets weekly with their coach

debrie classroom observations, analy

student work, and create short- and lo

term curricular plans.

When I walk into anAchievement Firstschool, sometimes I

just want to pauseand hang out for a

little while becauseits so electric.The teachers andfaculty are just sointerestedeach andevery one of themand so engaged inwhat they are doing.

Christopher Champion,Parent, AmistadAcademy

Amistad Academy Middle2009 Connecticut Mastery Test


Elm City College Prep Middle2009 Connecticut Mastery TestPercent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Prociency

in Math, Reading and Writing

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle2009 Connecticut Mastery Test


Connecticut New Haven Amistad Academy Middle

Connecticut New Haven Elm City College Prep Middle

Connecticut Bridgeport Achievement First Bridgeport

Academy Middle

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Connecticut MiddleSchool Sites


27/44

Achevement Frst BrdgeprtAcademy MddlePrncpal: Debn Lews

Grades Served: 5-7, grwng t 5-8

# Stdents: 236

Schl Hghlghts


Test, sixth graders outperormed their

Bridgeport peers by 19 percentage

points ater only two years at the school.

This year, Achievement First BridgeportAcademy Middle completed its most

successul Lionization Week to date.

The schools mascot is the lion, and

Lionization Week is a powerul induction

experience that welcomes new students

into the pride.

Students spend a portion o every

day independent hunting, an activity

otherwise known as independent

reading.

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy

is one o three schools piloting Lie

Prep, a new Achievement First program

ocusing on character education. As

part o the program, students are

partnering with 11 charities and non-

prot organizations in the Bridgeport

area to raise unds and provide volunteer

services.

Achevement Frst HartrdAcademy MddlePrncpal: Je Hse


# Stdents: 173

Schl Hghlghts


Test, th graders outperormed their

Hartord peers by 13 percentage

points ater only one year at the schoo

The students demonstrated thegreatest perormance gains rom 2008

o any Hartord public school.

Following the schools inaugural

year, the Achievement First Hartord

Academy Middle team is looking to

raise the bar even higher. The school

experienced an improved student

orientation week; as a result, students

are happier, better behaved and

working harder than ever beore.

Teachers submit written lesson plans

the end o each week. School leaders

review the plans and provide eedbac

to support teachers in developing high

quality lessons that help all students

learn.

Elm Cty Cllege Prep MddlePrncpal: Marc Mchaelsn

Grades Served: 5-8

# Stdents: 218

Schl Hghlghts


Test, eighth graders outperormed

their New Haven peers by 21

percentage points and scored on par

with their state-wide peers.

Elm City College PreparatoryMiddle boasts a particularly warm

demanding school culture, where

respect, teamwork and hard work are

the platinum standards.

Students look orward all year to the

end-o-year college eld trips. During

these trips, students tour campuses,

attend lectures, participate in mock

interviews with admissions sta and

stay in the dormitories.

Approximately 30 students

participated in the second annual

Tent City undraiser to benet the

homeless. The students raised money

to keep the Cedar Street overfow

shelter open through the winter.


28/44

Achevement Frst Crwn

Heghts MddlePrncpal: Kesha Rattray

and Rseann Sheehan

Grades Served: 5-8

# Stdents: 345

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 New York state test,

eighth graders outperormed their


and their state-wide peers by nine

percentage points.


Middle pioneered the Natural Born

Aces (NBA) program to help male

students who are on the cusp o

receiving straight As achieve their

goal.

The school hosts challenge events to

oster healthy competition, like a Book

Bowl or a Multiplication Tournament.

Teachers have tons o school spirit

and are known or perorming

high-energy, crowd-pleasing cheers

during network-wide proessional

development days.

Achevement Frst Bshwck

MddlePrncpal: Amy DAngel


# Stdents: 246

Schl Hghlghts


sixth graders outperormed their

district peers by eight percentage

points and scored nearly on par with

their state-wide peers ater only two

years at the school.

Students serve on a Principal Advisory

Board, which oversees and rules on

cases in which students are close

to meeting homework and behavior/

character goals but have not made

the cut-o or the end-o-year eld

trip.

Students participate in Scholar Dollar

auctions in which all items are ocused

on quality time with teachers.

Students perorm in a traveling

orchestra, which made its Manhattan

debut as part o the Vision Jazz

Festival.

When you walk into anAchievement First school,you immediately noticehow much learning istaking place. Teachers

are delivering powerfullessons and studentsare engaged. There is acalm, welcoming and safefeeling as you observethe amazing work thats

going on.

