Climbing

the Mountain
to College
Achievement First
2009 Annual Report
Dear Friends,

This is an exciting time in our organizational history—and for education reform both
locally and nationally. As states vie in an unprecedented “Race to the Top,” there is a
growing awareness that education reform is not just a moral imperative, but also an
economic one. As we struggle to get out of our current recession, nothing will do more
to ensure our long-term, collective prosperity than creating outstanding public schools
for all students. A great education can break the cycle of poverty, level the playing field
and prepare our students to compete in a global economy.

Five years ago, most traditional school districts were focused on incremental changes
that were producing, at best, incremental improvements, and Achievement First and
other charter operators were seen as irrelevant and even adversarial. Today, high-
performing charter schools are a central piece of both local and national strategies to
accelerate efforts to close the achievement gap. Over this time, Achievement First has
grown to serve more than 4,600 students at 17 academies in Brooklyn, NY, and in
Connecticut’s big three cities—New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford. In 2009 in both
New York and Connecticut, our fourth- and eighth-grade students (the oldest students
in our elementary and middle schools respectively) outperformed state-wide averages,
proving again that the achievement gap can be closed—and that it can be closed at
scale.

Perhaps more importantly, Achievement First is now doing this work as an active
partner with many of our host school districts. Achievement First Hartford Academy in
its first year posted the greatest performance gains of any school in the city—providing
a powerful validation of Hartford Superintendent Adamowski’s courageous decision
to close a failing school and use the facility to launch Achievement First Hartford. In
New Haven, our hometown mayor and Amistad board member, John DeStefano,
has announced a bold, district-wide reform plan based, in part, on the success
of Achievement First schools. We are in active discussions with the district about
launching a potential leadership training program and other ways that we can support
New Haven’s ambitious reforms. In New York City, Chancellor Joel Klein has asked
us to expand from nine to 20 academies (eight elementary, eight middle and four high
schools), eventually serving more than 7,200 students in central Brooklyn.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. 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 the future they will create for all of us.

Dacia M. Toll Doug McCurry William R. Berkley

Co-CEO Co-CEO Board Chair
Climbing the
Mountain to College
Achievement First students work hard
every day to climb the mountain to
college. Our students make this climb
with the help of effective instruction
from great Achievement First teachers
and leaders, a longer school day and
school year, a rigorous college-prep
curriculum, assessments that track
their progress, and a disciplined and
joyful school culture. At Achievement
First, it is cool to be smart and
everyone feels cared for as a part of
the extended school family.
Achievement First Growth Projections
There is a lot at stake on this achievement gap is both an economic
climb. Despite the promise of equal and moral imperative—the modern
educational opportunity, the United frontier of the civil rights movement.
States has largely failed to provide
Over the last 10 years, thanks
low-income children access to a
to the example set by individual,
high-quality education. The difference
high-performing schools across
in academic performance between
the country, conventional wisdom
poor and affluent students, known
has shifted from a belief that
as the achievement gap, has
“demographics are destiny” to
serious implications for the future
an acknowledgment that student
life opportunities of students and for
success is possible. Education reform
our society at large. With only one in
skeptics now question whether
10 low-income students in the U.S.
success is possible at scale.
graduating from college, closing the

Achievement First is
focused on continuing to
close the achievement gap
in a manner and scale that
is replicable and relevant
for traditional public school
districts.
Achievement First’s theory of change
is that by creating the equivalent
of a high-performing urban public
school “district,” we prove that the
achievement gap can be closed at
scale and can thus inspire and inform
broader district-wide reform efforts.
Our current strategic plan calls for
us to expand from 17 to 34 schools,
eventually serving more than 12,000
students. At this size, we will serve
more students than 95 percent of
school districts in the United States.
As we develop the Achievement First
network, we are guided by three big
goals: quality, scale and sustainability.
We remain committed to creating
the kind of top-quality schools our
students need and deserve, and to
doing so at a meaningful scale and
with a per-student cost equal to
or less than that of our host public
school districts.
Power of the Network
Climbing the mountain to college is a team sport.

Achievement First is much more than great individual

schools—it is an interconnected “team and family”
of students, teachers, parents, school leaders, data
specialists, operations and finance professionals, content
experts, and more. Teachers learn effective classroom
practices from on-site coaches, network leaders and peers
at sister schools. Innovative techniques are spread from
Hartford to East New York as principals come together
regularly to reflect and share, and everyone benefits from
efficiencies created by our operations teams and shared
central support services.
We call this The Power of the Network.
The Achievement First Network Approach
To ensure the success of our schools,
Achievement First has created a
network-wide “school support” team
of professionals focused on finance,
curriculum, talent development,
operations, recruitment, human
capital, technology, data practices,
external relations and more. Our
network-wide support team has five
objectives:
Freeing Schools to Focus on
Achievement
Running an outstanding school
is a difficult and complex job.
Achievement First has found that
by centralizing certain functions—
teacher recruitment, fundraising,
budgeting and fiscal operations,
data management, information
technology, facilities operations,
and more—we are able to free
principals and teachers to focus on
the most important things: teaching
and learning. Centralizing and
coordinating these services enables
us to deliver them at both a higher
level of quality and lower cost than
a single school would on its own. In
addition, within each school, teachers
and principals are supported by an
outstanding school operations team
that handles most non-instructional
tasks, including busing, facilities, food
service, field trips, purchasing, budget
management and state reporting.
Talent Development
Finding, developing, recognizing and
retaining great educators is the key
to the success of our students and
the network as a whole. Achievement
First has focused on recruiting the
best people from around the country,
providing them with outstanding
professional development, and
creating opportunities that will inspire
and support them in their careers. For
example, we have a leadership fellows
program for aspiring school leaders
and are piloting a new “master teacher
career path” for outstanding teachers
who want to stay in the classroom.
Knowledge Capture and Sharing
One of the greatest benefits of
the network is that Achievement
First schools, while sharing some
common elements, are also free to
innovate—each discovering new
answers to the significant challenges
of urban education. We share a core
focus on results and continuous
improvement, which means that
successful practices at one school are
often shared and systematized for the
benefit of the entire network.
School Support and Quality Control
The Achievement First network
provides a variety of support services,
from direct coaching for principals by
assistant superintendents (who have
previously been successful principals
of their own schools) to network-
wide professional development
for teachers, teacher leaders
and principals. At the same time,
Achievement First has a commitment
to ensuring that every school delivers
on its big promises to students and
families; when a school is not meeting
goals, Achievement First has the
power and expertise to intervene
and make whatever changes are
necessary to set the school up for
success.
Efficiencies That Enable the
Network to be Sustainable
Through economies of scale and
specialization, Achievement First
performs key tasks (e.g., student
recruitment, real estate) with
significantly less expense and with
higher levels of quality than the
schools could on their own. These
efficiencies are what enable the
network to operate at cost levels that
are the same or less than our host
districts.
Helpful Tools
for the Climb

Packing for
the Climb
Network-wide support
teams provide
“backpack essentials”
for schools as they
climb.
 Our 4,600 students benefit each and every day
from the power of the network as they climb the
mountain to college. In the next several pages, we will
showcase four network elements utilized by teachers
and school leaders to help students maintain their
footing and complete their difficult journey.

