AF Look Book

8/14/2019 AF Look Book

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M i s s i o n a n d V i s i o n

Our Mission

The mission o Achievement First is to deliver on the promise

o equal educational opportunity or all o America’s children.

We believe that all children, regardless o race or economic

status, can succeed i they have access to a great education.

Achievement First schools will provide all our students

with the academic and character skills they need to gain

admission to top colleges, to succeed in a competitive

world and to serve as the next generation o leaders or our

communities.

Our Vision

The long-term vision o Achievement First is to help

permanently close the achievement gap in America by

opening great urban schools, partnering with large urban

school districts to disseminate our best practices, and

inspiring policymakers and school administrators to

demand and reward excellence in our public schools.

Our Academies

In 1999, Amistad Academy opened with 84 sixth graders.

In 2008, Achievement First is serving 3,700 students in

grades K-11, with 2,100 students in Connecticut and 1,600

in New York.

Achievement First is a public charter school management organization started in July 2003 by the

leaders of Amistad Academy, a high-performing public charter school in New Haven, Connecticut. A

non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Achievement First aims to bring to scale the dramatic, life-changing

results achieved at Amistad Academy by creating a network of high-caliber urban public charter

schools in Connecticut, New York and beyond.

Connecticut Academies

Amistad Academy Middle, est. 1999

Elm City College Prep Elementary, est. 2004

Elm City College Prep Middle, est. 2004

Amistad Academy Elementary, est. 2006

Amistad Academy High School, est. 2006

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle, est. 2007

Achievement First Hartord Academy Elementary, est. 2008

Achievement First Hartord Academy Middle, est. 2008

New York Academies

Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary, est. 2005

Achievement First Crown Heights Middle, est. 2005

Achievement First East New York Elementary, est. 2005

Achievement First Bushwick Elementary, est. 2006

Achievement First Endeavor Middle, est. 2006

Achievement First Bushwick Middle, est. 2007

Achievement First Brownsville Elementary, est. 2008

12,000

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S T UD

E NT S

S CH O

OL S

STUDENTSPROJECTED SCHOOLS

Achievement First Growth Projections



Unwavering focus on breakthrough

student achievement

Student success is the lead actor in school,

principal and teacher evaluation.

Our goal is to CLOSE the achievement gap

(bringing urban students up to and beyond suburban

standards), not simply to narrow it.

Aggressive recruitment and

development of great people

Achievement First makes a signicant eort on talent

recruitment and development.

Teachers have access to resources such as personal

laptops and printers, unlimited photocopies and a

budget or classroom supplies.

Achievement First has programs to create career paths

or teachers and “grow” our own leader talent.

Targeted teacher and leader training

Principals have a year-long training “residency” beore

opening a new school, ollowed by ongoing training andmentoring.

Teachers have three weeks o training beore entering an

Achievement First classroom. Additionally, there is school-

site Friday proessional development and two Achievement

First-wide Proessional Development days per year.

There is a second instructional leader (Academic Dean) at

every school so there are no more than 15 teachers per

leader.

Teachers and leaders have an ongoing conversation

about instruction with many inormal observations and

constant appraisal o data.

Comprehensive teacher proessional growth plans are

completed once per year.

Great principals with the power to lead

Principals have control over the evaluation o all

employees, as well as budgeting and hiring.

More time on task

The instructional day is at least 1.5 hours longer.

LOTS o time is set aside or reading (three hours or

K-2, 3.5 hours on reading and writing or 3-7).

Beore– and ater–school tutoring is required or

students who are struggling.

Homework is given every night, including required

independent reading.

Rigorous and standards-based

curriculum

WHAT is taught (the standards) at every grade

level is clear, systematic and rigorously taught.

Proven, high-quality curricula are consistently

implemented across the school to ensure quality

and eciency.

Eective unit and lesson planning.

Standards-based interim assessments are

given every six weeks.

Schools use a structured process or analyzing data and

using it to plan uture instruction. Teachers know how

every student is doing in every subject every six weeks

and meet with school leaders to strategize unit and lesson

planning.

Back office support

School operations sta (Directors o Operations, School

Managers and Registrars) take tasks o school leaders’

plates so they have more time or coaching teachers and

working with students.

Achievement First’s central/support oce partners with

schools in teacher recruitment, IT support, curriculum

development, undraising and acilities, among many

other unctions.

Disciplined, achievement-oriented

school culture

Schools are strict and structured with high expectations

or student conduct (REACH values). Countless details

are intentionally managed to create an overall culture in

which achievement is valued and “cool.”

Every student wears a school uniorm.

C o r e E l e m e n t s



R e s u l t s & A

c c o l a d e s

Accolades

In 2007, the U.S. Department o Education highlighted

Amistad Academy as one o seven schools in the coun-

try that are models or closing the achievement gap.

On the 2008 New York City Department o Education

Progress Reports, Achievement First Crown Heights

ranked in the top 4% o all New York City schools.

