af annual report 2008

�2008 AnnuAl RepoRt

www.achievementfirst.org �

Amistad Academy turns �0!

When we opened the first Achievement First

school, Amistad Academy, we set out to prove

that all students—regardless of zip code, class

or life circumstances—can achieve at high

levels, graduate from college and become

leaders of our communities. Then and still today,

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

Over the last 10 years, the Achievement First

network has grown from 84 students at Amistad

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

welcome nearly 5,000 students to Achievement

First schools where they will benefit from a

longer school day and year, outstanding

teachers who give as much as they demand, a

rigorous, college-prep curriculum, extra support

for struggling students, and a school culture

where it is cool to be smart and everyone is a

part of one big family.

The hard work of our teachers and students is

paying off. In NYC, 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, Achieve-

ment First Endeavor was the fourth highest-

performing school out of nearly 1,100 K-8

schools in NYC.

In New Haven, Achievement First’s eighth

graders posted results that were more than

double their New Haven peers and bested state-

wide averages in all subjects—again proving that

the achievement gap can be closed. Amistad

Academy High School’s inaugural 10th-grade

students achieved 93% proficiency in math and

100% proficiency in all three other subjects—

reading, writing and science. Their reading,

writing and science results placed them ahead

of high school students in many of Connecticut’s

wealthiest communities, including Madison,

Greenwich, Guilford and Westport. The U.S.

Department of Education has taken note, and

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

do we. This year we are focused specifically on

improving reading achievement, especially in the

middle schools, and on becoming more effective

in our coaching and development of teachers.

We know that it is the dedicated people who

work at Achievement First schools that make the

real difference in the lives of our kids. As a

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

operations, finance and technology.

We would like to thank you for supporting our

growth and success over the last 10 years. We

believe more than ever that giving our children—

all our children—a great education is an

economic and moral imperative. We are eager to

work with other schools, districts and change

agents in the broader public education commu-

nity to deliver on this promise. The more we do

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.

Dear Friends,

...And Achievement First is still growing!

2009

�999

Dacia M. Toll Co-CEO

Doug McCurry Co-CEO

William R. Berkley Board Chair

www.achievementfirst.org

Our Mission and VisionThe mission of Achievement First is to deliver on

the promise of equal educational opportunity for all

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

regardless of race or economic status, can succeed if

they have access to a great education. Achievement

First schools will provide all our students with the

academic and character skills they need to graduate

from top colleges, to succeed in a competitive world

and to serve as the next generation of leaders for our

communities.

Achievement First will continue to create public char-

ter schools that close the achievement gap, while also

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

ented organizations to maximize our collective impact.

Together, we will continue our work until every child is

given access to a great education and enjoys the real

freedom that flows from that opportunity.If we succeed In gIvIng the love of learnIng, the learnIng Itself Is sure to follow.

-sIr John lubbock, lord avebury

�

Respect

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

is predictable: third graders with poor skills become

middle schoolers with third-grade skills, and then high

school students without the ability to succeed in

college or to compete in today’s economy.

Nationwide, our public education system is still failing

the vast majority of low-income children and their

communities. The consequences of this failure are

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.

According to Teach For America, fourth graders

growing up in low-income communities are already

three grade levels behind their peers in high-income

communities. About 50% of them will not graduate

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

Those who do graduate will perform on average at

an eighth-grade level1. Only one in 10 will graduate

from college2.

According to the National Assessment of Educa-

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

graduation, the gap in achievement in our country

between black and white students is approximately

four grade levels.

In 2004, African Americans were 54% more likely

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

of high school than white students.

African-American students are three times more

likely than white students to be placed in special

education programs, and are half as likely to be

in gifted programs in elementary and secondary

schools3.

Our country as a whole is falling further behind our

international peers. According to the Organiza-

tion for Economic Cooperation and Development

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

industrialized countries in math performance, and

15th out of 29 countries in reading.

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

1 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005

2 Mortenson, Tom. “Family Income and Higher Education

Opportunity,” Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 2005

3 Teachers College, Columbia University

www.achievementfirst.org �

Our History

In 1998, a group of New Haven founders came

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

students can achieve at the same high levels as their

affluent suburban counterparts. Confronted by the

popular attitude that demographics were destiny, we

decided that the best way to address the problem

was to change the system.

We set out to create a public charter school—Amis-

tad Academy—that would enable its students to

achieve at extraordinarily high levels. Over the last 10

years, Amistad has produced Connecticut Mastery

Test (CMT) results that have shattered the notion that

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

Amistad students—100% of whom are selected by

blind lottery, 78% of whom receive free and reduced

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

Hispanic—have beat state averages in reading and

math, demonstrating that they can achieve on par

with their wealthier peers statewide.