Honing Trail Skills Following Trail Navigating Rough

New staff training, Markers Terrain
content experts, Interim assessments Teachers and school
coaching and continuous and the strategic use leaders work together
professional development of data help provide key from grade to grade
ensure that teachers markers along the trail and school to school to
and school leaders are for teachers and school collectively ensure that
constantly learning and leaders to plan for students continue on
are prepared for the success. the right path.
work ahead.
 School Support
Assistant superintendents each
coach and support four to six school
principals in order to help them
achieve their ambitious student

Packing for the Climb achievement goals. The assistant

superintendents train and coach
principals, develop and share best
Network-wide support teams provide “backpack practices, serve as a principal’s
essentials” for schools as they climb. liaison to the network team, and
conduct school evaluations.
The Achievement First network-wide team “takes the rocks off the road”
by focusing on the countless functions essential for effective day-to-day
school operations. In traditional schools, these tasks can dominate the time
of teachers and school leaders, taking critical time away from their ultimate Data and
goal of student achievement. As a result of the Achievement First network
approach, our principals are able to serve as true instructional leaders,
Information Technology
spending the majority of their time observing and coaching teachers—and AF AthenaTM is a custom-built, web-
even teaching classes themselves. based student performance tool
that allows teachers and principals
to analyze and interpret student
Greg Foster performance data after each six-
week interim assessment. The Data
Regional Director of Team works with school leaders
Operations - New York and teachers to use the data in their
instructional planning and identifies
With a goal as areas of network-wide strength and
audacious as need. The broader IT Team works to
ensure that schools have access to
CLOSING the all necessary technology, while also
achievement gap for ALL students, our school leaders maintaining our tech infrastructure
and providing desktop support.
and teachers do not have a minute to spare on
meetings with bus companies, food service providers
or facility maintenance staff. The operations team
handles all of the non-instructional aspects of
running a school so that our school leaders and
teachers can focus on students.

