Af Look Book

Our Mission

Connecticut Academies

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise

Amistad Academy Middle, est. 1999

of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children.

Elm City College Prep Elementary, est. 2004

We believe that all children, regardless of race or economic

Elm City College Prep Middle, est. 2004

status, can succeed if they have access to a great education. Achievement First schools will provide all our students

Amistad Academy Elementary, est. 2006

with the academic and character skills they need to gain

Amistad Academy High School, est. 2006

admission to top colleges, to succeed in a competitive

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle, est. 2007

world and to serve as the next generation of leaders for our

Achievement First Hartford Academy Elementary, est. 2008

communities.

Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle, est. 2008

Our Vision New York Academies

The long-term vision of Achievement First is to help permanently close the achievement gap in America by

Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary, est. 2005

opening great urban schools, partnering with large urban

Achievement First Crown Heights Middle, est. 2005

school districts to disseminate our best practices, and inspiring policymakers and school administrators to

Achievement First East New York Elementary, est. 2005

demand and reward excellence in our public schools.

Achievement First Bushwick Elementary, est. 2006 Achievement First Endeavor Middle, est. 2006

Our Academies

Achievement First Bushwick Middle, est. 2007

In 1999, Amistad Academy opened with 84 sixth graders.

Achievement First Brownsville Elementary, est. 2008

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 Growth Projections 30

10,000

25

8,000

20

6,000

15

4,000

10

2,000

5

0

0 2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

2009-10

2008-09

2007-08

2006-07

2005-06

2004-05

2003-04

PROJECTED SCHOOL S

STUDENTS

SCHOOLS

STUDENTS

12,000

Mission and Vision

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.

The instructional day is at least 1.5 hours longer. LOTS of time is set aside for reading (three hours for K-2, 3.5 hours on reading and writing for 3-7). Before– and after–school tutoring is required for students who are struggling.

Unwavering focus on breakthrough student achievement

Homework is given every night, including required independent reading.

Student success is the lead factor in school, principal and teacher evaluation. Our goal is to CLOSE the achievement gap

Rigorous and standards-based curriculum

(bringing urban students up to and beyond suburban

WHAT is taught (the standards) at every grade

standards), not simply to narrow it.

level is clear, systematic and rigorously taught.

Aggressive recruitment and development of great people Achievement First makes a significant effort on talent recruitment and development. Teachers have access to resources such as personal laptops and printers, unlimited photocopies and a

Proven, high-quality curricula are consistently implemented across the school to ensure quality and efficiency. Effective unit and lesson planning.

Standards-based interim assessments are given every six weeks.

budget for classroom supplies.

Schools use a structured process for analyzing data and

Achievement First has programs to create career paths

using it to plan future instruction. Teachers know how

for teachers and “grow” our own leader talent.

every student is doing in every subject every six weeks and meet with school leaders to strategize unit and lesson

Targeted teacher and leader training Principals have a year-long training “residency” before opening a new school, followed by ongoing training and mentoring. Teachers have three weeks of training before entering an Achievement First classroom. Additionally, there is schoolsite Friday professional development and two Achievement First-wide Professional 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 informal observations and constant appraisal of data. Comprehensive teacher professional growth plans are completed once per year.

Great principals with the power to lead Principals have control over the evaluation of all employees, as well as budgeting and hiring.

planning.

Back office support School operations staff (Directors of Operations, School Managers and Registrars) take tasks off school leaders’ plates so they have more time for coaching teachers and working with students. Achievement First’s central/support office partners with schools in teacher recruitment, IT support, curriculum development, fundraising and facilities, among many other functions.

Disciplined, achievement-oriented school culture Schools are strict and structured with high expectations for 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 uniform.

Core Elements

More time on task

Accolades

2008 New York State Exams Percent of 7th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency

New York Results

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

In New York City, our oldest elementary students (third

Amistad Academy as one of seven schools in the coun-

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

try that are models for closing the achievement gap.

Ninety-nine percent of them passed the New York State

On the 2008 New York City Department of Education

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

Progress Reports, Achievement First Crown Heights

lish Language Arts exam.

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

In New York City, our oldest middle school students

On the 2008 New York City Department of Education

(seventh graders) outperformed their district peers by 25

Progress Reports, Achievement First Endeavor was the fourth highest performing school out of nearly 1,100 K–8 schools in New York City.

percentage points in English Language Arts and 30 percentage points in math on the 2008 New York State Tests.

Results & Accolades

2008 New York State Exams Percent of 3rd Grade Students At or Above Proficiency

Connecticut Results In an average of reading, writing and math, our oldest Connecticut elementary school students (fourth graders) posted 2008 Connecticut Mastery Test results that were almost double their district peers and bested state-wide averages.

2008 Connecticut Mastery Test Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency in Math, Reading & Writing

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 first Connecticut high school, Amistad Academy High, showed exceptional results in its first year of testing. Amistad Academy’s tenth grade students achieved 93% proficiency in math and 100% proficiency in reading, writing and science on the 2008 Connecticut Academic Performance Test. These results positioned Amistad Academy High’s students as number one in the region for reading, number two in the region for writing, and top ten in the state for reading.