In June 2003 we created a separate 501(c)3 non-

profit, Achievement First, with the goal of using

Amistad’s knowledge and best practices to have a

greater impact. We opened the second school, Elm

City College Prep, in 2004 and expanded the model

to include elementary grades.

In fall 2005, under the leadership of New York City

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Achievement First

expanded into Brooklyn. One of Klein’s core reform

strategies was to locate high-performing public char-

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

Achievement First opened two new schools in central

Brooklyn—Achievement First Crown Heights Charter

School and Achievement First East New York Charter

School.

The Brooklyn network continued to grow in 2006

with the opening of Achievement First Bushwick

Charter School and Achievement First Endeavor

Charter School, followed in 2008 by Achievement

First Brownsville. Thanks to changes in Connecticut

charter law, we were also able to open Amistad High

School and Amistad Elementary, paving the way

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

Achievement First’s Connecticut network was able to

expand into Bridgeport with a new middle school in

2007 and, in 2008, into Hartford with new elementary

and middle schools.

Achievement First has grown into a network that in-

cludes 15 academies, nine charters and four cities. In

1999, Amistad Academy opened with 84 sixth grad-

ers. Now, in the 2008-09 school year, Achievement

First is serving 3,700 students in grades K-11.

* achIevement fIrst crown heIghts elementary school & mIddle school open

* amIstad academy opens

* elm cIty college prep elementary school & mIddle school open

* achIevement fIrst east new york elementary school opens

�999

2004

200�

2006

2007

2008

2009

20�0

* amIstad academy elementary school & hIgh school open

* achIevement fIrst bushwIck elementary school opens

* achIevement fIrst endeavor mIddle school opens

* achIevement fIrst brIdgeport academy mIddle school opens

* achIevement fIrst bushwIck mIddle school opens

* achIevement fIrst hartford academy elementary school & mIddle school open

20��

* achIevement fIrst brownsvIlle elementary school opens

�04 scholars

946 scholars

�,68� scholars

2,��4 scholars

�,700 scholars

84 scholars

�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

�0 years & growIng! over the next decade, achIevement fIrst wIll grow to �0 schools servIng over ��,�00 students.

www.achievementfirst.org 7

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

our talent, support everyone’s development and

reward outstanding performance. Our faculty is

recruited from across the country to ensure that

scholars are taught by knowledgeable, committed

and talented professionals. Achievement First

teachers receive more than quadruple the typical

amount of professional development. Principals

spend almost all their time observing, teaching and

coaching in the classrooms.

TEACHERS WHO KNOW AND CARE Unlike

schools with a thousand or more students,

Achievement First schools are small learning

communities in which teachers and leaders know

the names of all students (every academy has fewer

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

system in which a class of 25-27 students is co-

advised by two teachers; the advisors work hard to

develop meaningful relationships with all the

students in their advisory.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Since the Achievement

First operations and central teams take almost all

non-instructional matters off the principal’s plate,

the principal serves as a true instructional leader—

working intensely with teachers, analyzing student

performance data, observing classes, giving

feedback, modeling excellent lessons and planning

standards-based units together with teachers.

Principals also have hiring and firing power for all

employees in the building. Lastly, every principal at

Achievement First teaches a class, sending a

powerful message that teaching is what is valued

most at an Achievement First school.

In the school

educatIon Is the most powerful weapon whIch you can use to change the world. -nelson mandala

Our Program Elements

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

not achieved by cultivating the best students—they

are achieved by cultivating all students.

EFFECTIVE OPERATIONS Achievement First

teachers and principals are supported by an

outstanding operations team that works hard to

handle most non-instructional tasks (busing, food

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.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS At Achievement First

schools, a three-way partnership—students,

teachers and parents—requires teamwork to

achieve academic breakthroughs and ensure that all

children are achieving their best. Parents, students

and school staff all sign a contract that outlines their

shared commitment to hard work and consistent

support of one another.

POWERFUL USE OF DATA Achievement First’s

rigorous, college-preparatory core curriculum clearly

outlines the essential knowledge and skills that

students need to master at every grade level. Every

six weeks, teachers give interim assessments (unit

tests) that measure how much students have

learned. These results are uploaded to Achievement

First Athena, our interim assessment platform, so

that teachers and principals are able to review the

data together and create a plan that targets whole

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

ensure that every student masters the material.

Athena has greatly improved our teaching by

allowing teachers and principals to track perfor-

mance from one interim assessment to the next and

to drill down to individual student needs.

In the network

Enthusiasm


Our Program Elements

COLLEGE EXPECTATIONS At Achievement First,

we continuously expose scholars to college. In our

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

and all students work hard to climb the mountain

to college. Achievement First’s academic program

puts every student on a college preparatory track,

starting with kindergarten. The names of our

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.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS Achievement First’s

academic program has borrowed from the best

practices of high-performing schools across the

country. Every class has a New York or Connecticut

state-standards-based focus. Teachers understand

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

portant is how well students master the standards.