Talent Development and
Recruitment
The Recruitment Team aggressively
recruits and selects the finest
teachers and leaders. The Talent
Team provides an intensive leadership
training program for all new principals
and deans, facilitates ongoing training
and collaboration for school leaders,
and partners with our schools to
ensure strong talent practices are
creating a great place to work for all
of our team and family members.
Curriculum and
Professional Development
Our Curriculum and Professional
Development Team creates and
facilitates the sharing of instructional
resources, teaching tools and interim
assessments. The team also provides
instructional leadership training
for school leaders and a range of
professional development activities for
teachers. The Special Ed Achievement
Team trains and supports learning
specialists and teachers in intervention
strategies and ensures that our
special education students achieve at
high levels.
External Relations
“Team X” manages Achievement
First’s relationships with all external
parties, including philanthropic
organizations, individual donors,
local communities, charter school
authorizers, state and local
governments, board members, and
advocacy organizations.
Operations, Finance
and HR
Our Operations Team provides
oversight of the daily financial
operations at all schools, negotiates
and manages contracts for common
services (e.g., employee benefits,
commercial insurance), plans and
leads school start-up/expansion,
and manages key school-site
data systems. The Finance Team
provides schools and boards with
financial reports on a monthly
basis, oversees all audit and legal
needs, and negotiates and monitors
network-wide contracts with key
vendors to leverage our purchasing
power. The Human Capital Team
promotes consistency in HR policies
and practices across the schools to
ensure all employees are treated with
fairness and respect.
Honing Trail Skills
New staff training, content experts, coaching and continuous professional
development ensure that teachers and school leaders are growing in their craft
and prepared for the work ahead.
Prior to the school year, new
Achievement First teachers and school
leaders spend three weeks together
learning the “Achievement First
Essentials” of effective instruction. New
teachers collaborate and learn in
subject- and grade-specific training
sessions around lesson and unit
planning, the “joy factor,” academic
rigor, classroom management and
engagement, long-term planning,
school culture, and more—forming a
cohesive picture of instructional
excellence across Achievement First.
Network-wide content experts in math,
English, science, history, music and PE
find, create and share top-notch
curricular resources for teachers, while
allowing for flexibility and creativity in
the classroom. These experts meet
with school leaders and teachers to
diagnose student and teacher needs,
and to implement school-specific and
network-wide training to improve the
quality of instruction. Experts also
oversee the creation of interim
assessments, ensuring that they yield
the best possible data on the skills that
students have mastered and the skills
that still need work.
Achievement First teachers are
constantly supported, challenged and
inspired to take their skills to the next
level. We recognize that the number
one factor impacting student
achievement is teacher quality, so
every teacher at Achievement
First—whether a 10-year veteran or a
recent college graduate—has an
instructional coach. Principals, deans
and master teachers all serve as
coaches who provide teachers with
individualized support to help achieve
their professional learning goals and
maximize student achievement. The
pair meets regularly to reflect on
instruction, debrief lesson observations,
and co-plan lessons and units.
All Achievement First teachers come
together twice a year for a day of
network-wide professional
development to learn from master
teachers and each other. In addition,
every Achievement First school
releases early on Friday afternoons so
that teachers can participate in
school-based sessions. School
leaders structure these Friday
afternoons to support teachers in
analyzing video, data and/or student
work, in planning upcoming lessons
and units, and in sharing instructional
best practices.
We also know that teacher
effectiveness and satisfaction are
heavily influenced by the quality of
school leaders. Achievement First
works hard to select outstanding
school leaders, many of whom now
come from the ranks of our great
teachers through our Leadership
Fellows Program. After serving as an
instructional coach or grade-level
chair, some teachers become deans
focused either on teacher coaching
and professional development
(academic deans) or school culture
and parent engagement (deans of
students). If an Achievement First
dean or top external candidate is
ready and interested in becoming a
principal, they have a full additional
year of training as a “principal in
residence.” During this residency year,
the aspiring principal receives
additional training, spends time
observing great schools both inside
and outside the Achievement First
network, and performs many of the
tasks that they will be required to
handle as principal—all while receiving
feedback from their mentor principal
and Achievement First’s director of
leadership development.
 Sara Keenan
Director of Leadership
Development
It is absolutely rewarding
to witness a talented
teacher develop into an
effective leader. Many of our principals and deans
began their Achievement First careers as teachers,
giving them unique insight into the challenges their
teachers face and helping them become respected and
empathetic leaders.
Nancy Livingston
Director of Math
Achievement
I am passionate about
math, and I want all
Achievement First students
to feel that way too, but I know that math can be a
challenging subject. I work hard to create curricular
materials and professional development sessions that
support our teachers in teaching math in a way that
is rigorous, clear and fun. At Achievement
First, we believe that ALL students can
learn, and an important part of my job is
making sure that we explore
and utilize a variety of
instructional approaches to
help all students achieve mastery
of math content and develop
critical thinking skills.
Following Trail Markers
Interim assessments and the strategic use of data help teachers and
school leaders plan for success.
Our curriculum for each grade level Athena™, Achievement First’s
is divided into five cycles, each of custom-built, web-based interim
which culminates in a cumulative assessment platform, has been
assessment where students instrumental in increasing the
demonstrate mastery of the standards efficiency of our data analysis and
they have learned. A school-wide the effectiveness of our planning and
Data Day follows each cycle, giving instruction. Athena facilitates the
teachers the information they need data analysis for teachers and school
to edit their unit plans, target their leaders and helps them create data-
instruction and design interventions driven instructional battle plans.
for struggling students. This data-
driven lens gives teachers the flexibility
to target their instruction for each
individual student. As a network, the
work being done helps us gain a big
picture overview of our results.
Harris Ferrell
Chief Information Officer
Especially as the Achieve-
ment First network grows,
we need to develop systems
that allow us to continue
doing what we’ve been doing
for the last 10 years—
delivering an achievement-
gap-closing education to
all of our students at a
high level of quality. The
Information and Data Team
is excited about utilizing
technology to do
just that.
Chi Tschang
Assistant Superintendent
I feel incredibly honored
to help our talented and
committed teachers and
leaders become even better.
We are constantly asking,
‘What is the next level in
terms of instructional
planning and delivery and
school culture?’ Tapping
into a network of 17 schools
means that instead of always
starting from scratch, our
schools are able to build
upon the strengths of sister
schools and leverage the
power of many. After all, as
the African proverb says, ‘If
you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go
together.’
Navigating Rough Terrain
Teachers and school leaders work together from grade to grade and school to
school to collectively ensure that all students continue on the right path.
Closing the achievement gap is a
team sport. Teachers and school
leaders across the Achievement First
network support each other and
collaborate to develop and share best
practices, both at in-person, network-
wide professional development days
and through online tools. When the
network comes together twice a
year, there is extraordinary energy in
school chants and cheers and in the
structured sharing sessions.Teachers
trade successful teaching strategies
and materials, with many of the best
documents posted on the network-
wide shared server (which can be
accessed by any Achievement First
employee at school or at home). In
addition, since most Achievement
First schools offer complete K to
12 programs, teachers appreciate
knowing that the progress they
make with a student continues
when he or she moves onto a new
classroom or school in the network.
In conversations with Achievement
First teachers, they have said that
“there is a larger sense of closeness
and community,” “everyone is looking
out for each other and pushing each
other toward success,” and that
“it feels like you’re part of a greater
mission working collectively with like-
minded educators driving toward the
same goal.”
Achievement First school leaders
benefit from an even greater level of
collaboration. All Achievement First
school principals gather five times
during the year for formal sessions
focused on network-wide priorities.
This year, the training and sharing has
focused on boosting reading
achievement, providing effective
coaching for teachers and deans,
and creating disciplined, joyful school
cultures. In addition, principals gather
more often within their geographic
areas to participate in inter-visitations
to observe each others’ schools,
borrow good ideas and provide
meaningful peer feedback.
Academic breakthroughs and
high student achievement also
require teamwork with parents. At
Achievement First, students, parents
and teachers all sign a contract
outlining their shared commitment to
hard work and consistent support
of one another.
Connecticut School Sites
Highlights
Hartford
New Haven
Bridgeport
Amistad Academy Elementary
Amistad Academy Middle
Amistad-Elm City High
Elm City College Preparatory Elementary
Elm City College Preparatory Middle
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy
Achievement First Hartford Academy Elementary
Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle
Ten years since its founding with
84 fifth- and sixth-grade students,
Amistad Academy Middle’s
inaugural fifth graders are now
seniors in college.
Amistad-Elm City High expanded to
serve its first class of 12th graders
and is excited to celebrate their
admission to college later this
spring.
Amistad Academy successfully
negotiated the purchase of the
former Dwight School on Edgewood
Avenue in New Haven, Conn. The
school will undergo two years of
renovations and construction to
become the new, permanent home
of Amistad Academy elementary
and middle schools.
Achievement First Bridgeport
Academy moved to a new,
permanent home at the former
Barnum School on Noble Avenue.
The board of directors also
purchased the former Garfield
School, which will be renovated
so that the school can launch an
elementary program in 2010.
 Elementary School Results
2009 Connecticut Mastery Test
Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing
Results
Middle School Results
2009 Connecticut Mastery Test
Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing
High School Results
2009 Connecticut Academic Performance Test
Percent of 10th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading, Writing and Science
AF Hartford Academy Performance Gains
Overall Student (OSI) Gain
Elementary Schools: On the
2009 Connecticut Mastery
Test, Achievement First’s
oldest elementary students in
Connecticut—Elm City College
Preparatory Elementary fourth
graders—outperformed their New
Haven peers in math, reading and
writing proficiency by 27 percentage
points and surpassed the state
average by six percentage points.
Middle Schools: On the 2009
Connecticut Mastery Test,
Achievement First’s oldest middle
school students in Connecticut—
Amistad Academy Middle and Elm
City College Preparatory Middle
eighth graders—also outperformed
their New Haven peers in math,
reading and writing proficiency by 25
percentage points and surpassed
the state average by four percentage
points.
High School: On the 2009
Connecticut Academic Performance
Test, Achievement First’s 10th
graders at Amistad-Elm City High
outperformed their New Haven
peers in math, reading, writing
and science proficiency by 36
percentage points and surpassed
the state average by eight
percentage points.
At the conclusion of its inaugural
year, Achievement First Hartford
Academy posted the greatest
performance gains of any Hartford
public school.
New York School Sites
Highlights
Bushwick
Brownsville
Crown Heights
East New York
Brooklyn
Achievement First Bushwick Elementary
Achievement First Bushwick Middle
Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary
Achievement First Crown Heights Middle
Achievement First Crown Heights High
Achievement First East New York Elementary
Achievement First East New York Middle
Achievement First Endeavor Middle
Achievement First Brownsville Elementary
Achievement First East New York
Elementary and Achievement First
Crown Heights Elementary both
graduated the first group of fourth
graders, who are now the founding
fifth graders at their respective
middle schools. Thus, instead of
admitting fifth graders by lottery—
students who have historically
performed two years below grade
level—we now have fifth graders
who are, on average, one year
above grade level.
The 2009-10 student enrollment
lottery was our most successful to
date. We received more than 3,500
applications for only 500 open
seats—generating more than seven
applicants for every open seat.
Achievement First opened its
first New York high school—
Achievement First Crown Heights
High. The school is currently
housed in a temporary facility, but
construction continues on schedule
for occupancy of a new, permanent
facility in 2010-11.
 Elementary School Results
2009 New York State Test
Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math and English Language Arts
96

82
Results
73
Elementary Schools: On the 2009
New York state tests, Achievement
First’s oldest elementary students
in New York—Achievement First
Crown Heights Elementary and
Achievement First East New York
Elementary fourth graders—
New York State Local Districts Achievement outperformed their local community
17 & 19 First
school district peers in math and
English Language Arts proficiency
by 23 percentage points and
surpassed the state proficiency
average by 14 percentage points.

Middle School Results Middle Schools: On the 2009 New

2009 New York State Test York state tests, Achievement First’s
Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency oldest middle school students
in Math and English Language Arts
84
in New York—Achievement First
75
Crown Heights Middle eighth
graders—outperformed their local
54
community school district peers in
math and English Language Arts
proficiency by 30 percentage points
and surpassed the state proficiency
average by nine percentage points.

All Achievement First New York

New York State Local District Achievement
19 First schools received straight “A”s on
the annual NYC Department of
Education Progress Reports.

According to our 2009 Parent

Satisfaction Survey, 98 percent of
our parents agree that their child
attends a great school.
 Amistad Academy Elementary
Principal: Tisha Markette
Grades Served: K-3, growing to K-4
# of Students: 337

School Highlights

At the end of the 2008-09 school

year, 91 percent of kindergarteners
were reading at or above grade level,
up from 29 percent at the start of

Connecticut Elementary the school year, as measured by the

nationally normed Developmental
Reading Assessment. Similarly, 98

School Sites percent of first graders and 94 percent

of second graders were reading at
grade level, with more than half of
I work here because I know that everyone does these students reading a full grade
whatever it takes to give our kids the top- level ahead.

quality instruction they need. Before I came to Joy is a key component of the school
culture. Every day begins with a chant
Achievement First, I had nightmares about what called “Are you going to have fun

‘my kids’ would face when they moved to other today?”

