Af Annual Report 2008

2008

Annual Report 

Dear Friends,

When we opened the first Achievement First

Academy High School’s inaugural 10th-grade

school, Amistad Academy, we set out to prove

students achieved 93% proficiency in math and

that all students—regardless of zip code, class

100% proficiency in all three other subjects­—

or life circumstances—can achieve at high

reading, writing and science. Their reading,

levels, graduate from college and become

writing and science results placed them ahead

leaders of our communities. Then and still today,

of high school students in many of Connecticut’s

we view this as the civil rights issue of our time.

wealthiest communities, including Madison,

Over the last 10 years, the Achievement First network has grown from 84 students at Amistad

2009

d a t s i Am my e d a c A ! 0 1 s n r tu

...and Achievement First is still growing!

Academy in New Haven to 3,700 students at 15 academies in Brooklyn, NY and in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford, CT. In 2009, we will

Amistad Academy was recently highlighted as one of seven schools in the country that are models for closing the achievement gap. As our scholars continue to grow and learn, so

First schools where they will benefit from a

do we. This year we are focused specifically on

longer school day and year, outstanding

improving reading achievement, especially in the

teachers who give as much as they demand, a

middle schools, and on becoming more effective

rigorous, college-prep curriculum, extra support

in our coaching and development of teachers.

for struggling students, and a school culture

We know that it is the dedicated people who

where it is cool to be smart and everyone is a

work at Achievement First schools that make the

part of one big family.

real difference in the lives of our kids. As a

The hard work of our teachers and students is paying off. In NYC, both Achievement First received straight “A”s on the recently released NYC DOE Progress Reports (only these two

growing network, we are focused on recruiting, training, celebrating and retaining the finest educators in the country. We have also learned that we must make equal investments in systems to support their success—from curriculum and assessment materials to

schools had the two years of testing data

operations, finance and technology.

required to receive Progress Report grades). Achievement First Crown Heights was in the top

We would like to thank you for supporting our

4% of all NYC schools, and Achievement First

growth and success over the last 10 years. We

Endeavor was in the top 1%. In fact, Achieve-

believe more than ever that giving our children—

ment First Endeavor was the fourth highest-

all our children—a great education is an

performing school out of nearly 1,100 K-8

economic and moral imperative. We are eager to

schools in NYC.

work with other schools, districts and change agents in the broader public education commu-

In New Haven, Achievement First’s eighth

nity to deliver on this promise. The more we do

graders posted results that were more than double their New Haven peers and bested statewide averages in all subjects—again proving that

www.achievementfirst.org

Department of Education has taken note, and

welcome nearly 5,000 students to Achievement

Crown Heights and Achievement First Endeavor

1999

Greenwich, Guilford and Westport. The U.S.

the achievement gap can be closed. Amistad

Dacia M. Toll Co-CEO

this work, the more optimistic we become about the potential of our collective commitment to make a real difference in the lives of kids and in the future they will build.

Doug McCurry Co-CEO

William R. Berkley Board Chair



Respect

Some people say that you can’t fix public education in this

country until you fix Poverty. I think they have it exactly

backwards. We can’t hope to

really fix poverty until we fix public education.



– Joel Klein, NYC Schools Chancellor

Closing The Achievement Gap When we fail to educate urban children, the outcome

According to the National Assessment of Educa-

is predictable: third graders with poor skills become

tion Progress (NAEP), at the time of high school

middle schoolers with third-grade skills, and then high

graduation, the gap in achievement in our country

school students without the ability to succeed in

between black and white students is approximately

college or to compete in today’s economy.

four grade levels.

Nationwide, our public education system is still failing

In 2004, African Americans were 54% more likely

the promise of equal educational opportunity for all

the vast majority of low-income children and their

(and Hispanics were 140% more likely ) to drop out

of America’s children. We believe that all children,

communities. The consequences of this failure are

of high school than white students.

regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if

African-American students are three times more

they have access to a great education. Achievement

likely than white students to be placed in special

First schools will provide all our students with the

education programs, and are half as likely to be

academic and character skills they need to graduate

in gifted programs in elementary and secondary

from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world

schools3.

and to serve as the next generation of leaders for our

Our Mission and Vision The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on

disastrous across the board: increased poverty, crime and incarceration, and decreased productivity and quality of life. The achievement gap in education is America’s most vexing social problem—the modern frontier of the civil rights movement. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP IS CAPTURED IN A FEW DAUNTING STATISTICS.

communities. Our country as a whole is falling further behind our international peers. According to the Organiza-

Achievement First will continue to create public char-

According to Teach For America, fourth graders

tion for Economic Cooperation and Development

ter schools that close the achievement gap, while also

growing up in low-income communities are already

(OECD), 15-year-olds in the U.S. rank 24th out of 29

looking to partner with other like-minded, reform-ori-

three grade levels behind their peers in high-income

industrialized countries in math performance, and

ented organizations to maximize our collective impact.

communities. About 50% of them will not graduate

15th out of 29 countries in reading.

Together, we will continue our work until every child is

from high school by the time they are 18 years old.

1

National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005

Those who do graduate will perform on average at

2

Mortenson, Tom. “Family Income and Higher Education Opportunity,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 2005

3

Teachers College, Columbia University

given access to a great education and enjoys the real

an eighth-grade level . Only one in 10 will graduate 1

from college2.

If we succeed in giving the love of learning, the learning itself is sure to follow.

www.achievementfirst.org

freedom that flows from that opportunity.

-Sir John Lubbock, Lord Avebury



2011

10 years & Growing!

2010

Our History

Over the next decade,

Achievement First will

grow to

30

schools

serving over

11,500

students.

2009 3,700

scholars *

2008 2,534

*

*

achievement first Bushwick middle school opens

In 1998, a group of New Haven founders came

In fall 2005, under the leadership of New York City

together with a clear goal in mind: to prove that urban

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Achievement First

students can achieve at the same high levels as their

expanded into Brooklyn. One of Klein’s core reform

affluent suburban counterparts. Confronted by the

strategies was to locate high-performing public char-

popular attitude that demographics were destiny, we

ter schools in New York’s lowest-performing districts.

decided that the best way to address the problem

Achievement First opened two new schools in central

was to change the system.