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.

wIth our students

Achievement

9

�00% of achIevement fIrst students are admItted by blInd lottery.

��

a teacher affects eternIty. he can never tell where hIs Influence stops. -henry adams

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

aspects of our work—from the classroom to the

central office—and help create a positive, achieve-

ment-oriented school culture. Achievement First’s core

values are:

RESULTS WITHOUT EXCUSES OR SHORTCUTS

Achievement First sets ambitious, clearly measur-

able goals to deliver on the promise to provide all

students with an outstanding education. When we

fall short of these goals—which we sometimes

do—we tackle this challenge head on and are

willing to change the way we do things in order to

achieve the excellence our students deserve.

PEOPLE MATTER, MIGHTILY Achievement First

knows that the most important factor affecting the

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 Achieve-

ment First’s culture is a relentless pursuit of

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

students or staff.

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.

FIRST THINGS FIRST The needs of students

always come first.

WHATEVER IT TAKES Achievement First gives

100% every day and goes the extra mile to make

the difference in every student’s life.

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.

Citizenship


www.achievementfirst.org ��Hard Work

educatIon Is not receIved.It Is achIeved. -anonymous

“Achievement First has great professional develop-

ment. 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 develop-

ment 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.”

YVETTE MERRIT Achievement First Bushwick

Elementary School founding teacher (2006-current)

Our Teachers & Parents

“I went into teaching because I love kids and believe

in the transformative power of education. However,

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

I would work so hard to help my students achieve

things that even they did not think possible, and then

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

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

in a school with colleagues who share my expecta-

tions, and I am constantly amazed at how much I

learn from them. Working with a great team of teach-

ers 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)

“The best gift I can give my daughter is a good foun-

dation for a better education. This is what made me

look to Achievement First.”

JOHN KAKU Parent

“I have always wanted to give my children the best

education possible, even though I cannot afford

private schools. Since my daughter started at an

Achievement First school, her behavior and academ-

ics have improved tremendously. Achievement First

schools are places where children are encouraged to

satisfy their hunger to learn.”

MARILYN VEGA Parent

www.achievementfirst.org ��

Kaylani Rosado Amistad Class of 2004

Though away at boarding school, Kaylani has been an

active participant in the Amistad alumni program. She

has taken advantage of SAT prep classes, overnight

retreats, high school support and academic counsel-

ing, and the internship program. Kaylani continues to

lead alumni group sessions on private school life and

the college process.

AMISTAD ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Class of 2004

Earned academic honors

Started rowing lessons with the Yale crew team

Participated in dance

WILLISTON NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL

Class of 2009

Participated in rigorous dance and choreography

program

Member of the Diversity Club

Member of the Chamber Singing Group

Toured prospective students

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Class of 2012

Jared Bailey Amistad Class of 2002

“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 col-

lege. Most kids do not think about college until high

school, but we were cheering ‘go to college’ in our

morning assembly in sixth grade.”

kIara & Jared graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school

kIara graduated from the hopkIns school

kIara wIll graduate from connectIcut college

albert & kIamesha graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school

albert graduated from notre dame hIgh school of west haven

albert wIll graduate from wesleyan

kIamesha graduated from hIll regIonal career magnet school

kaylanI graduated from amIstad academy mIddle school

kaylanI wIll graduate from the unIversIty of connectIcut

kaylanI wIll graduate from wIllIston northampton school

2002

2004

200�

2006

2007

2008

2009

20�0

20��

200�

20�2

20��

kIamesha wIll graduate from southern connectIcut

state unIversIty

Jared wIll graduate from new york unIversIty

Many talented scholars have come through Amis-

tad’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

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.


Class of 2002


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

Class of 2010

Member of the Advisory Board for Student

Counseling

Chair of Umoja, the Black Student Union

Chair of the Gospel Choir

Leaves in January 2009 to study abroad in Vietnam

Albert Maldonado Amistad Class of 2003

Through Albert’s involvement with the Amistad alumni

program, he interned with the New Alliance Bank and

the Grand Avenue Village Association. Albert has also

taken advantage of alumni programs such as SAT

prep classes, week-long college tours to Maryland,

Washington, DC and North Carolina, and an overnight

retreat in his junior year to set goals and prepare for

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.


Class of 2003

One of three students in Advanced Geometry


Participated in soccer and varsity basketball

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL OF WEST HAVEN

Class of 2008


Participated on the varsity football team

Volunteered with local political campaigns

WESLEYAN

Class of 2012

Kiamesha Holland Amistad Class of 2003

Kiamesha has taken full advantage of Amistad alumni

resources around career services, interning at the

Yale-New Haven Hospital and New Haven Pediatrics.