Laci Chisholm, Dean ofStudents, AchievementFirst East New York

New York Middle

School Sites


29/44

Achevement Frst Endeavr

MddlePrncpal:Tm Kaser

Grades Served: 5-8

# Stdents: 302

Schl Hghlghts


seventh graders outperormed their


and scored on par with their state-

wide peers.

On their end-o-the-year trip, sixth

graders were pushed outside their

comort zones and developed

condence through camping in the

Blue Ridge Mountains.

Achievement First Endeavor Middle

is proud o its teams and clubs,

especially the Rhythm and Funk Jazz

Band and the boys basketball team,

which won the NYC Charter School

Athletic League Championship.

Achievement First Endeavor Middle

is eagerly anticipating an early 2010

move to its new $55 million acility on

Waverly Avenue. The acility will be

complete with modern classrooms, a

ull library and rootop recreation areas.

Achevement Frst East

New Yrk MddlePrncpal: Davd Hardy

Grade Served: 5, grwng t 5-8

# Stdents: 90

Schl Hghlghts


Middle opened this year, welcoming

the rst ourth-grade students rom


Elementary.


Middle strives to develop students

who are prepared or the rigors o

high school and college by thinking

critically, listening, learning and

articulating their opinions with respect.

Students can earn the honor o serving

on the Principal Advisory Committee,

which meets weekly with the school

leadership team to discuss improving

school culture and academics.

Each month, students have the

opportunity to attend exciting events

as a reward or demonstrating

outstanding character and academic

achievement through hard work.

Achievement First Endeavor Middle2009 New York State Test

Percent of 7th Grade Students At or Above Prociencin Math and English Language Arts

Achievement First Crown Heights Midd2009 New York State TestPercent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Procienc

in Math and English Language Arts

Achievement First Bushwick Middle2009 New York State Test

Percent of 6th Grade Students At or Above Procienin Math and English Language Arts

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 14 & 16

Achievement FirEndeavor

Middle

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 17

Achievement FirCrown Heights

Middle

New YorkState

LocalDistrict 32

Achievement FirBushwick

Middle

84

75

82

70

54

73

84

84

81

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30/44


31/44

Amstad-Elm Cty HghPrncpal: Je Sdmyer

Grades Served: 9-12

# Stdents: 175

Schl Hghlghts

On the 2009 Connecticut Academic

Perormance Test, 10th graders

surpassed their New Haven district

peers by 36 percentage points and

outperormed their state-wide peers

by eight percentage points.

Students have the opportunity to earnup to nine college credits rom UConn.

Amistad-Elm City High teachers are

certied as adjunct proessors and all

11th and 12th graders are considered

UConn students with unettered access

to the universitys libraries and other

resources.

Amistad-Elm City Highs our-year

program ar exceeds the baseline o 20

credits mandated by the state or high

school graduation. In all, graduates

earn over 30 credits and must take

both AP Biology and AP U.S. History.

Every student must participate in at

least one summer enrichment program

beore graduation. Students are

encouraged to apply to programs that

provide enriching experiences and

challenge them to step beyond their

comort zones.

Achevement Frst Crwn

Heghts HghPrncpal: Pal AdlerGrade Served: 9, grwng t 9-12

# Stdents: 62

Schl Hghlghts


High is the rst high school in

Achievement Firsts Brooklyn network

o schools.

All students are educated about the

many acets o college lie and thedierent programs oered at colleges

and universities, and will receive

guidance in drating their college

lists and preparing to navigate the

admissions process.


High oers an interest-based

extracurricular program aimed at

cultivating the whole student through

athletics, yoga, the arts, dance,

leadership or peer mediation.

Every student is working toward a

mission o community leadership.

Students are expected to

support their local community by

demonstrating good character,

participating in meaningul volunteer

work and learning about others rom

dierent backgrounds.

Amistad-Elm City High School piloted AchievementFirsts high school program, and with thefounding of Achievement First Crown HeightsHigh we are thrilled to have a sister high schoolfor collaboration. Knowing all of the incredible

progress made by Amistad-Elm City High overthe last three years, I cannot wait to see howmuch further we will go together.