Brooklyn—Achievement First Crown Heights Charter

We set out to create a public charter school—Amistad Academy—that would enable its students to

*

Amistad Academy elementary school & High School open *

*

scholars

*

*

scholars

2004

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST Bushwick Elementary School opens

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST ENDEAVOR MIDDLE SCHOOL OPENs

2005 504

Achievement first BRIdgeport academy middle school opens

*

scholars

2006 946

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST Brownsville elementary SCHOOL opens

scholars

2007 1,683

ACHIEVEMENT FIRST Hartford academy elementary School & Middle school open

*

AchiEvement first eAST NEW YORK elementary SCHOOL OPENs

achievement first crown heights ELEMENTAry school & MIDDLE school open

ELM CITY COLLEGE PREP elementary school & middle SCHOOL OPEN

scholars

252

scholars

168

scholars

84

scholars

www.achievementfirst.org

School.

achieve at extraordinarily high levels. Over the last 10

The Brooklyn network continued to grow in 2006

years, Amistad has produced Connecticut Mastery

with the opening of Achievement First Bushwick

Test (CMT) results that have shattered the notion that

Charter School and Achievement First Endeavor

“those kids can’t learn.” For the past seven years,

Charter School, followed in 2008 by Achievement

Amistad students—100% of whom are selected by

First Brownsville. Thanks to changes in Connecticut

blind lottery, 78% of whom receive free and reduced

charter law, we were also able to open Amistad High

lunch, and 98% of whom are African-American or

School and Amistad Elementary, paving the way

Hispanic—have beat state averages in reading and

for Connecticut’s first K-12 public charter school.

math, demonstrating that they can achieve on par

Achievement First’s Connecticut network was able to

with their wealthier peers statewide.

expand into Bridgeport with a new middle school in

In June 2003 we created a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit, Achievement First, with the goal of using

336

School and Achievement First East New York Charter

2007 and, in 2008, into Hartford with new elementary and middle schools.

Amistad’s knowledge and best practices to have a

Achievement First has grown into a network that in-

greater impact. We opened the second school, Elm

cludes 15 academies, nine charters and four cities. In

City College Prep, in 2004 and expanded the model

1999, Amistad Academy opened with 84 sixth grad-

to include elementary grades.

ers. Now, in the 2008-09 school year, Achievement First is serving 3,700 students in grades K-11.

1999

*

Amistad academy opens



Our Program Elements IN THE school TEACHERS ARE PLATINUM At Achievement First schools, teachers are platinum: they are treated as respected professionals and are held to high standards of performance and integrity. We invest in

Enthusiasm IN THE NETWORK WE’RE A NON-PROFIT WE’RE PUBLIC Students are selected by lottery, and significant efforts are made to encourage as many students and communities as possible to join the lottery pool. We serve special education students, English Language Learners, talented and gifted students, and everyone else who comes through the blind lottery to our schools. Results are

PARENTS AS PARTNERS At Achievement First schools, a three-way partnership—students,

service, facilities, field trips, budget and finance, state reporting, etc.). We apply the same approach to operations that we do to school development: implement processes based on our best knowledge and then continuously hone the process in operation. When the system works efficiently in one location, we bring other locations online one by one until all are operating efficiently.

and talented professionals. Achievement First teachers receive more than quadruple the typical

spend almost all their time observing, teaching and coaching in the classrooms.

achieve academic breakthroughs and ensure that all

schools with a thousand or more students,

children are achieving their best. Parents, students

Achievement First schools are small learning

and school staff all sign a contract that outlines their

communities in which teachers and leaders know

shared commitment to hard work and consistent

the names of all students (every academy has fewer

support of one another.

than 400 students). Our schools use a co-advisor

rigorous, college-preparatory core curriculum clearly

handle most non-instructional tasks (busing, food

scholars are taught by knowledgeable, committed

TEACHERS WHO KNOW AND CARE Unlike

are achieved by cultivating all students.

outstanding operations team that works hard to

recruited from across the country to ensure that

teachers and parents—requires teamwork to

POWERFUL USE OF DATA Achievement First’s

teachers and principals are supported by an

reward outstanding performance. Our faculty is

amount of professional development. Principals

not achieved by cultivating the best students—they

EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS Achievement First

our talent, support everyone’s development and

outlines the essential knowledge and skills that students need to master at every grade level. Every

system in which a class of 25-27 students is coadvised by two teachers; the advisors work hard to develop meaningful relationships with all the students in their advisory.

six weeks, teachers give interim assessments (unit

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Since the Achievement

tests) that measure how much students have

First operations and central teams take almost all

learned. These results are uploaded to Achievement

non-instructional matters off the principal’s plate,

First Athena, our interim assessment platform, so

the principal serves as a true instructional leader—

that teachers and principals are able to review the

working intensely with teachers, analyzing student

data together and create a plan that targets whole

performance data, observing classes, giving

class, small group and one-on-one instruction to

feedback, modeling excellent lessons and planning

ensure that every student masters the material.

standards-based units together with teachers.

Athena has greatly improved our teaching by

Principals also have hiring and firing power for all

allowing teachers and principals to track perfor-

employees in the building. Lastly, every principal at

mance from one interim assessment to the next and

Achievement First teaches a class, sending a

to drill down to individual student needs.

powerful message that teaching is what is valued most at an Achievement First school.

www.achievementfirst.org

EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD. -NELSON MANDALA 

100% of Achievement First students are admitted by blind lottery.

Our Program Elements

Achievement with our students COLLEGE EXPECTATIONS At Achievement First,

ACADEMIC STANDARDS Achievement First’s

we continuously expose scholars to college. In our

academic program has borrowed from the best

achievement-oriented culture, it is cool to be smart,

practices of high-performing schools across the

and all students work hard to climb the mountain

country. Every class has a New York or Connecticut

to college. Achievement First’s academic program

state-standards-based focus. Teachers understand

puts every student on a college preparatory track,

that “covering material” is not our goal; what is im-

starting with kindergarten. The names of our

portant is how well students master the standards.

classes are college names; instead of asking Ms. Smith’s class to line up, a teacher there might say, “Wake Forest, line up.” Students make field trips to colleges, hear speakers talk about college, write research papers on colleges and, most importantly, master a college-preparatory curriculum. MORE TIME ON TASK Our school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with tutoring available during and after school, an average of one to two hours of homework per night, and an intensive independent reading program so that students will READ, READ, READ both at home and at school. All students attend our three-week, extended-year Summer Academy.

INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS We realize that some students will need even more time and extra support. These students receive small group instruction or tutoring during the school day, before and after-school, and/or on Saturdays. Both teachers and students believe that we need to do “whatever it takes” to make sure all students learn. CHARACTER EDUCATION Achievement First lives by the REACH values (Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work), which inform and guide all aspects of what we do and help create a positive, achievement-oriented school culture. Values and good behavior are taught as explicitly as academics, and we all work together as one team and family.

www.achievementfirst.org



Citizenship

Our Core Values We live by our core values, which inform and guide all

excellence, and we do not settle for “so-so” from

aspects of our work—from the classroom to the

students or staff.

central office—and help create a positive, achievement-oriented school culture. Achievement First’s core values are: RESULTS WITHOUT EXCUSES OR SHORTCUTS Achievement First sets ambitious, clearly measurable goals to deliver on the promise to provide all students with an outstanding education. When we fall short of these goals—which we sometimes

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF We believe that countless unseen or overlooked details are the difference between mediocre and magnificent. TEAM AND FAMILY This work is a team sport; everyone shares in Achievement First’s collective success while celebrating the individual strengths and differences of each person and school.

do—we tackle this challenge head on and are

FIRST THINGS FIRST The needs of students

willing to change the way we do things in order to

always come first.

achieve the excellence our students deserve.