As an alumna of Amistad, she also participated in a

four-day, summer pre-college retreat to the University

of New Haven to jumpstart her college application

process. Kiamesha continues to tutor Amistad schol-

ars during Saturday Academy.


Class of 2003


Qualified for the REACH Award

Participated in dance

HILL REGIONAL CAREER MAGNET SCHOOL

Class of 2008

Earned academic honors while working three jobs

Starred in the school production of Dream Girls

Interned at Yale Hospital in the Neo-natal Unit

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

Class of 2011

Growing up with Amistad

�7

Amistad Academy Middle

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 Distin-

guished 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.

Amistad Middle’s robust after-school enrichment

program, Encore!, offers students daily expert

instruction in theater, karate, dance, orchestra,

volleyball, step team, graphic design, and other arts

and athletic activities.

SCHOOL LEADER MATTHEW TAYLOR

GRADES SERVED 5-8 # OF STUDENTS 286

Our Schools

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

In New York City, our oldest elementary students

(third graders) had their first chance to take state

tests. Ninety-nine percent of them passed the NYS

Math exam, while 84% passed the NYS English

Language Arts exam.

Our oldest Brooklyn middle school students (sev-

enth graders) outperformed their Crown Heights

peers by 25 percentage points in reading and 30

percentage points in math.

Both Achievement First Crown Heights and Achieve-

ment 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

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

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

ciency in writing.

Amistad Academy was recently highlighted by the

U.S. Department of Education as one of seven

schools in the country that are models for closing

the achievement gap.

Amistad Academy High School showed exceptional

results in its first year of testing, with the inaugural

10th-grade students achieving 93% proficiency in

math and 100% proficiency in all three other sub-

jects—reading, writing and science. These results

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.

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 teach-

ers 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.

After a long campaign and with a lot of help,

Achievement First Hartford Academy opened in

August 2008 with 252 scholars, bringing our total

Connecticut enrollment to 1,600.


www.achievementfirst.org �9

Amistad Academy High

In August 2006, Amistad Academy High School

opened as the first high school in the Achievement

First network. Amistad High focuses on its own set of

core values—Grit, Independence, Judgment, Integrity

and Citizenship—and holds students to high aca-

demic 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-

ing enrichment opportunities and activities for its stu-

dents. Athletic offerings include basketball, lacrosse,

pep squad, women’s volleyball, squash and athletic

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 partici-

pate in an enrichment activity grounded in academics

or community service.

SCHOOL LEADER JEFF SUDMYER

GRADES SERVED 9-11 (GROWING TO 9-12)

# OF STUDENTS 126

�999 amIstad academy opens

�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

2006 *amIstad academy elementary *amIstad academy hIgh

946 scholars

�04 scholars

Amistad Academy Elementary

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

on a strong foundation of sharing and caring, working

hard, reflecting and having fun. Every morning, the

music teacher kicks off Morning Motivation with a

chant called “Are you going to have fun today?” For

teachers, collegial observation is common, and “best

practices” are constantly shared.

SCHOOL LEADER TISHA MARKETTE

GRADES SERVED K-2 (GROWING TO K-4)

# OF STUDENTS 257

www.achievementfirst.org 2�

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

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,

students tour the campuses, attend lectures,

participate in mock interviews with admissions staff

and stay in the dormitories. While the college visit is

the core of each trip, students’ horizons are

broadened in countless other ways. For example,

sixth graders go camping, hiking and biking through

Acadia National Park, and many eat their first lobster!

SCHOOL LEADER MARC MICHAELSON


Elm City College Prep Middle

Elm City College Prep Elementary

Elm City College Preparatory Elementary School

opened in New Haven in 2004 and was the first

Achievement First school with an elementary program.

Four years later, the elementary reading curriculum

continues to center around a three-hour, sacred read-

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

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.

SCHOOL LEADER MORGAN BARTH

GRADES SERVED K-4 # OF STUDENTS 268

2004


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

*elm cIty college prep elementary*elm cIty college prep mIddle


ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Crown Heights Middle

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.

After-school activities include a documentary film

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

basketball. Last year, the school was proud that both

its boys’ and girls’ basketball teams placed second in

the NYC Charter School Athletic League.

SCHOOL LEADER ORPHEUS WILLIAMS


ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Crown Heights Elementary


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

�04 scholars

200�

Achievement First Crown Heights Charter School

opened in central Brooklyn in 2005 as one of the first

two Achievement First schools in New York City. The

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,

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

activities like yoga, Spanish, chess, jazz, ultimate

Frisbee, scrap-booking, photography and gardening

(just to name a few).