Mary Ann Holland, Teacher,Amistad-Elm City High

Connecticut &

New York HighSchool Sites

Amistad-Elm City High2009 Connecticut Academic Performance

Percent of 10th Grade Students At or Above Prociencin Math, Reading, Writing and Science

Connecticut New Haven Amistad-ElmHigh

0

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53

89


32/44

Climbing

the Mountain

to College

Beginning The Ascent:KindergartenCHRiSoNiA BARNABY,

Achevement Frst Hartrd

Academy Elementary

Even as a kindergartener, Chrisonia

Barnaby is already on the path tocollege. She knows that it is a long

climb requiring a lot o hard work,

but she is ocused on 2026, the

year she will graduate rom college.

Like all Achievement First students,

Chrisonia receives three hours o

reading instruction every day. Incredible

growth in reading is common among

Achievement First kindergarten students,

with nearly 100 percent nishing theyear reading at or above grade level.

Chrisonia is also a great writer, and she

oten thanks her teachers or teaching

me to write.

As a reward or her hard work, Chrisonia

looks orward to the joyul celebrations

that make learning un. Each morning

begins with Morning Motivation, which

includes recognitions and shout-outsor great student work. Chrisonia

also enjoys monthly REACH Circles

where students are recognized or

demonstrating our core values. She

earned a citizenship award by keeping

her workspace neat and consistently

cleaning up ater her teammates.

Traversing Difcult TerrainFourth GradeKAYLA CoLoN, Achevement Frst

Bshwck Elementary

Kayla Colon is a member o


Elementarys rst ourth-grade class.At the end o the school year, Kayla

and her classmates will be the rst

ourth graders to matriculate to

Achievement First Bushwick Middle

as th graders. This is an important

milestone or the Achievement

First network in reaching our goal

o providing a continuous K to 12

education that delivers our students

to the doors o college prepared orits rigors.

Kaylas avorite subject is math and

she benets rom an extended math

block every day. For Kayla, ourth-

grade math has been a fuid transition

rom third grade. This year, Kayla

will continue building her knowledge

o ractions, multiplication, division,

basic geometry and algebra, unitso measurement, and statistics and

probability.


33/44

Reaching for HigherElevation: Eighth GradeMERENo WiLLiAMS, Achevement

Frst Crwn Heghts Mddle

As an eighth grader, Mereno Williams

has the important responsibility o

serving as a role model and leaderor Achievement First Crown Heights

Middle students in grades ve to

seven. With high school just around

the corner, Mereno will continue

pushing himsel to work hard in

preparation or its rigors. The rst

eighth-grade class graduated rom


Middle last year and became

the ounding class o the newAchievement First Crown Heights

High, laying a road map or Mereno as

he aspires toward success.

Mereno is a participant in Achievement

First Crown Heights Middles Natural

Born Aces (NBA) program, a unique

program that helps male students on

the cusp o becoming Aces (getting

straight As) achieve this goal throughteam goal-setting, emotional support

rom peers and candid conversations

about the ormation o their identity as

young, Arican-American males.

Reaching a Summit:Twelfth GradeJuLiuS BENNETT, Amstad-Elm Cty

Hgh

As a senior, Julius Bennett is nally

positioned to use all that he has

learned in his college readinessclasses, which he began in ninth

grade. With the support o his college

counselor, teachers, peers and amily,

he is successully navigating the college

selection and application process, the

nancial aid process, and the transition

to adulthood. Julius is applying to

the University o Connecticut, Yale

University, Union College, Faireld

University, Rochester Institute oTechnology and Bates College.

Amistad-Elm City High aspires to

develop well-rounded students. As

a senior, Julius has the opportunity

to choose rom several electives,

such as interning at local businesses

and non-prot organizations,

earning college credits rom the

University o Connecticut and otherlocal universities, serving as a

teaching assistant, taking computer

programming courses, and serving

on the Student Lie Committee that

plans graduation, prom and the

yearbook. Julius is currently enrolled in

a semester-long philosophy course at

Southern Connecticut State University.

Starting Another Climb:CollegeKiARA FuLLER, Almna Amstad

Academy

Kiara Fuller is in her senior year at

Connecticut College, working toward

a degree in psychology. She wasa member o Amistad Academys

ounding th-grade class and will be

among the rst Amistad Academy

alumni to graduate rom college in

the spring. While Kiara ound Amistad

Academy Middle very strict when she

rst started, she eventually realized

that the discipline and hard work that

was expected o her was or the best

Today, she applies the value o hardwork to everything she does, and it

has certainly paid o.

Kiara admits that, early on, most

people did not expect her to graduate

rom college, much less a top school

like Connecticut College. She credits

her networks o support, including he

amily, riends and Amistad Academy,

or helping her overcome obstaclesalong the way. When Kiara becomes

a college graduate in May, it will be

her proudest accomplishment to

datealthough we are sure she will

have many more!