Amistad Academy Elementary had

classes and grades. Now I’m surrounded by
phenomenal teachers.
Morgan Barth, Principal, Elm City College
Preparatory
100 percent teacher retention from
the 2008-09 school year to this school
year.
Amistad Academy Elementary has its
inaugural class of third graders this
year, and they are excited to show
what they have learned when they take
the first third-grade state test in 2010.
 Amistad Academy Elementary
Developmental Reading Assessment
Average DRA Level at the Beginning of Kindergarten
to the End of Second Grade
42
40

32
30 End of 2nd
Grade Proficiency

20 18
End of 1st
Grade Proficiency

10
End of Kindergarten
Proficiency
1
0
Beginning of End of End of 1st End of 2nd
Kindergarten Kindergarten Grade Grade

Elm City College Preparatory Achievement First Hartford

Elementary Academy Elementary
Principal: Claire Shin
Elm City College Prep Elementary
Principal: Morgan Barth 2009 Connecticut Mastery Test
Grades Served: K-4 Grades Served: K-2, growing to K-4 Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing
# of Students: 278 # of Students: 269 87
90
81
School Highlights School Highlights 80
70
On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery At the end of the 2008-09 school year, 60
60

Test, fourth graders outperformed their 82 percent of kindergarteners were 50

New Haven peers by 27 percentage
points and their state-wide peers by six
percentage points.
Teachers find creative ways to reward
hard work, such as taking students on
trips to local book stores and participa-
tion in “Funtastic Friday” celebrations.
The curriculum has always included
a three-hour reading block. This year,
the school is adding even more read-
ing time for third- and fourth-grade
students and more interventions for
struggling readers.
Teachers are focused on relationship
building with parents and families,
reading at or above grade level as 40
measured by the Fountas and Pinnell 30
assessment. Similarly, 77 percent of first 20
graders were reading at or above grade 10
level, an improvement of 25 percentage 0
Connecticut New Haven Elm City College
points from the start of the school year. Prep Elementary
Every day begins with Morning
Motivation, which includes recognition of
exemplary REACH values and a school- Achievement First Hartford Elementary
2009 Fountas and Pinnell Assessment
wide song to put all students on track to
Percent of First Grade Students Reading
have a successful day of learning. At or Above Grade Level
80
Every teacher has a coach who they 77
70
meet with on a weekly basis to identify 60
strengths and develop strategies for 52
50
improvement.
40

recently hosting more than 100 parents
for “Parent Reading Mania Night.”
This is a series of workshops to teach
parents how to use the school’s read-
ing strategies to support their children
at home.
Achievement First Hartford Academy 30
20
Elementary is focused on fostering open
10
communication with families. Before
0
the first day of homework, teachers Beginning of End of
First Grade First Grade
call every family to explain the school’s
homework expectations. As a result of
this and many other efforts, homework
completion rates have been on the rise.

.
 Achievement First Bushwick Elementary
2009 New York State Test
Percent of 3rd Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math and English Language Arts
92

New York Elementary

90 85
80
70 67

School Sites
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
New York Local Achievement First
State District 23 Bushwick
Elementary
Achievement First Brownsville
Elementary
Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary Principal: Gina Musumeci
2009 New York State Test Grades Served: K-2, growing to K-4
Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
# of Students: 247
in Math and English Language Arts
99 Everyone at
90
80
82 Achievement First is School Highlights

70
74
driving toward the At the end of the school year, 95
percent of kindergarteners were
60
50
same end and held reading at or above grade level as
40
30
to the same high measured by the Fountas and Pinnell
assessment. Of these students,
20 bar, yet there is 54 percent were reading at a level
10
0
room for individuality. equivalent to a student at the end of
first grade.
New York
State
Local
District 17
Achievement First
Crown Heights
Elementary
Achievement First The math curriculum uses a
recognizes the constructivist approach wherein

Achievement First East New York Elementary

strengths different students generate their own strategies
for solving math problems using
2009 New York State Test
Percent of 4th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
people bring to the manipulatives, writing and discussion.

90
in Math and English Language Arts
93 table and seeks to The entire Achievement First

80
82
72
leverage and build Brownsville team and family—teachers,
students and parents—gather for a
70
60
upon those strengths. weekly Morning Circle, during which
the community celebrates successes
50
40
Kevin Lohela, and identifies challenges to overcome.
30 Academic Dean, Students share their learning and talent
20
10 Achievement First with parents during quarterly “arts
nights” and potluck dinners. Students
0
New York
State
Local
District 19
Achievement First
East New York
Crown Heights perform before their parents, teachers
Elementary and school community while becoming
accomplished dancers, singers and
artists.
Achievement First Bushwick
Elementary
Principal: Lizette Suxo
Grades Served: K-4
# of Students: 415
School Highlights
On the 2009 New York state tests,
third graders outperformed their
district peers by 25 percentage points
and their state-wide peers by seven
percentage points.
Achievement First Bushwick
Elementary hosts an annual multi-
cultural showcase and potluck dinner
to celebrate the cultural heritage of
its students and families. The school
serves the largest Hispanic population
in the Achievement First network.
In addition to offering students martial
arts, drama club, health and fitness,
and chorus after school, the school
has partnered with The Piano School
of Brooklyn to offer students lessons
in music.
Achievement First Bushwick
Elementary has launched a revised
kindergarten reading and math
curriculum focused on thematic units.
This approach to reading and math
instruction is based on discovery
through the exploration of themes
relatable to the life and experiences of
a kindergarten student.
Achievement First Crown
Heights Elementary
Principal: Marin Smith
Grades Served: K-4
# of Students: 422
School Highlights
On the 2009 New York state tests,
fourth graders outperformed their district
peers by 25 percentage points and
their state-wide peers by 17 percentage
points.
Students earn “paw prints” (the school’s
mascot is the cougar) and can redeem
them for special events and activities.
The school recently introduced new
incentive programs to boost homework
completion, attendance and uniform
compliance rates. A public scoreboard
tracks weekly homework completion
and attendance rates for each class,
and winning classes are treated to a
celebratory party. If a class has 100
percent uniform compliance, they receive
a fun treat from the dean of students.
Each month, students read stories, role
play, sing songs and create artwork,
which helps them learn about one of the
five REACH values. At the end of the
month, the school gathers to celebrate
what they have learned and to reward
students who exemplify the REACH
values.
Achievement First East New
York Elementary
Principal: Denniston Reid
Grades Served: K-4
# of Students: 418
School Highlights
On the 2009 New York state tests, fourth
graders outperformed their district peers
by 21 percentage points and their state-
wide peers by 11 percentage points.
The cornerstone of school culture is 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.
At Achievement First East New York
Elementary, parents are partners. The
school distributes a weekly parent
newsletter and holds regular workshops
on reinforcing aspects of the school
program at home.
Students can participate in a variety of
extracurricular activities, including kung-fu,
basketball, yoga, track, step team, dance
team, chorus, guitar club and African
drumming.
 Amistad Academy Middle
2009 Connecticut Mastery Test
Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing
90
90 83
80

Connecticut Middle
70
62
60
50

School Sites
40
30
20
10
0
Connecticut New Haven Amistad
Academy Middle

Elm City College Prep Middle Amistad Academy Middle

2009 Connecticut Mastery Test Principal: Matthew Taylor
Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing Grades Served: 5-8
90
80
83 83 When I walk into an # of Students: 278