SCHOOL LEADER MIKE KERR


*crown heIghts elementary*crown heIghts mIddle


ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bushwick Elementary

Achievement First Bushwick Charter School opened

with the elementary program in the fall of 2006, fol-

lowed 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 leader-

ship, 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

schools, Bushwick scholars enjoy REACH Circle and

a host of fun enrichment activities, including martial

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

has partnered with local arts organizations for lessons

in music, the guitar club is funded through the Little

Kids Rock Foundation and the Piano School provides

lessons at a reduced rate.

SCHOOL LEADER LIZETTE SUXO


# OF STUDENTS 334


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

�04 scholars

ACHiEVEMEnT FirST East new York Elementary

Achievement First East New York Charter School

opened with kindergarten and first grades in the fall

of 2005. The cornerstone of the school culture is the

value of team and family as embodied by the “wolf

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

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

reinforce aspects of the Achievement First program

at home. Teachers and parents share a common lan-

guage around educational goals. Like other Achieve-

ment First schools, Achievement First East New York

offers unique enrichment activities. Students can

participate in kung-fu, basketball, yoga, track, step

team, dance team, chorus, guitar club and African

drumming. Last year, one classroom worked with an

animation studio to develop the storyline, characters

and dialogue for a short animated film.

SCHOOL LEADER DENNISTON REID


200� *east new york elementary

*bushwIck elementary2006


ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Endeavor Middle

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

trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Through the

school’s Kindness Campaign, students are rewarded

for acts of kindness with Mardi Gras beads. Achieve-

ment First Endeavor is proud of its teams and clubs,

especially the Rhythm and Funk Jazz Band and the

boys’ basketball team, which won the NYC Charter

School Athletic League Championship.

SCHOOL LEADER ERIC REDWINE


# OF STUDENTS 259

2007


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

*bushwIck mIddle

�04 scholars

ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bushwick Middle

946 scholars

At Achievement First Bushwick Middle School, teach-

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

nerships with students and parents, and make sure

that expectations set at school are upheld at home.

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

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

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

and jazz orchestra are among the school’s other

activities. Like all Achievement First schools, Achieve-

ment First Bushwick Middle finds creative ways to

recognize and reward achievement. Red carpet

events are used to honor Aces (students who receive

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.

SCHOOL LEADER AMY D’ANGELO


# OF STUDENTS 178

*endeavor mIddle2006

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


ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Brownsville Elementary

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 desig-

nated number, and the community celebrates when

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

builds a sense of personal success and community

pride. The school has ambitious goals for partnering

with parents, including four curriculum nights focused

on finding ways to help children at school and home.

The school also hosts bi-monthly coffee events that

allow parents to drop in for more casual meetings

with school leaders and teachers.

SCHOOL LEADER GINA MUSUMECI


# OF STUDENTS 178

note: achIevement fIrst brownsvIlle scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In June 2009 at the end of theIr fIrst year.

2007


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

*brIdgeport mIddle

�04 scholars

ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Bridgeport Middle

2008 *brownsvIlle elementary

946 scholars

�,68� scholars

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy’s 2007 start-

up marked an important milestone in Achievement

First history—the first expansion of our Connecticut

family beyond New Haven. This took some cunning

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

is the Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Lion.

For scholars, the lion symbolizes a school culture that

takes great pride in personal achievement, teamwork

and strong community bonds. Students gather on Fri-

day afternoons for Pride Circle, where individuals are

recognized for academic accomplishments and acting

in ways that show the REACH values (Respect, En-

thusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work).

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy scholars are

particularly enthusiastic about reading and music.

Students spend a portion of every day “independent

hunting” (an activity otherwise known as independent

reading) and the school boasts a talented Lion Jazz

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.

SCHOOL LEADER DEBON LEWIS


# OF STUDENTS 160

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

www.achievementfirst.org ��

ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Hartford Middle

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

levels receive targeted instruction in small groups.

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 45-

minute daily physical education class. One hour is set

aside every Friday afternoon for community-building

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

ling after-school program that will grow in proportion

to the school until scholars are participating in a full

array of sports teams, music and arts opportunities,

and academic clubs.

SCHOOL LEADER JEFF HOUSE

GRADES SERVED 5 (GROWING TO 5-8)

# OF STUDENTS 85

note: achIevement fIrst hartford scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In march 2009 of theIr fIrst year.


�68 scholars

2�2 scholars

��6 scholars

��6 scholars

�04 scholars

ACHiEVEMEnT FirST Hartford Elementary

2008 *hartford mIddle*hartford elementary

946 scholars

�,68� scholars

Achievement First Hartford Academy opened with

kindergarten, first and fifth grades in August 2008 as

part of Superintendant Steven Adamowski’s ambitious

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

have started working on a giant vocabulary wall that

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,

teachers do not just preach constant learning—they

practice it. Teachers frequently demonstrate effective

teaching practices for each other, and every teacher

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.