WHATEVER IT TAKES Achievement First gives

PEOPLE MATTER, MIGHTILY Achievement First

100% every day and goes the extra mile to make

knows that the most important factor affecting the

the difference in every student’s life.

achievement of our students is the quality and commitment of our teachers and leaders. We aggressively recruit talent, select carefully and heavily invest in our people so that they can, in turn, make a real difference in the lives of our students. EXCELLENCE IS A HABIT Baked into Achievement First’s culture is a relentless pursuit of

www.achievementfirst.org

MANY MINDS, ONE MISSION Together with parents, partners and supporters, Achievement First works to improve the communities in which we work. EVERYTHING WITH INTEGRITY The REACH values are not merely posted on the wall for students; they drive the words and actions of all members of the Achievement First team.

A TEACHER AFFECTS ETERNITY. HE CAN NEVER TELL WHERE HIS INFLUENCE STOPS. -HENRY ADAMS 11

Our Teachers & Parents

“I went into teaching because I love kids and believe

“I have always wanted to give my children the best

in the transformative power of education. However,

education possible, even though I cannot afford

in my old school I felt like I was working in isolation.

private schools. Since my daughter started at an

I would work so hard to help my students achieve

Achievement First school, her behavior and academ-

things that even they did not think possible, and then

ics have improved tremendously. Achievement First

I would watch them go down the hall or to the next

schools are places where children are encouraged to

grade, and there was no continuity. Now I finally work

satisfy their hunger to learn.”

in a school with colleagues who share my expectations, and I am constantly amazed at how much I

EDUCATION IS NOT RECEIVED. IT IS ACHIEVED. -ANONYMOUS

MARILYN VEGA Parent

learn from them. Working with a great team of teachers means I am always getting better and stronger as an educator. I am excited to come to work and feel like my work is really valued. Most importantly, I now see my students growing, year after year, in the care of other great teachers.” MATT TAYLOR Amistad Academy Middle School teacher (2003-2005), Amistad Academy Middle School principal (2005-current)

“Achievement First has great professional development. 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 everything from improving our reading instruction to school-wide behavior plans. I am growing as a teacher every day.”

“The best gift I can give my daughter is a good foundation for a better education. This is what made me look to Achievement First.” JOHN KAKU Parent

www.achievementfirst.org

YVETTE MERRIT Achievement First Bushwick Elementary School founding teacher (2006-current)

Hard Work 13

Growing up with Amistad Many talented scholars have come through Amistad’s doors since 1999 as part of their climb up the mountain to college. Kiara, Albert, Kiamesha, Kaylani and Jared are six examples who illustrate Amistad’s impact, what Amistad alumni have accomplished and how they work to give back.

Kiara Fuller Amistad Class of 2002

Albert Maldonado Amistad Class of 2003

Kaylani Rosado Amistad Class of 2004

Through Albert’s involvement with the Amistad alumni

Though away at boarding school, Kaylani has been an

program, he interned with the New Alliance Bank and

active participant in the Amistad alumni program. She

the Grand Avenue Village Association. Albert has also

has taken advantage of SAT prep classes, overnight

taken advantage of alumni programs such as SAT

retreats, high school support and academic counsel-

prep classes, week-long college tours to Maryland,

ing, and the internship program. Kaylani continues to

Washington, DC and North Carolina, and an overnight

lead alumni group sessions on private school life and

retreat in his junior year to set goals and prepare for

the college process.

his senior year in high school. To stay connected to Amistad, he has mentored current scholars and has led group sessions on the college admission process. AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL Class of 2003 One of three students in Advanced Geometry Earned academic honors Participated in soccer and varsity basketball Kiara is an active Amistad alum, hosting overnight visits for current Amistad students to Connecticut College and leading alumni group sessions on private school life and the college process. She has also taken advantage of Amistad alumni resources such as academic counseling, SAT prep classes, an internship program, and workshops on financial aid and essay writing. AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL Class of 2002 Earned academic honors Qualified for the REACH Award THE HOPKINS SCHOOL Class of 2006 Participated in the Concert Choir Member of Amnesty International, S.U.R.E (Students United for Racial Equality) and the Spanish Club Ran varsity track and tutored middle-school students CONNECTICUT COLLEGE

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL OF WEST HAVEN

Class of 2009

Kiamesha will gradUATE From southern connecticut state university

KIARA will gradUATE From connecticut college JARED will gradUATE From NEW YORK university

2011

2010

Kaylani will gradUATE From williston northampton school

2009

albert gradUATED From notre dame high school of west haven

2008

program

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT Class of 2012

Class of 2012

Kiamesha Holland Amistad Class of 2003

2012

Participated in rigorous dance and choreography

Toured prospective students

Jared Bailey Amistad Class of 2002

Kiamesha gradUATED From hill regional career magnet school

2007

Kiamesha has taken full advantage of Amistad alumni resources around career services, interning at the KIARA gradUATED From The hopkins school

Yale-New Haven Hospital and New Haven Pediatrics. As an alumna of Amistad, she also participated in a

2006

four-day, summer pre-college retreat to the University of New Haven to jumpstart her college application

2005

process. Kiamesha continues to tutor Amistad scholars during Saturday Academy. AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL Class of 2003 Earned academic honors Participated in dance

Leaves in January 2009 to study abroad in Vietnam

WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

Participated on the varsity football team

WESLEYAN

albert will gradUATE From wesleyan

Participated in dance

Member of the Chamber Singing Group

Volunteered with local political campaigns

2013

Started rowing lessons with the Yale crew team

Member of the Diversity Club

Member of the Advisory Board for Student

Chair of the Gospel Choir

Earned academic honors

Earned academic honors

Qualified for the REACH Award

Chair of Umoja, the Black Student Union

Class of 2004

Class of 2008

Class of 2010 Counseling

AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Kaylani will gradUATE From the University of connecticut

HILL REGIONAL CAREER MAGNET SCHOOL Class of 2008 Earned academic honors while working three jobs

“Amistad Academy teachers care. That is what kids need—teachers who go the extra mile. At Amistad, the faculty inundated us with the idea of going to college. Most kids do not think about college until high

Kaylani gradUATED From amistad academy middle school

2004

albert & Kiamesha gradUATED From amistad academy middle school

2003

school, but we were cheering ‘go to college’ in our morning assembly in sixth grade.”