34/44

Finances

Network Expenses

Curriculum, Pro. Dev. & School Support

Talent Development & Recruiting

General, Administrative & FInancial

Development & Community Relations

Operations & IT

Depreciation

Our Network Finances(2008-09 unaudited fnancials)

26%

21 %18 %

17 %

17 %

1 %

Revenues

Management Fees 3,377,701

Philanthropy 4,136,542Other 186,244

Total 7,700,486

Expenses

Personnel Expenses 5,326,006

Non-personnel Expenses 1,794,337

Depreciation Expense 239,871

Total 7,360,214

Surplus/(Defcit)** 340,272

Athena*

Revenues 812,344

Expenses 952,090

Surplus/(Defcit) (139,746)

*Athena is Achievement Firsts custom-built, web-based interim assessment

platorm, providing perormance data analysis and knowledge management or

teachers and school leaders to create data-driven instructional battle plans as

they help every student climb the mountain to college. Athena is a stand-alone

sotware platorm that is independently managed rom Achievement Firsts

central operations.

**The FY09 surplus has been put in a board-resigned reserve account that will

be used or FY10 expenses and to cover acility purchases and renovation

expenses or Achievement First schools.


35/44

New York Achievement First Model Connecticut Achievement First Model

Revenue Philanthropy

Revenue Federal

Revenue State

Facility Operating Expenses

Non-Personnel, Non-Program Expenses

Non-Personnel Program Expenses

Personnel Expenses

Host District Expenses

Our School Finances(based on 2008-09 unding at ull enrollment)

Achievement First operates college-preparatory public

charter schools at a per-student cost equal to or less

than its host public school districts in New York and

Connecticut.

*Host district pupil data based on 2007-08 actuals, increased by 3 percent per

year to compare to 2009-10. The amount was adjusted to control or expenses

provided in-kind to Achievement First schools such as acilities operations and

transportation.

**


36/44

Facilities

Securing appropriate, permanent

acilities is a critical issue or all

charter schools, and Achievement

First has made great progress in

meeting that challenge in 2009

through the generous support o

our donors, tremendous assistance

rom allied organizations and strong

partnerships with our host districts.

In New Haven, we purchased the

ormer Dwight School rom the City

o New Haven and have begun

a two-year renovation project to

make this a permanent home or

Amistad Academys elementary

and middle schools. The $32

million project is being unded

through a combination o private

philanthropy and an unprecedented$24 million state grant.

Our two new schools in Hartord

were provided with an existing

public school acility at no cost by

the Hartord Public School District.

While the current building is too

small to house us permanently, the

district has committed to providing

another building and is workingwith us to make the necessary

capital improvements.

Achievement First Bridgeport

Academy Middle School ound

a permanent home when it

purchased the ormer Barnum

School rom the City o Bridgeport

and made renovations over the

summer. Further improvements,

such as the addition o a gym,

will be necessary, but the existing

building provides an excellent

oundation. A site has also been

secured or Achievement First

Bridgeport Elementary, which we

hope to open in August 2010.

In Brooklyn, construction is nearing

completion on the Waverly building,

which will house Achievement First

Endeavor elementary and middle

schools. Built in partnership withthe New York City Department o

Education and Civic Builders, this

$55 million project will also house

Achievement Firsts New York

oce.

Construction also began on an

incredible new building in Crown

Heights that will house our New

York high schools. The 200,000-

square-oot acility will be shared

with our charter school partner

Uncommon Schools, and has

been unded and managed by

the unbelievable generosity o

the Robin Hood Foundation in

partnership with the New York City

Department o Education.

Our remaining schools in New

York continue to occupy acilities

provided by the New York City

Department o Education, thanks

to the leadership o Mayor Michael

Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel

Klein. In Connecticut, our otherschools occupy a mix o owned

and leased properties.


37/44


38/44

unwaverng Fcs n Stdent

Achevement

All Achievement First teachers and

principals are ocused on completely

closing the achievement gap or our

students, and student perormance is

the chie actor in school, principal and

teacher evaluations.

Talent Develpment

Achievement First rmly believes that

the most important determinant o

student achievement is the quality o

the teacher in the classroom. Likewise,

the quality o school leaders is the

most important driver o teacher

success. Achievement First goes

to great lengths to recruit, develop,

recognize and retain a team o

talented teachers and school leaders.