SCHOOL LEADER CLAIRE SHIN


# OF STUDENTS 168

FPO

2,��4 scholars

note: achIevement fIrst hartford scholars wIll take theIr fIrst standardIzed assessments In June 2009 at the end of theIr fIrst year.

Our School Finances

Achievement First is incredibly grateful for the support

of our host districts in helping us bridge the facilities

challenges that accompany our growth. Thanks to

the leadership of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and

NYC Chancellor Joel Klein, all New York Achievement

First schools have been provided with public school

buildings at virtually no cost.

We are also thankful for partnerships with Bridgeport

Public Schools and Hartford Public Schools and their

provision of free facilities and support for our expan-

sion to new communities.

As we continue to grow, Achievement First is in the

midst of building a comprehensive K-8 facility for

Amistad Academy in New Haven—funded through

a combination of private philanthropy and a $24MM

state facility bond—and one for Achievement First En-

deavor in Brooklyn. The new facility for Achievement

First Endeavor will house 700 K-8 students from the

Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant communities.

Thanks to the partnership of Civic Builders and the

Department of Education, as well as the Robin Hood

Foundation’s cultivation of donor-advised gifts from

Atticus Capital and the Pfizer Foundation, Achieve-

ment 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

initiatives to secure the remaining $2MM and welcome

your support.

Revenue Philanthropy

Revenue Federal

Revenue State

Our Facilities

new York Achievement First School Model

Connecticut Achievement First School Model

Facility Operating Expenses

Non-Personnel, Non-Program Expenses

Non-Personnel Program Expenses

Personnel Expenses

��

Host District Expenses

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

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

**

2007-2008 Central Office Expenses By Functional Area

Our Central Finances2007-2008 UNAUDITED FINANCIALS (Fiscal Year Starts July 1st)

26%

2%

Curriculum, Prof. Dev. & School Support

Development & Community Relations

Talent Development & Recruiting

General, Administrative & Finance

Operations & IT

Depreciation

Athena*

Revenues 858,614

Expenses (including depreciation) 558,445

Net income 300,169

Achievement First Central

Management fees 2,014,487

Philanthropy 3,656,442

Other 260,166

Total 5,931,094

Personnel expenses 3,759,595

Non-personnel expenses 1,845,973

Depreciation expense 139,656

Total 5,745,223

NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) 185,871

20%20%

�6%

��%

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

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.


EXPENSES

SOURCES OF REVENUE

Rendering of new facility for Achievement First Endeavor

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


Jim Cullen

William Curran

Kevin and Katrin Czinger

Anthony Davis

Geoffrey and Mary Davis

Henry Davis

Phoebe Davis

Carolyn Downey

Susan B. Dunn

John and Dawn Egan

Emily Eisenlohr

Eric Epstein

Daniel and Elizabeth Esty

John and Katharine Esty

Ruth Feldman

Richard and Marissa Ferguson

Stephen and Jo Ann Flaum

Sarah Flynn

Lawrence and Megan Foley

George Fox

Catherine Frantzis

Stephen and Linda Friedman

Chris and Toddie Getman

J. Colin Gibson

Chip and Margie Gillis

Susan and Michael Glick

Gary F. Goldring

Bonni Gould

William and Jean Graustein

Adam and Carolyn Greene

Ike and Lesley Goff

Mark Gudis and MaryGrace Gudis

Allen Hadelman

Jim and Melinda Hamilton

Todd and Leslie Hammer

D. Alan and Marcella Harris

Mike Harris

Robert and Kristy Harteveldt

James and Ann Healey

William and Judy Heins

Carlton and Letamarie Highsmith

Dick and Angelica Hinchcliff

Kenneth M Hirsh

Norman and Sandra Jellinghaus

Judge Clarance and Marueen Jones

Paul Tudor and Sonja Jones

Harold and Margaret Kamins

Warren and Allison Kanders

Michael and Shelly Kassen

Jean Kelley

Shannon Kete

John and Barbara Kimberly

Rebecca Kirk and Stephen Fair

Lee Ann Kline

Nat Klipper

Katherine A. Knetzger

Herbert Kohler Jr.