On the 2008 New York City Department o Education

Progress Reports, Achievement First Endeavor was the

ourth highest perorming school out o nearly 1,100

K–8 schools in New York City.

2008 New York State Exams

Percent o 3rd Grade Students At or Above Profciency

2008 New York State Exams

Percent o 7th Grade Students At or Above Profciency

In New York City, our oldest elementary students (third

graders) had their rst chance to take state tests in 2008.

Ninety-nine percent o them passed the New York State

Math exam, while 84% passed the New York State Eng-

lish Language Arts exam.

In New York City, our oldest middle school students

(seventh graders) outperormed their district peers by 25

percentage points in English Language Arts and 30 per-

centage points in math on the 2008 New York State Tests.

New York Results



2008 Connecticut Mastery Test


in Math, Reading & Writing

R e s u l t s & A

c c o l a d e s

2008 Connecticut Academic Performance Test


in Math, Reading, Writing & Science

2008 Connecticut Mastery Test


in Math, Reading & Writing

Connecticut Results

In an average o reading, writing and math, our oldest

Connecticut elementary school students (ourth graders)

posted 2008 Connecticut Mastery Test results that were

almost double their district peers and bested state-wide

averages.

Our oldest Connecticut middle school students (eighth

graders) posted 2008 Connecticut Mastery Test results

that were almost double their distric peers and bested

state-wide averages in all three subjects (reading, writing

and math).

Our rst Connecticut high school, Amistad Academy

High, showed exceptional results in its rst year o test-

ing. Amistad Academy’s tenth grade students achieved

93% prociency in math and 100% prociency in

reading, writing and science on the 2008 Connecticut

Academic Perormance Test. These results positioned

Amistad Academy High’s students as number one in the

region or reading, number two in the region or writing,

and top ten in the state or reading.



M a n y

M i n d s O n e

M i s s i o n

“Achievement First has great professional devel-

opment. For the first time in my teaching career,

I have ongoing opportunities to understand,

refine and reflect on the tools I use in my

classroom. At Achievement First, we had three

weeks of professional development before

school even started. Every Friday is a half day

so that teachers have time to work on every-

thing from improving our reading instruction to

school-wide behavior plans. I am growing as a

teacher every day.”

Yvette Merritt

Many Minds, One Mission

Teachers are treated as respected proessionals and are

held to high standards o perormance and integrity.

Our aculty is recruited rom across the country to ensure

that scholars are taught by knowledgeable, committed

and talented proessionals.

Achievement First schools are small learning communi-

ties in which teachers and leaders know the names o allstudents. Each academy has ewer than 400 scholars.

Every principal at Achievement First teaches a class,

sending a powerul message that teaching is what is

valued most at our schools.

Professional Development

Achievement First teachers receive more than quadruple

the typical amount o proessional development received

in traditional public schools. Achievement First teachers

benet rom:

Three weeks o proessional development orientation

prior to the start o the school year.

Semi-annual network-wide proessional developmentseminars

Weekly two-hour proessional development sessions

(students dismiss early on Friday aternoons).

Interim Assessments: Students take interim assess-

ments every six weeks. Ater every interim assessment,

teachers have the opportunity to dedicate an entire day

to collaborating with school leaders and other teachers

to analyze student test results and to use these results

to create whole class, small group and individualized

teaching plans that best target areas o weakness ortheir students.



S c h o o

l C u l t u r e

School Culture

Achievement First teachers and students live by REACH

values (Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship

and Hard Work). These values are taught as explicitly as

academics and students are recognized and rewarded

or demonstrating REACH.

At Achievement First, we continually expose scholars

to college. Achievement First’s academic program puts

every student on a college preparatory track, starting

with kindergarten. The names o our classrooms are the

names o colleges and 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.

Achievement First students work hard in a disciplined

school environment, but we are always looking or ways

to inuse joy into the school.

At Amistad Academy Middle School, town meetings take place

every six weeks and build school spirit with music, skits, cheers,

awards and the announcement o the most recent classroom

winner o the highly coveted homework cup.

Achievement First East New York Elementary School scholars

proudly show o their Tuts University t-shirts.

Elm City College Preparatory Middle School Principal Marc

Michaelson helps his students climb the mountain to college. Stu-

dents at the school look orward all year to the end-o-year college

feld trips. Fith graders visit Temple University in Philadelphia, sixth

graders travel to Bowdoin College in Maine, seventh graders visit

Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta, and eight graders visit

the University o Caliornia at Berkeley.

Jared Bailey

Amistad Academy, Class of 2002

New York University, Class of 2010

“Amistad Academy teachers care. That’s what

kids need—teachers who go the extra mile. At

Amistad, the faculty inundated us with the idea

of going to college. Most kids don’t think about

college until high school, but we were cheering

‘go to college’ in our morning assembly in sixth

grade.”