Starred in the school production of Dream Girls Interned at Yale Hospital in the Neo-natal Unit SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY Class of 2011

www.achievementfirst.org

KIARA & JARED gradUATED From amistad academy middle school

2002

15

Amistad Academy Middle

Our Schools STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

In New York City, our oldest elementary students

Amistad Academy High School showed exceptional

(third graders) had their first chance to take state

results in its first year of testing, with the inaugural

tests. Ninety-nine percent of them passed the NYS

10th-grade students achieving 93% proficiency in

Math exam, while 84% passed the NYS English

math and 100% proficiency in all three other sub-

Language Arts exam.

jects—reading, writing and science. These results

Our oldest Brooklyn middle school students (seventh graders) outperformed their Crown Heights peers by 25 percentage points in reading and 30 percentage points in math. Both Achievement First Crown Heights and Achievement First Endeavor received straight “A”s on the recently released NYC DOE Progress Reports (only these two schools had the two years of testing data required to receive Progress Report grades). Achievement First Crown Heights was in the top 4% of all NYC schools, and Achievement First Endeavor was in the top 1%. In fact, Achievement Endeavor ranked number four among nearly 1,100 K-8 schools in NYC. Achievement First’s New Haven eighth graders, our oldest middle-school students, posted results that were almost double their New Haven peers and bested state-wide averages in all three subjects

position Amistad High’s New Haven students as number one in the region for reading and number two for writing, outperforming students in both Madison and Guilford, CT.

School leader Matthew Taylor Grades served 5-8 # of students 286

GROWTH HIGHLIGHTS

From June 2008 to August 2008, we grew by 45% and are now supporting 3,700 scholars on their climb up the mountain to college. In the 2008-09 academic year we added three new academies, moved into six new facilities, expanded to offer 11 new grades, hired and trained 170 new teachers and leaders, and added more than 1,200 new students to the Achievement First family. Just over three years after expanding into NYC, Achievement First now serves 2,100 students at five Brooklyn charter schools. Achievement First was pleased to open Achievement First Brownsville in 2008.

Amistad Academy Middle School, the Achievement First flagship, opened in New Haven in 1999 and celebrates its 10th year of operation in the 2008-09 academic year. The school was profiled in the PBS documentary “Closing the Achievement Gap” (2004) and was named Connecticut’s 2006 Title I Distinguished School after having the greatest student performance gains of any middle school in the state. The school gathers every week for Morning Circle, where students are recognized by teachers and peers for academic achievement and strong character skills. Town Meetings take place every six weeks and build school spirit with music, skits, cheers, awards and the announcement of the most recent classroom winner of the highly coveted Homework Championship Cup.

(reading, writing and math) with 77% proficiency in

After a long campaign and with a lot of help,

Amistad Middle’s robust after-school enrichment

reading, 93% proficiency in math and 96% profi-

Achievement First Hartford Academy opened in

program, Encore!, offers students daily expert

ciency in writing.

August 2008 with 252 scholars, bringing our total

instruction in theater, karate, dance, orchestra,

Connecticut enrollment to 1,600.

volleyball, step team, graphic design, and other arts

Amistad Academy was recently highlighted by the

and athletic activities.

U.S. Department of Education as one of seven schools in the country that are models for closing the achievement gap.

www.achievementfirst.org

17

School leader Jeff Sudmyer Grades served 9-11 (growing to 9-12) # of students 126

In August 2006, Amistad Academy High School opened as the first high school in the Achievement

Amistad Academy Elementary

First network. Amistad High focuses on its own set of core values—Grit, Independence, Judgment, Integrity and Citizenship—and holds students to high academic standards. Acceptance to a four-year college is a pre-requisite for graduation, and every student must take at least two Advanced Placement (AP) courses, AP History and AP Biology. Evidence of Amistad High’s academic rigor can be found in its 10th-grade scores on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). In their first year of testing, students achieved 93% proficiency (Level 3 or higher) in math and 100% proficiency in all three other subjects— reading, writing and science. These results position Amistad High’s students as number one in the region for reading and number two for writing, outperforming students in both Madison and Guilford. Amistad Academy High School provides many excit-

School leader Tisha Markette

ing enrichment opportunities and activities for its stu-

Grades served K-2 (growing to K-4)

dents. Athletic offerings include basketball, lacrosse,

# of students 257

pep squad, women’s volleyball, squash and athletic

Amistad Academy Elementary opened in New Haven in 2006 as the long-awaited elementary expansion of the flagship Amistad Academy Middle School. At the beginning of the elementary school’s first year of operation, only 4% of kindergarten scholars were reading at or above grade level; by the end of the year, the percentage had risen to 99%. The key to Amistad Elementary’s success is a school culture built

conditioning. Students can also participate in theater, creative music, debate and a literary magazine. The school’s chess club recently placed third in the state. During the summer, students are required to participate in an enrichment activity grounded in academics or community service.

Amistad Academy High

on a strong foundation of sharing and caring, working hard, reflecting and having fun. Every morning, the 2006

946

music teacher kicks off Morning Motivation with a *AMISTAD ACADEMY ELEMENTARY *AMISTAD ACADEMY HIGH

scholars

chant called “Are you going to have fun today?” For teachers, collegial observation is common, and “best practices” are constantly shared.

504

scholars

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

19

School leader MARC MICHAELSON Grades served 5-8 # of students 214

In the 2008-09 academic year, Elm City Middle’s fifth

Elm City College Prep Elementary

graders are the first scholars in the network to have graduated from an Achievement First elementary school and move up to an Achievement First middle school. While incoming fifth graders have historically averaged two years below grade level, many of these students are more than a full year ahead. Elm City Middle boasts a particularly “warm demanding” culture, where respect, teamwork and achieving one’s best are the gold standard. As with all Achieve­ment First middle schools, students at Elm City Middle look forward all year to the end-of-year college field trips—a critical component of the college-focused curriculum. Elm City’s fifth-grade scholars visit Temple University in Philadelphia, sixth graders travel to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, seventh graders visit Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta, and eighth graders visit the University of California at Berkeley. During these trips,

School leader MORGAN BARTH Grades served K-4 # of students 268

students tour the campuses, attend lectures, participate in mock interviews with admissions staff

Elm City College Preparatory Elementary School

and stay in the dormitories. While the college visit is

opened in New Haven in 2004 and was the first

the core of each trip, students’ horizons are

Achievement First school with an elementary program.

broadened in countless other ways. For example,

Four years later, the elementary reading curriculum

sixth graders go camping, hiking and biking through

continues to center around a three-hour, sacred read­

Acadia National Park, and many eat their first lobster!

ing block that uses a phonics-based literacy program and text-rich classrooms. Immersed in sounds and words, students are quickly provided with a solid, early foundation for more advanced reading. At Elm

Elm City College Prep Middle

City Elementary, teachers find creative and funny ways to encourage and reward hard work, like reading sleepover nights and special days with themes like wacky hair.