Harvey Koizim

Carol Kranowitz

Carlene Kulisch

Andrew Lachman

Christopher J. LaCroix

Vivian Lau

Molly Le Van

Martin and Andrea Levine

Robin and Barbara Levine-Ritterman

David Levinson

Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ruth Littman

Emily Littman-Eisen

Robert Locascio

Kevin and Erika Long

Henry Lord

Norman and Susan Louie

Janet Magid

Stephen and Susan Mandel

Grant McCracken

Doug McCurry

Andrew J. McEntire

Brian Meacham

Drs. Jerome and Roslyn Meyer

Stephan Mongillo

Emerson Moore III

William Moyes

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Netter

Leo and Libby Nevas

Herbert Newman

William and Catherine Nietzel

Harold and Sandra Noborikawa

Ted and Amy Orenstein

Peter and Beverly Orthwein

Sharon Oster and Raymond Fair

Suzie H. Pascutti

Josh and Sharon Polan

Leonard and Ellen Polaner

Doug Polley

Shaka Rasheed

Barry and Sherri Raifaisen

Brett Rosen and Debra Wattenberg

Gerald Rosenberg and Cheryl Wiesenfeld

Carol Ross

Harvey Ruben and Diane Ruben

June Sachs

Jonathan Sackler and Mary Corson

Shelly Saczynski

Art Samberg

Jennifer L. Schiff

Gabriel Schwartz

Sarah Sherwood

Bruce and Pamela Simonds

Andrew and Candace Smoller

Christopher Sommers

Lawrence and Joyce Stupski

Patricia and Stedman Sweet

Janet Tanner

Nicholas W. Tiller

Dacia Toll

Kenneth and Kathleen Tropin

Alexander and Dale Troy

Cheever Tyler

Phillipp and Donna Villhauer

Giselle Wagner

David Wassong

Roy Walzer

Jon and Jill Weiner

Elliot Wilcox

Tiger and Caroline Williams

F. Perry and Pamela Wilson

Stephen Wizner

Hope Woodhouse and Richard Canty

Brian and Anne Young

Joe and Sue Zaccagnino

CORPORATIONS

American View Productions

Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group

Goldman, Sachs & Co

Kuckly Associates

Pitney Bowes

Towerbrook Foundation

United Illuminating Company

Yale New Haven Hospital

Yale University

Yannix Management, LP

Greenlight Capital

FOUNDATIONS

The Achelis and Bodman Foundations

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Breakthrough New Haven

The Carson Family Charitable Trust

Cerimon Fund

Charter Oak Challenge Foundation

The Clark Foundation

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

The Edith Glick Shoolman Children’s Foundation

Fairfield County Community Foundation

GRO Foundation

H. A. Vance Foundation

Henry E. & Nancy Horton Bartel Trust

Independence Community Foundation

Kneisel Family Foundation

Lone Pine Foundation

The Louis Calder Foundation

Marx Family Foundation

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

The Moody’s Foundation

NewAlliance Foundation

New Profit

New Schools Venture Fund

New York City Center for Charter School Excellence

Newman’s Own Foundation

The Ohnell Family Foundation

The Olson Foundation

The Polaner Family Supporting Foundation

Robin Hood Foundation

The Seedlings Foundation

The Shumway Capital Foundation

Silverleaf Foundation

Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation

Steven A. & Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation

Target Take Charge of Education

The Tiger Foundation

The Vranos Family Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation

The William H Pitt Foundation

United Illuminating Foundation

William C. Graustein Memorial Fund

Woodward Fund

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

We are profoundly grateful and appreciative

of the support displayed by our many

benefactors—your gifts sustain and inspire

our aspiring scholars and dedicated

teachers. Thank you!

INDIVIDUALS

Anonymous

Nancy Ahern

Bruce and Christine Alexander

Steve Anbinder

Carl and Betsy Anderson

Elaine Appellof

Dr. Walter and Mrs. Diane Ariker

Mary Arnstein

Jon Atkeson

David and Beth Atlas

William B. Avery and Linda C. Andros

Francis and Eve Barron

Polly Barry and Richard Clarida

Henry and Nancy Bartels

Richard and Ilene Barth

Myrna Baskin

Dr. Eric and Mrs. Ethel Berger

William R. Berkley

Girish Bhakoo

Diahann Billings Burford

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Boas

Marx G. Bowens III

Nicole Brower

Carmen Bowser

Jonathan Brandt

Eric and Wendy Bronstein

Drs. David and Charlotte Brown

William R. Bruner

Peter and Nancy Buck

Robert and Holly Burt

Khephra Burns

Julie Burton

Guido and Anne Calabresi

Kim and Sally Campbell

Lawrence Caruso

Nicole Campbell

Iris Chen

Tom Chiappetta and Pat Tyre

Gail S. Citrin

Elizabeth Clark

Henry Clark

Mayree C. Clark

Brian and Christina Clarkson

Paula Cleary and Paul Ferrall

Ann and Richard Cohen

David L. Cohen

Dr. William Cohen

Brian and Karen Cohn

Michael and Joyce Critelli

Our Donorsonly the educated are free.