70
62
Achievement First School Highlights
60
50
school, sometimes I On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery Test,
eighth graders outperformed their New
40 just want to pause Haven peers by 28 percentage points
30
20
and hang out for a and their state-wide peers by seven
percentage points.
10 little while because
0
Connecticut New Haven Elm City College
Prep Middle
it’s so electric. The school gathers weekly for Morning
Circle, where students are recognized
The teachers and for academic achievement and strong
faculty are just so character skills. Town Meetings take place
every six weeks and build school spirit
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle
2009 Connecticut Mastery Test interested—each and with music, skits, cheers and awards.
Percent of 6th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math, Reading and Writing every one of them— This year, the school team is establishing
90
80
83 82 and so engaged in higher, clearer expectations for student
achievement and behavior so that follow
70 63 what they are doing. through on academic and discipline
60
issues is consistent and effective. The
50 Christopher Champion, result has been a dramatic drop in
40
30
Parent, Amistad class time missed by students who are
struggling with discipline issues.
20 Academy
10 Instructional coaching is a cornerstone of
0
Connecticut Bridgeport Achievement First the school’s professional culture. Every
Bridgeport
Academy Middle teacher meets weekly with their coach to
debrief classroom observations, analyze
student work, and create short- and long-
term curricular plans.
Elm City College Prep Middle
Principal: Marc Michaelson
Grades Served: 5-8
# of Students: 218
School Highlights
On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery
Test, eighth graders outperformed
their New Haven peers by 21
percentage points and scored on par
with their state-wide peers.
Elm City College Preparatory
Middle boasts a particularly “warm
demanding” school culture, where
respect, teamwork and hard work are
the platinum standards.
Students look forward all year to the
end-of-year college field trips. During
these trips, students tour campuses,
attend lectures, participate in mock
interviews with admissions staff and
stay in the dormitories.
Approximately 30 students
participated in the second annual
“Tent City” fundraiser to benefit the
homeless. The students raised money
to keep the Cedar Street overflow
shelter open through the winter.
Achievement First Bridgeport
Academy Middle
Principal: Debon Lewis
Grades Served: 5-7, growing to 5-8
# of Students: 236
School Highlights
On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery
Test, sixth graders outperformed their
Bridgeport peers by 19 percentage
points after only two years at the school.
This year, Achievement First Bridgeport
Academy Middle completed its most
successful Lionization Week to date.
The school’s mascot is the lion, and
Lionization Week is a powerful induction
experience that welcomes new students
into the “pride.”
Students spend a portion of every
day “independent hunting,” an activity
otherwise known as independent
reading.
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy
is one of three schools piloting Life
Prep, a new Achievement First program
focusing on character education. As
part of the program, students are
partnering with 11 charities and non-
profit organizations in the Bridgeport
area to raise funds and provide volunteer
services.
Achievement First Hartford
Academy Middle
Principal: Jeff House
Grades Served: 5-6, growing to 5-8
# of Students: 173
School Highlights
On the 2009 Connecticut Mastery
Test, fifth graders outperformed their
Hartford peers by 13 percentage
points after only one year at the school.
The students demonstrated the
greatest performance gains from 2008
of any Hartford public school.
Following the school’s inaugural
year, the Achievement First Hartford
Academy Middle team is looking to
raise the bar even higher. The school
experienced an improved student
orientation week; as a result, students
are happier, better behaved and
working harder than ever before.
Teachers submit written lesson plans at
the end of each week. School leaders
review the plans and provide feedback
to support teachers in developing high-
quality lessons that help all students
learn.
New York Middle
School Sites
Achievement First Bushwick
Middle
Principal: Amy D’Angelo
Grades Served: 5-7, growing to 5-8
When you walk into an # of Students: 246
Achievement First school, School Highlights
you immediately notice On the 2009 New York state tests,
how much learning is sixth graders outperformed their
district peers by eight percentage
taking place. Teachers points and scored nearly on par with
are delivering powerful their state-wide peers after only two
years at the school.
lessons and students Students serve on a Principal Advisory
are engaged. There is a Board, which oversees and rules on
calm, welcoming and safe “cases” in which students are close
to meeting homework and behavior/
feeling as you observe character goals but have not made
the amazing work that’s the cut-off for the end-of-year field
trip.
going on. Students participate in Scholar Dollar
Laci Chisholm, Dean of auctions in which all items are focused
on “quality time” with teachers.
Students, Achievement Students perform in a traveling
First East New York orchestra, which made its Manhattan
debut as part of the Vision Jazz
Festival.
Achievement First Crown
Heights Middle
Principal: Keisha Rattray
and Roseann Sheehan
Grades Served: 5-8
# of Students: 345
School Highlights
On the 2009 New York state test,
eighth graders outperformed their
district peers by 30 percentage points
and their state-wide peers by nine
percentage points.
Achievement First Crown Heights
Middle pioneered the Natural Born
Aces (NBA) program to help male
students who are on the cusp of
receiving straight “A”s achieve their
goal.
The school hosts challenge events to
foster healthy competition, like a Book
Bowl or a Multiplication Tournament.
Teachers have tons of school spirit
and are known for performing
high-energy, crowd-pleasing cheers
during network-wide professional
development days.
 Achievement First Bushwick Middle
2009 New York State Test
Percent of 6th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math and English Language Arts
90
82 81
80
73
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
New York Local Achievement First
State District 32 Bushwick
Middle

Achievement First East Achievement First Endeavor

New York Middle Middle Achievement First Crown Heights Middle
2009 New York State Test
Principal: David Hardy Principal:Tom Kaiser Percent of 8th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
in Math and English Language Arts
Grade Served: 5, growing to 5-8 Grades Served: 5-8
90
# of Students: 90 # of Students: 302 84
80 75
School Highlights School Highlights 70
60 54
Achievement First East New York On the 2009 New York state tests, 50
Middle opened this year, welcoming seventh graders outperformed their 40
the first fourth-grade students from district peers by 14 percentage points 30
Achievement First East New York and scored on par with their state- 20
Elementary. wide peers. 10
0
Achievement First East New York On their end-of-the-year trip, sixth New York Local Achievement First
State District 17 Crown Heights
Middle strives to develop students graders were pushed outside their Middle
who are prepared for the rigors of comfort zones and developed
high school and college by thinking confidence through camping in the
critically, listening, learning and Blue Ridge Mountains.
Achievement First Endeavor Middle
articulating their opinions with respect. 2009 New York State Test
Achievement First Endeavor Middle
Percent of 7th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
Students can earn the honor of serving is proud of its teams and clubs, in Math and English Language Arts
on the Principal Advisory Committee, especially the Rhythm and Funk Jazz 90 84 84
which meets weekly with the school Band and the boys’ basketball team, 80
70
leadership team to discuss improving which won the NYC Charter School 70

school culture and academics. Athletic League Championship. 60

50
Each month, students have the Achievement First Endeavor Middle 40
opportunity to attend exciting events is eagerly anticipating an early 2010 30
as a reward for demonstrating move to its new $55 million facility on 20
outstanding character and academic Waverly Avenue. The facility will be 10
achievement through hard work. complete with modern classrooms, a 0
New York Local Achievement First
full library and rooftop recreation areas. State District 14 & 16 Endeavor
Middle