2004

*ELM CITY COLLEGE PREP ELEMENTARY

*ELM CITY COLLEGE PREP MIDDLE

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

21

Achievement First

Crown Heights Elementary

School leader ORPHEUS WILLIAMS Grades served 5-8 # of students 327

Achievement First Crown Heights Middle School balances fun and excitement with discipline, reflection and focus. The school hosts a challenge event each month that fosters healthy competition, like a Book Bowl that quizzes students on books they have read or a Multiplication Tournament that pits new winners against former champions. Among the school’s many character development initiatives, the Natural Born Aces (NBA) program is unique. This program helps male scholars who are on the cusp of becoming Aces (getting straight “A”s) achieve their goal with the help of team goal-setting, emotional support from peers and candid conversations about the formation of their identity as young, African-American males.

School leader MIKE KERR

After-school activities include a documentary film

Grades served K-4 # of students 420

club, art club, orchestra, step team, track and

Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School

basketball. Last year, the school was proud that both

opened in central Brooklyn in 2005 as one of the first

its boys’ and girls’ basketball teams placed second in

two Achievement First schools in New York City. The

the NYC Charter School Athletic League.

elementary program has a special school culture that pairs fun incentive programs with a thoughtful emphasis on diversity, conflict resolution and personal enrichment. Students can earn “paw prints” (the school’s mascot is the cougar) and redeem them for special events and activities at weekly Funtastic Fridays. In the school’s Problem Solvers Newsletter,

Achievement First

Crown Heights Middle

students write letters about challenges they face, and a rotating team of student editors publish their responses in the newsletter. During Summer Academy (which is required for all students), after their core math and reading blocks, students can participate in 2005 504

*CROWN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY

*CROWN HEIGHTS MIDDLE

Frisbee, scrap-booking, photography and gardening scholars

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

activities like yoga, Spanish, chess, jazz, ultimate

(just to name a few).

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

23

Achievement First

East New York Elementary School leader LIZETTE SUXO Grades served K-3 (GROWING TO K-4) # of students 334

Achievement First Bushwick Charter School opened with the elementary program in the fall of 2006, followed one year later by the middle school program. The elementary school serves the largest Hispanic population in the Achievement First network. As a result, a substantial portion of the school’s leadership, operations and teaching staff is bilingual, and all materials sent home to parents are written in Spanish and English. The school celebrates the cultural heritage of students and families with a yearly multi-cultural showcase and potluck dinner. Like their cousins at other Achievement First elementary

School leader DENNISTON REID

schools, Bushwick scholars enjoy REACH Circle and

Grades served K-4 # of students 421

a host of fun enrichment activities, including martial Achievement First East New York Charter School

arts, drama club, dance club and chorus. The school

opened with kindergarten and first grades in the fall

has partnered with local arts organizations for lessons

of 2005. The cornerstone of the school culture is the

in music, the guitar club is funded through the Little

value of team and family as embodied by the “wolf

Kids Rock Foundation and the Piano School provides

pack” (the school’s mascot is the wolf). Students earn

lessons at a reduced rate.

their way into the pack by demonstrating citizenship, hard work and achievement. Teachers work hard to make sure parents are part of the pack, too. The weekly parent newsletter includes a “test busters” column, and there are regular workshops on how to

Achievement First

Bushwick Elementary

reinforce aspects of the Achievement First program at home. Teachers and parents share a common language around educational goals. Like other Achievement First schools, Achievement First East New York

2006

*BUSHWICK ELEMENTARY

2005

*EAST NEW YORK ELEMENTARY

504

offers unique enrichment activities. Students can participate in kung-fu, basketball, yoga, track, step team, dance team, chorus, guitar club and African

scholars

drumming. Last year, one classroom worked with an 336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

animation studio to develop the storyline, characters and dialogue for a short animated film.

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

25

Achievement First

Bushwick Middle

School leader ERIC REDWINE Grades served 5-7 (growing to 5-8) # of students 259

Achievement First Endeavor Charter School opened with fifth grade in central Brooklyn in the fall of 2006. It was recently ranked the fourth best K-8 school in all of New York City (out of nearly 1,100 schools!) on the NYC DOE Progress Reports. Character building is at the heart of the school’s teaching philosophy. Students participate in daily advisories that address peer interaction, conflict resolution and personal growth. Students are pushed out of their comfort zones and into situations that allow them to build confidence. For instance, sixth graders went camping and explored caves on last year’s end-of-year school School leader AMY D’ANGELO

trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Through the

Grades served 5-6 (growing to 5-8)

school’s Kindness Campaign, students are rewarded

# of students 178

for acts of kindness with Mardi Gras beads. AchieveAt Achievement First Bushwick Middle School, teach-

ment First Endeavor is proud of its teams and clubs,

ers strive to build student buy-in, nurture close part-

especially the Rhythm and Funk Jazz Band and the

nerships with students and parents, and make sure

boys’ basketball team, which won the NYC Charter

that expectations set at school are upheld at home.

School Athletic League Championship.

Like other Achievement First middle schools in New York, Achievement First Bushwick scholars have 90 minutes of math instruction and more than two hours of reading instruction every day. Scholars can serve as representatives on the Principal Advisory Board, a NOTE: These students have only been enrolled for one year at Achievement First.

Achievement First

Endeavor Middle

group of students that oversees and rules on “cases” which include students who are close to meeting homework goals but have not made the cut-off for the

2007

*BUSHWICK MIDDLE

2006

*ENDEAVOR MIDDLE

and jazz orchestra are among the school’s other activities. Like all Achievement First schools, Achieve-

946

scholars

ment First Bushwick Middle finds creative ways to

504

scholars

recognize and reward achievement. Red carpet events are used to honor Aces (students who receive

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

end-of-the-year field trip. Running, basketball, dance

straight “A”s in a trimester) and students participate in a Scholar Dollar auction in which all items are focused on “quality time” with teachers.