-epIctetus

Achievement First Board of DirectorsWilliam R. BeRkley Chairman W.R. Berkley Corporation, Chairman and CEO

Steve anBindeR Treasurer First Marblehead, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

andReW BoaS Carl Marks Management Co., LP, General Partner

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 Brownsvillekelly WaCHoWiCz Chair I-Star Financial, Vice President of New Business Initiatives

CHRyStal StokeS WilliamS Treasurer American Express Company, Director Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions

Sean andReWS Prospect Park YMCA, Vice President of Operations

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

Achievement First BushwickdeBoRaH SHanley Chair School of Education, Brooklyn College, Dean

SHannon kete Treasurer Goldman Sachs, Chief of Staff, US PWM

yvette BeSt Parent Representative

iRiS CHen I Have A Dream Foundation, CEO/President

HaRRiS FeRRell Achievement First Athena, 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 Heightsl. 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

daCia toll Achievement First, Co-CEO & President

kelly WaCHoWiCz I-Star Financial, Inc., Vice President, New Business Initiatives

Holly WaSHinGton JPMorgan, Vice President

Achievement First East New YorkantHony 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

Achievement First EndeavorSHaka RaSHeed Chair JPMorgan Asset Management, Vice President

SaRaH CURtiS Bey Treasurer Estee Lauder, Marketing Manager

kHePHRa BURnS Author & Playwright

JUStin CoHen Eton Park Capital Management, Investment Analyst

CHRiStoPHeR GRoWney Clearwater Analytics, Co-Founder and Vice President of Business Development

elana kaRoPkin Achievement First, Assistant Superintendent

FRanCeS meSSano Monitor Group, Associate

ClaiRe RoBinSon Moody’s Investors Service, Senior Vice President

may taliaFeRRoW-moSleH Parent Representative

Achievement First North Crown Heights CharTer reCenTly approved in 2007-2008

Wanda Felton Chair Helix Associates, Managing Director

HaSoni PRattS Treasurer Empire State Development Corp, Director of External Relations

deniSe GoRdon Deloitte, HR Manager

maSHea aSHton NYC New Leaders for New Schools, Executive Director

matt klein Blue Ridge Foundation, Executive Director

leSley eSteRS RedWine Achievement First, Director of External Relations

Achievement First HartfordBRUCe doUGlaS Chair CREC, Executive Director

Steve HaRRiS viCe Chair Community Leader

JoHn motley seCreTary/Treasurer MotleyBeup, Owner

dominiC BaSile Teacher Representative

andRea ComeR City of Hartford, Executive Assistant and Hartford Board of Education, Member

alexiS HiGHSmitH Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc., Attorney

Colleen PalmeR Monroe Public Schools, Superintendent

maRSHall RUBen Ruben, Johnson & Morgan, P.C., President

Jim WillinGHam Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer

Achievement First BridgeportandReW BoaS Chair Carl Marks Management Co., LP, General Partner

SHelly kaSSen Treasurer Town of Westport, Selectman

diCk FeRGUSon NewCity Foundation

RiCHaRd kalt CRN International, Inc.,Vice President

kaRen mCintoSH McGivney Community Center, Inc. Executive Director

leo nevaS Nevas, Nevas, Capasse & Gerard, L.L.P., Partner

RoBeRt SCinto Scinto, Inc. Real Estate Development, Chairman

Amistad Academy & Elm City College PrepalexandeR tRoy Chair Troy Capital LLC, CEO

William F HeinS Treasurer Private Investor

JUdGe ClaRenCe JoneS viCe Chair Judicial Branch, State of Connecticut Superior Court Judge

HaRold BRookS Parent Representative

anne tyleR CalaBReSi Community Activist

JoyCe CRitelli Philanthropist

katRin CzinGeR Philanthropist

mayoR JoHn deSteFano Board of Education Representative

diCk FeRGUSon seCreTary NewCity Foundation

allen Hadelman Hadley, Inc. melinda Hamilton Retired, Trilogy Enterprises

CaRlton l. HiGHSmitH Specialized Packaging Group, CEO

Jaime kinG Teacher Representative

andReW laCHman Connecticut Center for School Change, Executive Director

m. ann levett Board of Education Representative

Roxanna loPez Teacher Representative

PaUl mCCRaven New Alliance Bank, Sr. Vice President

SHaRon oSteR Yale School of Management, Dean

PatRiCia PieRCe Yale University, Major Gifts Senior Associate Director

lyStRa m. RiCHaRdSon SCSU, Professor - Dept. of Educational Leadership

CaRoline WilliamS Event Coordinator

Rolan yoUnG Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C., Senior Partner

Boards of Directors

37www.achievementfirst.org

CT Office

403 James street

new haven, CT 06513

NY Office

1137 herkimer street

Brooklyn, ny 11233


af annual report 2008

Documents

achievement gap

reading achievement

achievement firsts

nyc schools

high school students

middle schools

struggling students

grade students