Connecticut &
New York High
School Sites
Amistad-Elm City High
Principal: Jeff Sudmyer
Grades Served: 9-12
# of Students: 175
School Highlights
On the 2009 Connecticut Academic
Performance Test, 10th graders
surpassed their New Haven district
peers by 36 percentage points and
outperformed their state-wide peers
by eight percentage points.
Students have the opportunity to earn
up to nine college credits from UConn.
Amistad-Elm City High teachers are
certified as adjunct professors and all
11th and 12th graders are considered
UConn students with unfettered access
to the university’s libraries and other
resources.
Amistad-Elm City High’s four-year
program far exceeds the baseline of 20
credits mandated by the state for high
school graduation. In all, graduates
earn over 30 credits and must take
both AP Biology and AP U.S. History.
Every student must participate in at
least one summer enrichment program
before graduation. Students are
encouraged to apply to programs that
provide enriching experiences and
challenge them to step beyond their
comfort zones.
Amistad-Elm City High School piloted Achievement
First’s high school program, and with the
founding of Achievement First Crown Heights
High we are thrilled to have a sister high school
for collaboration. Knowing all of the incredible
progress made by Amistad-Elm City High over
the last three years, I cannot wait to see how
much further we will go together.
Mary Ann Holland, Teacher,
Amistad-Elm City High
Achievement First Crown
Heights High
Principal: Paul Adler
Grade Served: 9, growing to 9-12
# of Students: 62
School Highlights
Achievement First Crown Heights
High is the first high school in
Achievement First’s Brooklyn network
Amistad-Elm City High
of schools. 2009 Connecticut Academic Performance Test
Percent of 10th Grade Students At or Above Proficiency
All students are educated about the in Math, Reading, Writing and Science
89
many facets of college life and the 90
81
different programs offered at colleges 80
and universities, and will receive 70
guidance in drafting their college 60 53
50
lists and preparing to navigate the
40
admissions process.
30
Achievement First Crown Heights 20
High offers an interest-based 10
extracurricular program aimed at 0
Connecticut New Haven Amistad-Elm City
cultivating the whole student through High
athletics, yoga, the arts, dance,
leadership or peer mediation.
Every student is working toward a
mission of community leadership.
Students are expected to
support their local community by
demonstrating good character,
participating in meaningful volunteer
work and learning about others from
different backgrounds.
Climbing
the Mountain
to College
Beginning The Ascent:
Kindergarten
Chrisonia Barnaby,
Achievement First Hartford
Academy Elementary
Even as a kindergartener, Chrisonia
Barnaby is already on the path to
college. She knows that it is a long
climb requiring a lot of hard work,
but she is focused on 2026, the
year she will graduate from college.
Like all Achievement First students,
Chrisonia receives three hours of
reading instruction every day. Incredible
growth in reading is common among
Achievement First kindergarten students,
with nearly 100 percent finishing the
year reading at or above grade level.
Chrisonia is also a great writer, and she
often thanks her teachers for “teaching
me to write.”
As a reward for her hard work, Chrisonia
looks forward to the joyful celebrations
that make learning fun. Each morning
begins with Morning Motivation, which
includes recognitions and shout-outs
for great student work. Chrisonia
also enjoys monthly REACH Circles
where students are recognized for
demonstrating our core values. She
earned a citizenship award by keeping
her workspace neat and consistently
cleaning up after her teammates.
Traversing Difficult Terrain:
Fourth Grade
Kayla Colon, Achievement First
Bushwick Elementary
Kayla Colon is a member of
Achievement First Bushwick
Elementary’s first fourth-grade class.
At the end of the school year, Kayla
and her classmates will be the first
fourth graders to matriculate to
Achievement First Bushwick Middle
as fifth graders. This is an important
milestone for the Achievement
First network in reaching our goal
of providing a continuous K to 12
education that delivers our students
to the doors of college prepared for
its rigors.
Kayla’s favorite subject is math and
she benefits from an extended math
block every day. For Kayla, fourth-
grade math has been a fluid transition
from third grade. This year, Kayla
will continue building her knowledge
of fractions, multiplication, division,
basic geometry and algebra, units
of measurement, and statistics and
probability.
Reaching for Higher
Elevation: Eighth Grade
Mereno Williams, Achievement
First Crown Heights Middle
As an eighth grader, Mereno Williams
has the important responsibility of
serving as a role model and leader
for Achievement First Crown Heights
Middle students in grades five to
seven. With high school just around
the corner, Mereno will continue
pushing himself to work hard in
preparation for its rigors. The first
eighth-grade class graduated from
Achievement First Crown Heights
Middle last year and became
the founding class of the new
Achievement First Crown Heights
High, laying a road map for Mereno as
he aspires toward success.
Mereno is a participant in Achievement
First Crown Heights Middle’s Natural
Born Aces (NBA) program, a unique
program that helps male students on
the cusp of becoming Aces (getting
straight “A”s) achieve this goal through
team goal-setting, emotional support
from peers and candid conversations
about the formation of their identity as
young, African-American males.
Reaching a Summit:
Twelfth Grade
Julius Bennett, Amistad-Elm City
High
As a senior, Julius Bennett is finally
positioned to use all that he has
learned in his college readiness
classes, which he began in ninth
grade. With the support of his college
counselor, teachers, peers and family,
he is successfully navigating the college
selection and application process, the
financial aid process, and the transition
to adulthood. Julius is applying to
the University of Connecticut, Yale
University, Union College, Fairfield
University, Rochester Institute of
Technology and Bates College.
Amistad-Elm City High aspires to
develop well-rounded students. As
a senior, Julius has the opportunity
to choose from several electives,
such as interning at local businesses
and non-profit organizations,
earning college credits from the
University of Connecticut and other
local universities, serving as a
teaching assistant, taking computer
programming courses, and serving
on the Student Life Committee that
plans graduation, prom and the
yearbook. Julius is currently enrolled in
a semester-long philosophy course at
Southern Connecticut State University.
Starting Another Climb:
College
Kiara Fuller, Alumna of Amistad
Academy
Kiara Fuller is in her senior year at
Connecticut College, working toward
a degree in psychology. She was
a member of Amistad Academy’s
founding fifth-grade class and will be
among the first Amistad Academy
alumni to graduate from college in
the spring. While Kiara found Amistad
Academy Middle very strict when she
first started, she eventually realized
that the discipline and hard work that
was expected of her was for the best.
Today, she applies the value of hard
work to everything she does, and it
has certainly paid off.
Kiara admits that, early on, most
people did not expect her to graduate
from college, much less a top school
like Connecticut College. She credits
her networks of support, including her
family, friends and Amistad Academy,
for helping her overcome obstacles
along the way. When Kiara becomes
a college graduate in May, it will be
her proudest accomplishment to
date—although we are sure she will
have many more!
 Finances

Our Network Finances

(2008-09 unaudited financials)

Revenues Network Expenses

Management Fees 3,377,701
Philanthropy 4,136,542
Other 186,244 1 %
Total 7,700,486

Expenses
Personnel Expenses 5,326,006
Non-personnel Expenses 1,794,337
Depreciation Expense 239,871
17 %
Total 7,360,214
26%
Surplus/(Deficit)** 340,272

Athena* 17 %
Revenues 812,344
Expenses 952,090 21 %
Surplus/(Deficit) (139,746) 18 %