All new Achievement First school

leaders train or an entire year beore

launching a new school, and all new

Achievement First teachers participate

in nearly three weeks o proessional

development. Achievement First

schools release early on Fridays to

provide two additional hours o sta

meeting and learning time. Every

Achievement First teacher has a coach(a principal, dean or master teacher)

who meets with them at least once

every two weeks to provide individual

coaching and support.

Mre Tme n Task

The Achievement First school day

is nearly two hours longer than the

traditional public school day, allowing

many students to have two reading

classes and an extended math

class every day. Tutoring is available

during and ater school, an average

o one to two hours o homework is

assigned per night, and an intensive

independent reading program is

prioritized so that students READ,

READ, READ both at home and at

school. In addition, all Achievement

First students attend a required 15-d

Summer Academy. Over the course

o a K to 12 education, this extra time

amounts to one additional year o

instruction.

Rgrs Crrclm

Achievement First outlines the

ambitious academic standards that

all Achievement First students are

expected to master at each grade

level, so that success in one grade

can be seamlessly built on in the nex

Teachers understand that covering

material is not our goal; what is

important is how well students mastethe essential knowledge and skills.

Our ApproachAll Achievement First schools share six core

program elements.


39/44

Strategc use Data and

interventns r Strgglng

Stdents

Every six weeks, Achievement First

teachers give interim assessments

(IAs) that measure whether students

have actually mastered what we have

taught them. These results are then

uploaded to AF Athena, a custom-

built assessment system. Teachers

and principals spend a Data Day ater

each IA dedicated to reviewing the

individual assessments and together

creating data-driven instructional

plans that target whole class, small

group and one-on-one instruction to

address any gaps in student learning.

Strng Schl Cltre

Immediately upon entering an

Achievement First school, you can

eel a sense o urgency, order, ocus

and joy. Key elements o Achievement

Firsts school culture include the

ollowing:

Commitment to character education:

All students live by the REACH values

(Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement,

Citizenship and Hard Work). Our goal

is to develop well-rounded students,

and we teach these character values

as explicitly as we teach academics.

Sweating the small stuff: In many

urban schools, teachers and leaders

pick their battles, only addressingegregious instances o poor behavior.

Achievement First, on the other hand,

has adopted sociologist James Q.

Wilsons broken windows theory

that even small details can have a

signicant eect on overall culture,

and we believe that students will rise

to the level o expectations adults

have or them.

College focus:The message atAchievement First schools is that all

students are going to college. We

continuously expose students to

collegeall o our classrooms are

named ater universities, students

make eld trips to college campuses,

hear speakers talk about college,

write research papers on colleges

and, most important, master a

college-preparatory curriculum. From

the moment our students arrive, they

know what year they are expected

to graduate rom college (our current

kindergarteners are known as the

Class o 2026).

Teachers know and care:

Achievement First schools are small

learning communities in which all

teachers and leaders know the nameso all students. Every Achievement

First school has some orm o

advisory program so that teachers

are able to develop meaningul

relationships with each student in their

advisory.

Parents as partners:At Achievement

First schools, parents, students

and leaders all sign a contract that

outlines their shared commitment to

hard work and consistent support

o one another. While this contract is

not legally binding, it is an important

symbolic commitment and plays

an integral role in strengthening the

relationship between parents and the

school.

Uniforms: All Achievement First

students wear their schools chosen

uniorm.

Joy factor: Achievement First believethat great education should be

rigorous AND un, challenging AND

engaging, structured AND joyul. In

act, we coach teachers to ensure tha

the J-Factor (the joy actor) is high

in every class and dominates regular

school-wide celebrations. Students

are requently and systematically

recognized or academic achievemen

and good behavior.