C o

r e V a l u e s

People Matter—Mightily

We understand that the quality and commitment o our

teachers, school leaders and other sta are what makes the

real dierence in the lives o our students. As a result, we

put an extraordinary amount o our resources into nding,

developing and retaining great people. We want to make our

schools places where great teachers want to teach. We

strive to create work environments that are exceptionally

proessional, collegial and stimulating and where everyone

has sucient support, a real voice and the tools they need

to be successul. We expect all o us to work hard, but we

also recognize and honor our personal, amily and community

commitments. We do not look or individual martyrs or

superhumans: rather, we give our teachers, school leaders

and sta the tools and support they will need—as a team—

to accomplish our ambitious goals or students.

Excellence Is A Habit

We strive to set the industry standard in all aspects o what

we do. Baked into our culture is a relentless pursuit o excel-

lence, and we do not settle or “so-so” rom our students or

rom ourselves. “Good enough” is simply not. We recognize

that we must be a disciplined organization that makes clear

plans, establishes tangible goals and has documented,

replicable systems in order to sustain excellence over time.

We do not lurch rom one educational ad or new idea to

another: rather, we understand the importance o continu-

ous, thoughtul improvement and always strive to do betterthan beore. We carve out time or refection, research and

development, and knowledge documentation in order to

make excellence more predictable or ourselves and others.

We will grow as ast as we can—but as slow as we must

—to ensure excellence in every aspect o our work.

Results Without Excuses Or Shortcuts

We work hard every day to deliver on our urgent promise to

provide an outstanding education or all our students—an

education that will help them graduate rom college,

enhance their lives, become leaders in their communities,

and enjoy real reedom and citizenship. In pursuit o that

mission, we set ambitious, clearly measurable goals and

strive to exceed expectations with exceptional regularity. We

continually use data to track our progress and to nd out

where we are doing well and where we are alling short.

When we do not meet our goals, we own our shortcomings,

admit our mistakes and do not seek to blame external

orces. We are not satised with “better” results that still

leave our students behind their suburban, private school or

international peers. We are working to level the playing eld

so that our students dey all the excuses and enjoy the ullprivileges o an outstanding education.

Sweat The Small Stuff

We believe that countless unseen or overlooked details are

the dierence between the mediocre and the magnicent.

In everything we do, we pay attention to even the smallest

details to ensure smooth, predictable and eective out-

comes. We are motivated by the act that our students pay

the price when we ail to get the details right.

Achievement First lives by its core values,

which inform and guide us in all aspects

of what we do—from the classroom to the

central office—and help us create a positive,

achievement-oriented school culture.



C o

r e V a l u e s

First Things First

At Achievement First, the needs o students always come

beore the interests o adults. We prioritize what is best or

students rst, with teachers, school leaders and central sta

working together to ensure every child’s needs are met. The

central support team never loses sight o our core job, which

is to keep distractions and other unnecessary responsibilities

away rom teachers and school leaders.

Whatever It Takes

We do not take “no” or an answer easily. I there is a way,

we nd it. We are persistent, insistent and deliberate in our

actions. As our students climb the mountain to college

through hard work, we do whatever it takes to help them be

successul along their journey. We give 100 percent every

day and go the extra mile to make the dierence in the lives

o our students. We also understand that “whatever it takes”

is a team mandate, with dierent individuals taking the lead

at dierent times to ensure that our goals are accomplished.

Everything With Integrity

We value integrity and always model it or our students. TheREACH values—Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement,

Citizenship and Hard Work—are not merely posted on the

wall or students; they are also our proessional values and

drive our words and actions as adults. We consider the

impact our actions will have on others and work careully to

be transparent and air. We admit our mistakes and work to

make them right. Even when we are successul, we are

humble and understand that we always have more to learn.

Team And Family

We are not islands working alone but integral parts o the

larger Achievement First team and amily. We share in our

collective success while celebrating the individual strengths

o each person and school. We care about one another,

treat each other with respect and work hard to preserve a

sense o amily. We have un together, even when our

responsibilities are taxing. We collaborate and share best

practices, never letting competition overshadow the

ultimate goal o excellence or every student and school.

We respect and celebrate our dierences, knowing that we

are stronger as a team because o them. When we see our

teammates struggling, we pitch in, knowing that our

teammates will be there or us when we need it.

Many Minds One Mission

Working together with our parents and supporters, we

strive to ensure that our eorts are part o a larger eort to

improve the communities in which we live and work. We

are also partners in a national eort to ensure that every

child has access to a rst-class education. We understand

that we cannot do this alone, and we eagerly collaborate

with others around the country who are working to make a

dierence in the lives o children. We are inspired by those

who are pioneering new approaches to raising student

achievement, and we are eager to learn rom the best

practices o these high-perorming schools, districts and

other organizations. In return, we are willing to share oursuccessul strategies with other educational organizations

in our communities and beyond.



Samples of Student Work



Kindergarten



3rd grade



3rd grade



6th grade



6th grade



6th grade

Documents

AF Look Book