*Athena™ is Achievement First’s custom-built, web-based interim assessment Curriculum, Prof. Dev. & School Support
platform, providing performance data analysis and knowledge management for
Talent Development & Recruiting
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 General, Administrative & FInancial
software platform that is independently managed from Achievement First’s
Development & Community Relations
central operations.
Operations & IT
**The FY09 surplus has been put in a board-resigned reserve account that will
be used for FY10 expenses and to cover facility purchases and renovation
Depreciation
expenses for Achievement First schools.
Our School Finances
(based on 2008-09 funding at full enrollment)

New York Achievement First Model Connecticut Achievement First Model

*
*

Achievement First operates college-preparatory public Revenue Philanthropy

charter schools at a per-student cost equal to or less Revenue Federal
than its host public school districts in New York and
Revenue State
Connecticut.
Facility Operating Expenses
*Host district pupil data based on 2007-08 actuals, increased by 3 percent per Non-Personnel, Non-Program Expenses
year to compare to 2009-10. The amount was adjusted to control for expenses
Non-Personnel Program Expenses
provided in-kind to Achievement First schools such as facilities operations and
transportation. Personnel Expenses
Host District Expenses
Facilities
Securing appropriate, permanent
facilities is a critical issue for all
charter schools, and Achievement
First has made great progress in
meeting that challenge in 2009
through the generous support of
our donors, tremendous assistance
from allied organizations and strong
partnerships with our host districts.
In New Haven, we purchased the
former Dwight School from the City
of New Haven and have begun
a two-year renovation project to
make this a permanent home for
Amistad Academy’s elementary
and middle schools. The $32
million project is being funded
through a combination of private
philanthropy and an unprecedented
$24 million state grant.
Our two new schools in Hartford
were provided with an existing
public school facility at no cost by
the Hartford Public School District.
While the current building is too
small to house us permanently, the
district has committed to providing
another building and is working
with us to make the necessary
capital improvements.
Achievement First Bridgeport
Academy Middle School found
a permanent home when it
purchased the former Barnum
School from the City of Bridgeport
and made renovations over the
summer. Further improvements,
such as the addition of a gym,
will be necessary, but the existing
building provides an excellent
foundation. A site has also been
secured for Achievement First
Bridgeport Elementary, which we
hope to open in August 2010.
In Brooklyn, construction is nearing
completion on the Waverly building,
which will house Achievement First
Endeavor elementary and middle
schools. Built in partnership with
the New York City Department of
Education and Civic Builders, this
$55 million project will also house
Achievement First’s New York
office.
Construction also began on an
incredible new building in Crown
Heights that will house our New
York high schools. The 200,000-
square-foot facility will be shared
with our charter school partner
Uncommon Schools, and has
been funded and managed by
the unbelievable generosity of
the Robin Hood Foundation in
partnership with the New York City
Department of Education.
Our remaining schools in New
York continue to occupy facilities
provided by the New York City
Department of Education, thanks
to the leadership of Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel
Klein. In Connecticut, our other
schools occupy a mix of owned
and leased properties.
Our Approach
All Achievement First schools share six core
program elements.
Unwavering Focus on Student
Achievement
All Achievement First teachers and
principals are focused on completely
closing the achievement gap for our
students, and student performance is
the chief factor in school, principal and
teacher evaluations.
Talent Development
Achievement First firmly believes that
the most important determinant of
student achievement is the quality of
the teacher in the classroom. Likewise,
the quality of school leaders is the
most important driver of teacher
success. Achievement First goes
to great lengths to recruit, develop,
recognize and retain a team of
talented teachers and school leaders.
All new Achievement First school
leaders train for an entire year before
launching a new school, and all new
Achievement First teachers participate
in nearly three weeks of professional
development. Achievement First
schools release early on Fridays to
provide two additional hours of staff
meeting and learning time. Every
Achievement First teacher has a coach
(a principal, dean or master teacher)
who meets with them at least once
every two weeks to provide individual
coaching and support.
More Time on Task
The Achievement First school day
is nearly two hours longer than the
traditional public school day, allowing
many students to have two reading
classes and an extended math
class every day. Tutoring is available
during and after school, an average
of one to two hours of homework is
assigned per night, and an intensive
independent reading program is
prioritized so that students READ,
READ, READ both at home and at
school. In addition, all Achievement
First students attend a required 15-day
Summer Academy. Over the course
of a K to 12 education, this extra time
amounts to one additional year of
instruction.
Rigorous Curriculum
Achievement First outlines the
ambitious academic standards that
all Achievement First students are
expected to master at each grade
level, so that success in one grade
can be seamlessly built on in the next.
Teachers understand that “covering
material” is not our goal; what is
important is how well students master
the essential knowledge and skills.
Strategic Use of Data and
Interventions for Struggling
Students
Every six weeks, Achievement First
teachers give interim assessments
(IAs) that measure whether students
have actually mastered what we have
taught them. These results are then
uploaded to AF Athena, a custom-
built assessment system. Teachers
and principals spend a Data Day after
each IA dedicated to reviewing the
individual assessments and together
creating data-driven instructional
plans that target whole class, small
group and one-on-one instruction to
address any gaps in student learning.
Strong School Culture
Immediately upon entering an
Achievement First school, you can
feel a sense of urgency, order, focus
and joy. Key elements of Achievement
First’s school culture include the
following:
Commitment to character education:
All students live by the REACH values
(Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement,
Citizenship and Hard Work). Our goal
is to develop well-rounded students,
and we teach these character values
as explicitly as we teach academics.
Sweating the small stuff: In many
urban schools, teachers and leaders
“pick their battles,” only addressing
egregious instances of poor behavior.
Achievement First, on the other hand,
has adopted sociologist James Q.
Wilson’s “broken windows” theory
that even small details can have a Parents as partners: At Achievement
significant effect on overall culture, First schools, parents, students
and we believe that students will rise and leaders all sign a contract that
to the level of expectations adults outlines their shared commitment to
have for them. hard work and consistent support
of one another. While this contract is
College focus: The message at
not legally binding, it is an important
Achievement First schools is that all
symbolic commitment and plays
students are going to college. We
an integral role in strengthening the
continuously expose students to
relationship between parents and the