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

27

School leader GINA MUSUMECI

Achievement First

Grades served K-1 (Growing to K-4)

Bridgeport Middle

# of students 178

Achievement First Brownsville Charter School opened with kindergarten and first grades in August 2008 and is not wasting any time putting scholars on the path to college. The math curriculum focuses on problem solving and introduces pre-algebra concepts starting in kindergarten, and teachers are implementing a new reading program that incorporates oral language development by focusing on visual cues. To stimulate student interest in writing, each child works on a writing portfolio that allows scholars to see their own progress over time. At Achievement First Brownsville, teachers understand the importance of celebrating early milestones in student achievement. Individuals are recognized for being able to count to a designated number, and the community celebrates when

School leader DEBON LEWIS Grades served 5-6 (growing to 5-8) # of students 160

NOTE: Achievement first brownsville

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy’s 2007 start-

standardized assessments in june

up marked an important milestone in Achievement

*BROWNSVILLE ELEMENTARY

2007

*bridgeport MIDDLE

1,683

with parents, including four curriculum nights focused

family beyond New Haven. This took some cunning

The school also hosts bi-monthly coffee events that

and courage, so it is fitting that the school’s mascot

allow parents to drop in for more casual meetings

is the Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Lion.

with school leaders and teachers.

and strong community bonds. Students gather on Fri-

Achievement First

Brownsville Elementary

day afternoons for Pride Circle, where individuals are recognized for academic accomplishments and acting in ways that show the REACH values (Respect, En-

scholars

thusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work). Achievement First Bridgeport Academy scholars are particularly enthusiastic about reading and music.

946

scholars

504

scholars

Students spend a portion of every day “independent hunting” (an activity otherwise known as independent reading) and the school boasts a talented Lion Jazz

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

168

pride. The school has ambitious goals for partnering

on finding ways to help children at school and home.

takes great pride in personal achievement, teamwork

2008

2009 at the end of their first year.

builds a sense of personal success and community

First history—the first expansion of our Connecticut

For scholars, the lion symbolizes a school culture that

NOTE: These students have only been enrolled for one year at Achievement First.

scholars will take their first

all students in a class can count to that number. This

Ensemble. As a special treat for family and friends, the Lion Jazz Ensemble performed a concert last June at Bridgeport’s illustrious Downtown Cabaret Theater.

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

29

Achievement First

Hartford Elementary School leader JEFF HOUSE Grades served 5 (GROWING TO 5-8) # of students 85

At Achievement First Hartford Middle, the backbone of the daily program is a schedule that provides three-and-a-half hours of literacy instruction for every student, in the form of a 90-minute literature class, a 30-minute reading skills block and a 45-minute “literacy workshop” where students at similar reading

FPO

levels receive targeted instruction in small groups. NOTE: Achievement first hartford scholars will take their first

standardized assessments in March 2009 of their first year.

Students also receive 90 minutes of math instruction and 45 minutes of history and science instruction daily. All of this intellectual activity is offset by a 45minute daily physical education class. One hour is set

School leader CLAIRE SHIN

aside every Friday afternoon for community-building

Grades served K-1 (growing to K-4)

activities. The school is also excited to begin a fledg-

# of students 168

ling after-school program that will grow in proportion Achievement First Hartford Academy opened with

to the school until scholars are participating in a full

kindergarten, first and fifth grades in August 2008 as NOTE: Achievement first hartford scholars will take their first

standardized assessments in june

2009 at the end of their first year.

array of sports teams, music and arts opportunities,

part of Superintendant Steven Adamowski’s ambitious

and academic clubs.

reform plan for the district. At the elementary school, a tremendous focus is placed on reading, which occupies three hours of instruction per day broken into alternating blocks of small group instruction. Vocabulary building is an important part of the reading curriculum as well. Kindergarteners and first graders

Achievement First

Hartford Middle

have started working on a giant vocabulary wall that 2008 2,534

1,683

*HARTFORD MIDDLE

*HARTFORD ELEMENTARy

scholars

scholars

will eventually engulf an entire hallway. Teachers and students start the day with Morning Motivation, which includes recognitions and shout-outs and often ends with the principal sharing an example of great student work. At Achievement First Hartford Elementary,

946

scholars

teachers do not just preach constant learning—they

504

scholars

practice it. Teachers frequently demonstrate effective teaching practices for each other, and every teacher

336

scholars

336

scholars

252

scholars

is assigned a coach from the school leadership team. Teachers meet with their coaches on a weekly basis to identify strengths and strategies for teaching improvement.

168

scholars

1999 Amistad academy opens www.achievementfirst.org

31

Our Central Finances 2007-2008 UNAUDITED FINANCIALS (Fiscal Year Starts July 1st)

Our School Finances Based on 2007-2008 funding at full enrollment

Achievement First operates college-preparatory public charter schools at a per-student cost equal to or less

2007-2008 Central Office Expenses By Functional Area

than that of its host public school districts in New York and Connecticut.

New York Achievement First School Model

2%

Connecticut Achievement First School Model **

15%

26%

16%

Curriculum, Prof. Dev. & School Support Development & Community Relations Talent Development & Recruiting

20%

20%

General, Administrative & Finance Operations & IT Depreciation

Achievement First Central SOURCES OF REVENUE Management fees

2,014,487

Philanthropy

3,656,442

Other

260,166

Total

5,931,094

3,759,595

Non-personnel expenses



1,845,973

Depreciation expense



139,656

Total

5,745,223

NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)

Athena*



Revenues



Expenses (including depreciation)

558,445

Net income

300,169

*Athena™ is Achievement First’s custom-built, web-based interim

Non-Personnel, Non-Program Expenses

Revenue State

Non-Personnel Program Expenses

Our Facilities Achievement First is incredibly grateful for the support

a combination of private philanthropy and a $24MM

of our host districts in helping us bridge the facilities

state facility bond—and one for Achievement First En-

challenges that accompany our growth. Thanks to

deavor in Brooklyn. The new facility for Achievement

the leadership of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and

First Endeavor will house 700 K-8 students from the

NYC Chancellor Joel Klein, all New York Achievement

Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities.

First schools have been provided with public school

Thanks to the partnership of Civic Builders and the

buildings at virtually no cost.

Department of Education, as well as the Robin Hood

Rendering of new facility for Achievement First Endeavor

We are also thankful for partnerships with Bridgeport Public Schools and Hartford Public Schools and their provision of free facilities and support for our expansion to new communities.

assessment platform, providing performance data analysis and knowledge management for 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 software platform that is independently managed from Achievement First’s central operations.

www.achievementfirst.org

Host District Expenses

**Does not include transportation or food service costs, charter/contract/foster care payments, and non-public school and FIT payments.

185,871

858,614

Facility Operating Expenses

Revenue Federal

Personnel Expenses

EXPENSES Personnel expenses

Revenue Philanthropy

Foundation’s cultivation of donor-advised gifts from Atticus Capital and the Pfizer Foundation, Achievement First has raised nearly all of the funding needed to complete the project in time for the 2009-2010 school year. We continue to ramp up our fundraising

As we continue to grow, Achievement First is in the

initiatives to secure the remaining $2MM and welcome

midst of building a comprehensive K-8 facility for

your support.