2008 Connecticut Academic Performance Test Percent of 10th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency in Math, Reading, Writing & Science

Results & Accolades

2008 Connecticut Mastery Test Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency in Math, Reading & Writing

Yvette Merritt

Many Minds, One Mission

Professional Development

Teachers are treated as respected professionals and are

Achievement First teachers receive more than quadruple

held to high standards of performance and integrity.

the typical amount of professional development received

Our faculty is recruited from across the country to ensure

in traditional public schools. Achievement First teachers

that scholars are taught by knowledgeable, committed

benefit from:

and talented professionals.

Three weeks of professional development orientation

Achievement First schools are small learning communi-

prior to the start of the school year.

ties in which teachers and leaders know the names of all

Semi-annual network-wide professional development

students. Each academy has fewer than 400 scholars.

seminars

Every principal at Achievement First teaches a class,

Weekly two-hour professional development sessions

sending a powerful message that teaching is what is

(students dismiss early on Friday afternoons).

valued most at our schools.

Interim Assessments: Students take interim assessments every six weeks. After 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 of weakness for their students.

Many Minds, One Mission

“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.”

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 for 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 of our classrooms are the names of colleges and universities, students make field trips to college campuses, hear speakers talk about

At Amistad Academy Middle School, 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 cup.

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 for ways to infuse joy into the school.

Achievement First East New York Elementary School scholars proudly show off their Tufts University t-shirts.

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.”

Elm City College Preparatory Middle School Principal Marc Michaelson helps his students climb the mountain to college. Students at the school look forward all year to the end-of-year college field trips. Fifth 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 of California at Berkeley.

School Culture

School Culture

People Matter—Mightily We understand that the quality and commitment of our teachers, school leaders and other staff are what makes the real difference in the lives of our students. As a result, we put an extraordinary amount of our resources into finding, developing and retaining great people. We want to make our

Results Without Excuses Or Shortcuts

schools places where great teachers want to teach. We strive to create work environments that are exceptionally

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

professional, collegial and stimulating and where everyone

provide an outstanding education for all our students—an

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

education that will help them graduate from college,

to be successful. We expect all of us to work hard, but we

enhance their lives, become leaders in their communities,

also recognize and honor our personal, family and community

and enjoy real freedom and citizenship. In pursuit of that

commitments. We do not look for individual martyrs or

mission, we set ambitious, clearly measurable goals and

superhumans: rather, we give our teachers, school leaders

strive to exceed expectations with exceptional regularity. We

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

continually use data to track our progress and to find out

to accomplish our ambitious goals for students.

where we are doing well and where we are falling short. When we do not meet our goals, we own our shortcomings, admit our mistakes and do not seek to blame external forces. We are not satisfied with “better” results that still leave our students behind their suburban, private school or international peers. We are working to level the playing field so that our students defy all the excuses and enjoy the full privileges of an outstanding education.

Excellence Is A Habit We strive to set the industry standard in all aspects of what we do. Baked into our culture is a relentless pursuit of excellence, and we do not settle for “so-so” from our students or from 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,

Sweat The Small Stuff

replicable systems in order to sustain excellence over time. We do not lurch from one educational fad or new idea to

We believe that countless unseen or overlooked details are

another: rather, we understand the importance of continu-

the difference between the mediocre and the magnificent.

ous, thoughtful improvement and always strive to do better

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

than before. We carve out time for reflection, research and

details to ensure smooth, predictable and effective out-

development, and knowledge documentation in order to

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

make excellence more predictable for ourselves and others.

the price when we fail to get the details right.

We will grow as fast as we can—but as slow as we must —to ensure excellence in every aspect of our work.

Core Values

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.

Team And Family

At Achievement First, the needs of students always come

We are not islands working alone but integral parts of the

before the interests of adults. We prioritize what is best for

larger Achievement First team and family. We share in our

students first, with teachers, school leaders and central staff

collective success while celebrating the individual strengths

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

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

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

treat each other with respect and work hard to preserve a

is to keep distractions and other unnecessary responsibilities

sense of family. We have fun together, even when our

away from teachers and school leaders.

responsibilities are taxing. We collaborate and share best practices, never letting competition overshadow the ultimate goal of excellence for every student and school. We respect and celebrate our differences, knowing that we are stronger as a team because of them. When we see our teammates struggling, we pitch in, knowing that our teammates will be there for us when we need it.

Whatever It Takes We do not take “no” for an answer easily. If there is a way, we find 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 successful along their journey. We give 100 percent every day and go the extra mile to make the difference in the lives

Many Minds One Mission

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

Working together with our parents and supporters, we

is a team mandate, with different individuals taking the lead

strive to ensure that our efforts are part of a larger effort to

at different times to ensure that our goals are accomplished.

improve the communities in which we live and work. We are also partners in a national effort to ensure that every child has access to a first-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 difference in the lives of children. We are inspired by those who are pioneering new approaches to raising student

Everything With Integrity

achievement, and we are eager to learn from the best practices of these high-performing schools, districts and

We value integrity and always model it for our students. The

other organizations. In return, we are willing to share our

REACH values—Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement,

successful strategies with other educational organizations

Citizenship and Hard Work—are not merely posted on the

in our communities and beyond.

wall for students; they are also our professional values and drive our words and actions as adults. We consider the impact our actions will have on others and work carefully to be transparent and fair. We admit our mistakes and work to make them right. Even when we are successful, we are humble and understand that we always have more to learn.

Core Values

First Things First

Samples of Student Work

Kindergarten

3rd grade

3rd grade

6th grade

6th grade

6th grade