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Donors

Individuals

Anonymous

Anonymous

Bruce and Christine Alexander

Dave Anderson

Sean Andrews

Jurek and Stephanie Antoszewski

Elaine Appello and Jerry SaundersDr. Walter and Mrs. Diane Ariker

Mary Arnstein

Andrew B. and Connan Ashorth

Jon Atkeson

Martha Banks

Edgar and Joan Barksdale

Polly Barry and Richard Clarida

Richard and Ilene Barth

Gary and Myrna Baskin

Elizabeth Giels-Berardino and Peter Berardino

Dr. Eric and Mrs. Ethel Berger

William R. Berkley

Diahann Billings-BurordErin Bingle

Andrew Blackwell

Jerry Blumberg

Andrew and Carol Boas

Marx G. Bowens III and Natasha Bowens

Mr. and Mrs. Anders Brag

Jonathan Brandt

Jerey Brickman

Susan and Malcolm Brown

Richard Buery

Khephra Burns

Julie Burton and George G. Sharrard

Guido and Anne CalabresiKate Cameron

Iris Chen

Tom Chiappetta and Pat Tyre

Henry Clark III

Ann and Richard Cohen

Justin Cohen

Louise Cohen

Brooke Connolly

William Connolly

Michael and Joyce Critelli

Jim and Eileen Cullen

Daniel Curran

William Curran

Sarah Curtis-Bey

Kevin and Katrin Czinger

Emile Dabora

Anthony and Suzy Davis

Nancy DeLisi

Roberta Denning

Alexandra Desbrow

Dr. Bruce and Mrs. Allison Douglas

Jane and Chuck Dowding

Frank and Augusta Downey

Susan B. and Thomas Dunn

Andrew and Eileen Eder

Andrea Edic

David and Cindy Eigen

Emily Eisenlohr

Charles and Jane Ellis

Katherine Ender

Bruce and Joan Ente

Daniel and Elizabeth Esty

John and Katharine Esty

Cyrille Farrell

Eric and Anne Ferguson

Richard and Marissa Ferguson

Harris Ferrell

Aileen Ferrick

Barry and Pamela Fingerhut

Tom Foley and Leslie Fahrenkop

Wanda Felton

Terence and Linda Fox

Catherine Frantzis

Alan and Ilene Frost

June Gaston

John and Anne Geissinger

Lee Gelernt

Julia Getman

Dave and Sonal Gibson

J. Colin Gibson

Regina Glocker

Seth Goldman

Edwin Goodman

Denise Gordon

William and Jean Graustein

Nicholas Graves

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Greeneld

Keely Gregorio

Michael D. and Molly GrinChris Growney

Priscilla Hall

Teresa Hamdan

Jim and Melinda Hamilton

Mark and Amanda Harmeling

Taylor and Amy Harmeling

Steven Harris

Robert and Kristy Harteveldt

Darrell Harvey

William and Judy Heins

Malda Hibri

Alexis N. Highsmith

Carlton and Letamarie Highsmith

Dick and Angelica Hinchcli

Kenneth M. Hirsh

Gary and Julie Holloway

Vanessa Jackson

Daisy James

Norman and Sandra Jellinghaus

Chandra Jesse and Julius Gaudio

Jalak Jobanputra

Judge Clarance and Mrs. Maureen Jones

Harold and Margaret Kamins

Elana Karopkin

Shelly and Michael Kassen

Charles T. Kellogg

Karen Kesner

William H. Ketcham and Beth Ward

Shannon Kete

Sylvia Kete

Amin J. Khoury

Dr. Richard Kiley

Charles and Gretchen Kingsley

Matt Klein

Jan Kliger

Robert and Dana Kligerman

Nathaniel Klipper

Hugh Knetzger

Fleur Knowsley

Herbert Kohler Jr.

Carol Kranowitz

Andrew and Ruth Lachman

Jean LaVecchia

Vivian Lau

Robert Lebby

Janet and Peter Lebovitz

William and Kate Lee

Russell and Tracey Lev

Fredrik Lindholm

Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ruth Littman

Dr. Steven Eisen and Dr. Emily Littman-Eisen

Schuyler Livingston

Kevin and Erika Long

Henry Lord

Richard and Katherine Loughlin

Matthew Lucke

Leora Magier

Stephen and Susan Mandel

Nancy A. MarksKristin Marlow

Grant McCracken

Paul and Cynthia McCraven

Doug McCurry

Ian and Sonnet McKinnon

James McLaren

Rachel Meisel

Suzanne Tanner-Meisel

Nisa and Martin Mellin

Kenneth and Jo Merlau

Frances Messano

Drs. Jerome and Roslyn Meyer

We are prooundly grateul and

appreciative o the support displayed byour many beneactors. Your gits sustain

and inspire our aspiring students and

dedicated teachers. Thank you!