Amistad Academy in New Haven—funded through 33

only the educated are free.

-EPictetus

Our Donors

Jim Cullen

Molly Le Van

F. Perry and Pamela Wilson

William Curran

Martin and Andrea Levine

Stephen Wizner

Kevin and Katrin Czinger

Robin and Barbara Levine-Ritterman

Hope Woodhouse and Richard Canty

Anthony Davis

David Levinson

Brian and Anne Young

Geoffrey and Mary Davis

Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ruth Littman

Joe and Sue Zaccagnino

Henry Davis

Emily Littman-Eisen

We are profoundly grateful and appreciative

Phoebe Davis

Robert Locascio

CORPORATIONS

of the support displayed by our many

Carolyn Downey

Kevin and Erika Long

American View Productions

Susan B. Dunn

Henry Lord

Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group

John and Dawn Egan

Norman and Susan Louie

Goldman, Sachs & Co

Emily Eisenlohr

Janet Magid

Kuckly Associates

Eric Epstein

Stephen and Susan Mandel

Pitney Bowes

Daniel and Elizabeth Esty

Grant McCracken

Towerbrook Foundation

INDIVIDUALS

John and Katharine Esty

Doug McCurry

United Illuminating Company

Anonymous

Ruth Feldman

Andrew J. McEntire

Yale New Haven Hospital

Nancy Ahern

Richard and Marissa Ferguson

Brian Meacham

Yale University

Bruce and Christine Alexander

Stephen and Jo Ann Flaum

Drs. Jerome and Roslyn Meyer

Yannix Management, LP

Steve Anbinder

Sarah Flynn

Stephan Mongillo

Greenlight Capital

Carl and Betsy Anderson

Lawrence and Megan Foley

Emerson Moore III

Elaine Appellof

George Fox

William Moyes

FOUNDATIONS

Dr. Walter and Mrs. Diane Ariker

Catherine Frantzis

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Netter

The Achelis and Bodman Foundations

Mary Arnstein

Stephen and Linda Friedman

Leo and Libby Nevas

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Jon Atkeson

Chris and Toddie Getman

Herbert Newman

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation

David and Beth Atlas

J. Colin Gibson

William and Catherine Nietzel

Breakthrough New Haven

William B. Avery and Linda C. Andros

Chip and Margie Gillis

Harold and Sandra Noborikawa

The Carson Family Charitable Trust

Francis and Eve Barron

Susan and Michael Glick

Ted and Amy Orenstein

Cerimon Fund

Polly Barry and Richard Clarida

Gary F. Goldring

Peter and Beverly Orthwein

Charter Oak Challenge Foundation

Henry and Nancy Bartels

Bonni Gould

Sharon Oster and Raymond Fair

The Clark Foundation

Richard and Ilene Barth

William and Jean Graustein

Suzie H. Pascutti

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Myrna Baskin

Adam and Carolyn Greene

Josh and Sharon Polan

The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation

Dr. Eric and Mrs. Ethel Berger

Ike and Lesley Goff

Leonard and Ellen Polaner

Fairfield County Community Foundation

William R. Berkley

Mark Gudis and MaryGrace Gudis

Doug Polley

GRO Foundation

Girish Bhakoo

Allen Hadelman

Shaka Rasheed

H. A. Vance Foundation

Diahann Billings Burford

Jim and Melinda Hamilton

Barry and Sherri Raifaisen

Henry E. & Nancy Horton Bartel Trust

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Boas

Todd and Leslie Hammer

Brett Rosen and Debra Wattenberg

Independence Community Foundation

Marx G. Bowens III

D. Alan and Marcella Harris

Gerald Rosenberg and Cheryl Wiesenfeld

Kneisel Family Foundation

Nicole Brower

Mike Harris

Carol Ross

Lone Pine Foundation

Carmen Bowser

Robert and Kristy Harteveldt

Harvey Ruben and Diane Ruben

The Louis Calder Foundation

Jonathan Brandt

James and Ann Healey

June Sachs

Marx Family Foundation

Eric and Wendy Bronstein

William and Judy Heins

Jonathan Sackler and Mary Corson

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

Drs. David and Charlotte Brown

Carlton and Letamarie Highsmith

Shelly Saczynski

The Moody’s Foundation

William R. Bruner

Dick and Angelica Hinchcliff

Art Samberg

NewAlliance Foundation

Peter and Nancy Buck

Kenneth M Hirsh

Jennifer L. Schiff

New Profit

Robert and Holly Burt

Norman and Sandra Jellinghaus

Gabriel Schwartz

New Schools Venture Fund

Khephra Burns

Judge Clarance and Marueen Jones

Sarah Sherwood

New York City Center for Charter School Excellence

Julie Burton

Paul Tudor and Sonja Jones

Bruce and Pamela Simonds

Newman’s Own Foundation

Guido and Anne Calabresi

Harold and Margaret Kamins

Andrew and Candace Smoller

The Ohnell Family Foundation

Kim and Sally Campbell

Warren and Allison Kanders

Christopher Sommers

The Olson Foundation

Lawrence Caruso

Michael and Shelly Kassen

Lawrence and Joyce Stupski

The Polaner Family Supporting Foundation

Nicole Campbell

Jean Kelley

Patricia and Stedman Sweet

Robin Hood Foundation

Iris Chen

Shannon Kete

Janet Tanner

The Seedlings Foundation

Tom Chiappetta and Pat Tyre

John and Barbara Kimberly

Nicholas W. Tiller

The Shumway Capital Foundation

Gail S. Citrin

Rebecca Kirk and Stephen Fair

Dacia Toll

Silverleaf Foundation

Elizabeth Clark

Lee Ann Kline

Kenneth and Kathleen Tropin

Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation

Henry Clark

Nat Klipper

Alexander and Dale Troy

Steven A. & Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation

Mayree C. Clark

Katherine A. Knetzger

Cheever Tyler

Target Take Charge of Education

Brian and Christina Clarkson

Herbert Kohler Jr.

Phillipp and Donna Villhauer

The Tiger Foundation

Paula Cleary and Paul Ferrall

Harvey Koizim

Giselle Wagner

The Vranos Family Foundation

Ann and Richard Cohen

Carol Kranowitz

David Wassong

The Walton Family Foundation

David L. Cohen

Carlene Kulisch

Roy Walzer

The William H Pitt Foundation

Dr. William Cohen

Andrew Lachman

Jon and Jill Weiner

United Illuminating Foundation

Brian and Karen Cohn

Christopher J. LaCroix

Elliot Wilcox

William C. Graustein Memorial Fund

Michael and Joyce Critelli

Vivian Lau

Tiger and Caroline Williams

Woodward Fund

benefactors—your gifts sustain and inspire our aspiring scholars and dedicated teachers. Thank you!

www.achievementfirst.org

We are recognizing gifts of $100 or greater received between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.