41/44

Graham and Bonnie Miles

Daniel and Sharon Milikowsky

Robert Minicucci

Robert Mnuchin

John Motley

Emerson Moore

Gerard Murray

Joseph Nathan

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Netter

Herbert S. Newman

David Newton

Harold and Sandra Noborikawa

Susan Oba

Peter and Beverly Orthwein

Sharon Oster and Raymond Fair

Tricia Pacelli and Eric Wepsic

Colleen Palmer

Suzie Hahn Pascutti

Herbert Pearce and Martha Wood

Patricia Pierce and Marc Rubenstein

Josh and Sharon Polan

Max Polaner

John and Noreen Poulson

Hasoni Pratts

Shaka Rasheed

William Reese and Dorothy Hurt

Lystra and Renelle Richardson

Lesley Esters Redwine

Claire Robinson

Morgan Rodd

Judith M. Rodriguez

Daniel Roitman

Gerald Rosenberg and Cheryl Wieseneld

Harvey and Diane RubenMarshall Ruben and Carolyn Greenspan

Mally and Alan Rutko

Jonathan Sackler and Mary Corson

Adam and Margot Sappern

Ankur Saraiya

Nick and Clara Sartori

David Savin

Lawrence and Gloria Schaer

Anne Schenck

Everett and Sally Schenk

Melissa and Kenneth Scheve

Jennier L. Schi

Gabriel SchwartzVinit Sethi

Deborah Shanley

Peter and Susan Shirk

Katherine Shoemaker

Mark Shuro

Constance Silver

John Simon

Maya Simon

Bruce and Pamela Simonds

Christopher Sommers

Craig Steen

John and Susan Steuer

Chrystal Stokes Williams

Michael Stone

Lawrence and Joyce Stupski

Patricia and Stedman Sweet

David Tattan

Dr. Beecher and Mrs. Iris Taylor

Holland Taylor

Minochka Taylor

Christine Theodore

Nicholas W. Tiller

Whitney R. Tilson

Dacia Toll and Jerey Klaus

Alexander and Dale Troy

Jennier Smith Turner

Kelly Wachowicz

Giselle Wagner and Paul Myerson

Lyn Gammill Walker

Roy and Carol Walzer

Holly Washington

Robert Watson

George WeissMark Weissler and Nancy Voye

Barbara and Theodore Widmayer

Tiger and Caroline Williams

F. Perry and Pamela Wilson

Natalie Wiltshire

Terrie E. and John F. Wood

Hope Woodhouse and Richard Canty

Nat and Margo Woodson

Lily Zoberman

David Zussman

Julie Zussman

CorporationsBlue Ridge CapitalCarter, Morse & Mathias Investment Bankers

Countrywide Cares

Deutsche Bank

Forester Capital, LLC

Goldman Sachs

Greenlight Capital

Hartord Steam Boiler

Shekinah Photos, LLC

Yale New Haven Hospital

Yale University

Yannix Management, LP

FoundationsThe Annie E. Casey Foundation

Henry E. and Nancy Horton Bartels Trust

Bodman Foundation

Carl Marks Foundation

Carnegie Corporation

Carson Family Charitable Trust

Cerimon Fund

The Charter Oak Challenge Foundation

Clark Foundation

The Community Foundation or Greater New Haven

Dalio Foundation

Ender Family Foundation

Faireld County Community FoundationDonor

Advised Fund

Frederick DeLuca Foundation

H.A. Vance Foundation

Hartord Courant Foundation

Hartord Foundation or Public Giving

Imagineers Foundation

Jana Foundation

The Leo and Libby Nevas Family Foundation

Lone Pine Foundation

The Louis Calder Foundation

Marx Family Foundation

Meg and Tim Callahan Family Foundation

The Moodys Foundation

Near and Far Aid Association, Inc.

New Prot

New Schools Venture Fund

New York City Center or Charter School Excellence

NewAlliance Foundation

Newmans Own Foundation

The Ohnell Family Foundation

The Olson Foundation

The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation

Rich Charitable Family Trust

Robertson Foundation

Robin Hood Foundation

The Seedlings Foundation

Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation

The Shumway Capital Foundation

Silverlea Foundation

Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation, Inc.

Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation

Tiger FoundationTortora-Sillcox Family Foundation

The Vranos Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation

William C. Graustein Memorial Fund

The William H. Pitt Foundation

Woodward Fund

Amistad Academy 10thAnniversary CelebrationSponsorAscys Interactive

Bank o America

Chapel Construction

The Community Foundation or Greater New Haven

Good Copy Printing & Digital Graphics

Hadley, Inc.

Kenneth Boroson Architects

MDG Associates o Connecticut

NewAlliance Bank

PPI Benets Solutions

Staples

Whitsons School Nutrition

Yale University

* We are recognizing gits o $100 or greater

received between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.