35

Boards of Directors

Achievement First Board of Directors

Achievement First Bushwick

Achievement First Endeavor

Achievement First Bridgeport

William R. Berkley Chairman W.R. Berkley Corporation,

Deborah Shanley Chair School of Education, Brooklyn

Shaka Rasheed Chair JPMorgan Asset Management,

Andrew Boas CHAIR Carl Marks Management Co., LP,

Chairman and CEO

College, Dean

Vice President

General Partner

Steve Anbinder Treasurer First Marblehead, Vice

Shannon Kete Treasurer Goldman Sachs, Chief of

Sarah Curtis Bey Treasurer Estee Lauder, Marketing

Shelly Kassen Treasurer Town of Westport, Selectman

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Staff, US PWM

Manager

Andrew Boas Carl Marks Management Co., LP, General

Yvette Best Parent Representative

Khephra Burns Author & Playwright

Dick Ferguson NewCity Foundation

Partner

Iris Chen I Have A Dream Foundation, CEO/President

Justin Cohen Eton Park Capital Management, Investment

Harris Ferrell Achievement First Athena, President

Analyst

DOUG BORCHARD New Profit, Inc., Managing Partner & Chief Operating Officer

Kevin Czinger Miles Electric Vehicles, President/CEO Barry Fingerhut Fingerhut Management Corp, Director Carlton L. Highsmith Specialized Packaging Group, CEO Judge Clarance Jones Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut, Superior Court Judge

James Peyser New Schools Venture Fund, Partner Stefan Pryor City of Newark, Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Economic Development

Lystra M. Richardson SCSU, Professor - Dept. of Educational Leadership

Jon D. Sackler Bouncer Foundation, President JENNIFER SMITH TURNER Girl Scouts of Connecticut, CEO

Achievement First Brownsville Kelly Wachowicz Chair I-Star Financial, Vice President

MALDA HIBRI Highbridge Captial Management, LLC, Senior Vice President

Jalak Jobanputra New Venture Partners, Principal Emerson Moore TMP Worldwide, Associate Judith M. Rodriguez NYC Comptroller’s Office, Community Associate

Achievement First Crown Heights L. Priscilla Hall Chair Brooklyn Supreme Court, Chief Administrative Judge

Suzie Hahn Pascutti Treasurer Vivian Lau Serengeti Asset Management, LP, Founding Partner Ethel Phillips Parent Representative Christopher Sommers Greenlight Capital, Analyst Gabriel Schwartz Goldman Sachs, Managing Director

CHRISTOPHER GROWNEY Clearwater Analytics, Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development

ELANA KAROPKIN Achievement First, Assistant Superintendent FRANCES MESSANO Monitor Group, Associate

William F Heins Treasurer Private Investor

Achievement First North Crown Heights

Judge ClarEnce Jones Vice CHAIR Judicial Branch,

Charter recently approved in 2007-2008

State of Connecticut Superior Court Judge

Wanda Felton CHAIR Helix Associates, Managing Director

Harold Brooks Parent Representative

Hasoni Pratts Treasurer Empire State Development

Anne Tyler Calabresi Community Activist

Corp, Director of External Relations

Joyce Critelli Philanthropist

Denise Gordon Deloitte, HR Manager

Katrin Czinger Philanthropist

Mashea Ashton NYC New Leaders for New Schools,

MAYOR JOHN DESTEFANO Board of Education Representative

Executive Director

Kelly Wachowicz I-Star Financial, Inc., Vice President,

Lesley Esters Redwine Achievement First, Director of

Nicole Campbell Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, Senior Program Officer

Max Polaner Achievement First, Chief Financial Officer Ernest Hart Columbia University, Assistant Vice President for Employee and Labor Relations

AnThony Davis Chair Anchorage Capital Group, LLC, President

Jon Atkeson Treasurer Fortress Investment Group, Managing Director

Rich Buery Groundwork Inc., Executive Director & Founder Diahann Billings Burford City Year NY, Deputy Director of External Affairs

J. Colin Gibson Citi Global Wealth Management, Director TARA Griffin-MCCLain Parent Representative NATALIE WILTSHIRE Achievement First, Director of New York Operations

www.achievementfirst.org

Dick Ferguson SECRETARY NewCity Foundation Allen Hadelman Hadley, Inc.

External Relations

Melinda Hamilton Retired, Trilogy Enterprises

Achievement First Hartford

Jaime King Teacher Representative

Bruce Douglas Chair CREC, Executive Director

Andrew Lachman Connecticut Center for School Change,

Carlton L. Highsmith Specialized Packaging Group, CEO

HOLLY WASHINGTON JPMorgan, Vice President

Achievement First East New York

Robert Scinto Scinto, Inc. Real Estate Development, Chairman

Alexander Troy CHAIR Troy Capital LLC, CEO

Chrystal Stokes WILLIAMS Treasurer American

Operations

Leo Nevas Nevas, Nevas, Capasse & Gerard, L.L.P., Partner

May Taliaferrow-Mosleh Parent Representative

Matt Klein Blue Ridge Foundation, Executive Director

Sean Andrews Prospect Park YMCA, Vice President of

Executive Director

Amistad Academy & Elm City College Prep

Dacia Toll Achievement First, Co-CEO & President New Business Initiatives

Karen McIntosh McGivney Community Center, Inc.

Vice President

CLAIRE ROBINSON Moody’s Investors Service, Senior

of New Business Initiatives Express Company, Director Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions

Richard Kalt CRN International, Inc.,Vice President

Steve Harris Vice Chair Community Leader John Motley Secretary/Treasurer MotleyBeup,

Executive Director

M. ANN LEVETT Board of Education Representative

Owner

Roxanna Lopez Teacher Representative

DOMINIC BASILE Teacher Representative

Paul McCraven New Alliance Bank, Sr. Vice President

Andrea Comer City of Hartford, Executive Assistant and

Sharon Oster Yale School of Management, Dean

Hartford Board of Education, Member

Patricia Pierce Yale University, Major Gifts Senior Associate

Alexis Highsmith Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc., Attorney

Director

Colleen Palmer Monroe Public Schools, Superintendent

Lystra M. Richardson SCSU, Professor - Dept. of

Marshall Ruben Ruben, Johnson & Morgan, P.C., President Jim Willingham Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer

Educational Leadership

CAROLINE WILLIAMS Event Coordinator ROLAN YOUNG Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C., Senior Partner

37

CT Office 403 James Street New Haven, CT 06513 NY Office 1137 Herkimer Street Brooklyn, NY 11233 www.achievementfirst.org