42/44

Boards of DirectorsAchevement Frst Central BardWllam R. Berkley, Chair W.R. Berkley Corporation,

Chairman and CEO

Steve Anbnder, Treasurer First Marblehead, Vice

Chairman o the Board o Directors

Andrew BasCarl Marks Management Co., LP,

General Partner

Dg Brchard New Proft, Inc., Managing Partner

and Chie Operating Ofcer

Barry Fngerht Fingerhut Management Corp.,

Director

Carltn L. HghsmthSpecialized Packaging Group,

CEO

Jdge ClaranceJnesJudicial Branch, State o

Connecticut, Superior Court Judge

James PeyserNew Schools Venture Fund, Partner

Stean PryrCity o Newark, Deputy Mayor,

Commerce & Economic Development

Jn D. SacklerBouncer Foundation, PresidentJenner Smth Trner Girl Scouts o Connecticut,

CEO

Achevement Frst BrwnsvlleKelly Wachwcz, ChairiStar Financial, Vice

President o New Business Initiatives

Chrystal Stkes Wllams,Treasurer American

Express Company, Director

Elgna BrksParent Representative

Lee GelerntACLU Immigrants Rights Project,

Deputy Director

Max PlanerAchievement First, Chie Financial

Ofcer

Achevement Frst BshwckDebrah Shanley, Chair Brooklyn College,

School o Education Dean

Jalak Jbanptra, Secretary New York City

Investment Fund, Senior Vice President

Shannn Kete, Treasurer Project Lead the Way,

Chie Operating Ofcer

irs ChenI Have a Dream Foundation, CEO/President

Harrs FerrellAchievement First, Chie Inormation

Ofcer

Malda Hbr HighbridgeCapital Management, LLC,Senior Vice President

Emersn MreTMP Worldwide, General Counsel

Jdth M. RdrgezNYC Comptrollers Ofce,

Community Associate

Yvette Best Teacher Representative

Achevement Frst Crwn HeghtsHn. L. Prsclla Hall, Chair Supreme Court o

the State o New York Appellate Division, Second

Judicial Department, Justice

Hlly Washngtn, SecretaryJP Morgan, Vice

President

Vvan LaSerengeti Asset Management, Partner

Ethel PhllpsParent Representative

Gabrel SchwartzDavidson Kempner Capital

Management, LLC, Managing Director

Chrstpher SmmersGreenlight Capital, Analyst

Daca TllAchievement First, Co-CEO and President

Achevement Frst East New YrkAnthny Davs, ChairAnchorage Capital Group,

LLC, President

Jn Atkesn, Treasurer Fortress Investment Group,

Managing Director

Dahann BllngsBrrd City o New York,

Chie Service Ofcer

Rch BeryGroundwork, Inc., Executive Director

and Founder

J. Cln GbsnCiti Global Wealth Management,

Director

Melane MllanAchievement First, Chie Operating

Ofcer

Tara Grfn McClanParent Representative

Achevement Frst EndeavrShaka Rasheed, ChairJP Morgan Asset

Management, Managing Director

Frances Messan, Secretary Monitor Group,Consultant

Sarah Crts Bey, Treasurer Estee Lauder, Director

Global Makeup Marketing

Khephra BrnsAuthor and Playwright

Jstn ChenEton Park Capital Management,

Investment Analyst

Chrs GrwneyClearwater Analytics, Co-Founder

and Vice President o Business Development

Elana KarpknAchievement First, Assistant

Superintendent

Clare RbnsnMoodys Corporation, Senior

Managing DirectorMay Talaerrw-MslehParent Representative

Achevement Frst NrthCrwn HeghtsWanda Feltn, Chair Private Equity Consulting,

Principal

Dense Grdn, Vice Chair Deloitte Services LP,

National Service Line Talent Manager | Actuarial, Ri

and Analytics

Hasn Pratts, Treasurer Empire State Developme

Corp., Director o External Relations

Mashea Ashtn Newark Charter School Fund,

Partner

Matt KlenBlue Ridge Foundation, Executive Direct

Lesley Esters RedwneAchievement First, Vice

President o External Relations NY

Achevement Frst BrdgeprtAndrew Bas, Chair Carl Marks Management Co.,

LP, General Partner

Shelly Kassen, Secretary/Treasurer Town o

Westport, Selectman

Dck FergsnNewcity Foundation

Rchard KaltCRN International, Inc., Vice President

Karen Kng McGivney Community Center, Inc.,

Executive Director

Wley MllnsUncle Wileys Specialty Foods, Inc.,

President

Emly SandersTeacher Representative

Achevement Frst HartrdSteve Har

achievementfirst-annualreport2009sp

Documents