college—all of our classrooms are
school.
named after universities, students
make field trips to college campuses, Uniforms: All Achievement First
hear speakers talk about college, students wear their school’s chosen
write research papers on colleges uniform.
and, most important, master a
Joy factor: Achievement First believes
college-preparatory curriculum. From
that great education should be
the moment our students arrive, they
rigorous AND fun, challenging AND
know what year they are expected
engaging, structured AND joyful. In
to graduate from college (our current
fact, we coach teachers to ensure that
kindergarteners are known as the
the J-Factor (the “joy factor”) is high
“Class of 2026”).
in every class and dominates regular
Teachers know and care: school-wide celebrations. Students
Achievement First schools are small are frequently and systematically
learning communities in which all recognized for academic achievement
teachers and leaders know the names and good behavior.
of all students. Every Achievement
First school has some form of
advisory program so that teachers
are able to develop meaningful
relationships with each student in their
advisory.
Donors
William Curran Carlton and Letamarie Highsmith
Sarah Curtis-Bey Dick and Angelica Hinchcliff
Kevin and Katrin Czinger Kenneth M. Hirsh
Emile Dabora Gary and Julie Holloway
Anthony and Suzy Davis Vanessa Jackson
We are profoundly grateful and Nancy DeLisi Daisy James
Roberta Denning Norman and Sandra Jellinghaus
appreciative of the support displayed by Alexandra Desbrow Chandra Jesse and Julius Gaudio
our many benefactors. Your gifts sustain Dr. Bruce and Mrs. Allison Douglas Jalak Jobanputra
Jane and Chuck Dowding Judge Clarance and Mrs. Maureen Jones
and inspire our aspiring students and
Frank and Augusta Downey Harold and Margaret Kamins
dedicated teachers. Thank you! Susan B. and Thomas Dunn Elana Karopkin
Andrew and Eileen Eder Shelly and Michael Kassen
Individuals Andrea Edic Charles T. Kellogg
Anonymous David and Cindy Eigen Karen Kesner
Anonymous Emily Eisenlohr William H. Ketcham and Beth Ward
Bruce and Christine Alexander Charles and Jane Ellis Shannon Kete
Dave Anderson Katherine Ender Sylvia Kete
Sean Andrews Bruce and Joan Ente Amin J. Khoury
Jurek and Stephanie Antoszewski Daniel and Elizabeth Esty Dr. Richard Kiley
Elaine Appellof and Jerry Saunders John and Katharine Esty Charles and Gretchen Kingsley
Dr. Walter and Mrs. Diane Ariker Cyrille Farrell Matt Klein
Mary Arnstein Eric and Anne Ferguson Jan Kliger
Andrew B. and Connan Ashforth Richard and Marissa Ferguson Robert and Dana Kligerman
Jon Atkeson Harris Ferrell Nathaniel Klipper
Martha Banks Aileen Ferrick Hugh Knetzger
Edgar and Joan Barksdale Barry and Pamela Fingerhut Fleur Knowsley
Polly Barry and Richard Clarida Tom Foley and Leslie Fahrenkopf Herbert Kohler Jr.
Richard and Ilene Barth Wanda Felton Carol Kranowitz
Gary and Myrna Baskin Terence and Linda Fox Andrew and Ruth Lachman
Elizabeth Giffels-Berardino and Peter Berardino Catherine Frantzis Jean LaVecchia
Dr. Eric and Mrs. Ethel Berger Alan and Ilene Frost Vivian Lau
William R. Berkley June Gaston Robert Lebby
Diahann Billings-Burford John and Anne Geissinger Janet and Peter Lebovitz
Erin Bingle Lee Gelernt William and Kate Lee
Andrew Blackwell Julia Getman Russell and Tracey Lev
Jerry Blumberg Dave and Sonal Gibson Fredrik Lindholm
Andrew and Carol Boas J. Colin Gibson Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Ruth Littman
Marx G. Bowens III and Natasha Bowens Regina Glocker Dr. Steven Eisen and Dr. Emily Littman-Eisen
Mr. and Mrs. Anders Brag Seth Goldman Schuyler Livingston
Jonathan Brandt Edwin Goodman Kevin and Erika Long
Jeffrey Brickman Denise Gordon Henry Lord
Susan and Malcolm Brown William and Jean Graustein Richard and Katherine Loughlin
Richard Buery Nicholas Graves Matthew Lucke
Khephra Burns Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Greenfield Leora Magier
Julie Burton and George G. Sharrard Keely Gregorio Stephen and Susan Mandel
Guido and Anne Calabresi Michael D. and Molly Griffin Nancy A. Marks
Kate Cameron Chris Growney Kristin Marlow
Iris Chen Priscilla Hall Grant McCracken
Tom Chiappetta and Pat Tyre Teresa Hamdan Paul and Cynthia McCraven
Henry Clark III Jim and Melinda Hamilton Doug McCurry
Ann and Richard Cohen Mark and Amanda Harmeling Ian and Sonnet McKinnon
Justin Cohen Taylor and Amy Harmeling James McLaren
Louise Cohen Steven Harris Rachel Meisel
Brooke Connolly Robert and Kristy Harteveldt Suzanne Tanner-Meisel
William Connolly Darrell Harvey Nisa and Martin Mellin
Michael and Joyce Critelli William and Judy Heins Kenneth and Jo Merlau
Jim and Eileen Cullen Malda Hibri Frances Messano
Daniel Curran Alexis N. Highsmith Drs. Jerome and Roslyn Meyer
Graham and Bonnie Miles Chrystal Stokes Williams Ender Family Foundation
Daniel and Sharon Milikowsky Michael Stone Fairfield County Community Foundation—Donor
Robert Minicucci Lawrence and Joyce Stupski Advised Fund
Robert Mnuchin Patricia and Stedman Sweet Frederick DeLuca Foundation
John Motley David Tattan H.A. Vance Foundation
Emerson Moore Dr. Beecher and Mrs. Iris Taylor Hartford Courant Foundation
Gerard Murray Holland Taylor Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
Joseph Nathan Minochka Taylor Imagineers Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Netter Christine Theodore Jana Foundation
Herbert S. Newman Nicholas W. Tiller The Leo and Libby Nevas Family Foundation
David Newton Whitney R. Tilson Lone Pine Foundation
Harold and Sandra Noborikawa Dacia Toll and Jeffrey Klaus The Louis Calder Foundation
Susan Oba Alexander and Dale Troy Marx Family Foundation
Peter and Beverly Orthwein Jennifer Smith Turner Meg and Tim Callahan Family Foundation
Sharon Oster and Raymond Fair Kelly Wachowicz The Moody’s Foundation
Tricia Pacelli and Eric Wepsic Giselle Wagner and Paul Myerson Near and Far Aid Association, Inc.
Colleen Palmer Lyn Gammill Walker New Profit
Suzie Hahn Pascutti Roy and Carol Walzer New Schools Venture Fund
Herbert Pearce and Martha Wood Holly Washington New York City Center for Charter School Excellence
Patricia Pierce and Marc Rubenstein Robert Watson NewAlliance Foundation
Josh and Sharon Polan George Weiss Newman’s Own Foundation
Max Polaner Mark Weissler and Nancy Voye The Ohnell Family Foundation
John and Noreen Poulson Barbara and Theodore Widmayer The Olson Foundation
Hasoni Pratts Tiger and Caroline Williams The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation
Shaka Rasheed F. Perry and Pamela Wilson Rich Charitable Family Trust
William Reese and Dorothy Hurt Natalie Wiltshire Robertson Foundation
Lystra and Renelle Richardson Terrie E. and John F. Wood Robin Hood Foundation
Lesley Esters Redwine Hope Woodhouse and Richard Canty The Seedlings Foundation
Claire Robinson Nat and Margo Woodson Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation
Morgan Rodd Lily Zoberman The Shumway Capital Foundation
Judith M. Rodriguez David Zussman Silverleaf Foundation
Daniel Roitman Julie Zussman Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation, Inc.
Gerald Rosenberg and Cheryl Wiesenfeld Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation
Harvey and Diane Ruben Corporations Tiger Foundation
Marshall Ruben and Carolyn Greenspan Blue Ridge Capital Tortora-Sillcox Family Foundation
Mally and Alan Rutkoff Carter, Morse & Mathias Investment Bankers The Vranos Family Foundation
Jonathan Sackler and Mary Corson Countrywide Cares The Walton Family Foundation
Adam and Margot Sappern Deutsche Bank William C. Graustein Memorial Fund
Ankur Saraiya Forester Capital, LLC The William H. Pitt Foundation
Nick and Clara Sartori Goldman Sachs Woodward Fund
David Savin Greenlight Capital
Lawrence and Gloria Schaffer Hartford Steam Boiler Amistad Academy 10th
Anne Schenck Shekinah Photos, LLC Anniversary Celebration Sponsors
Everett and Sally Schenk Yale New Haven Hospital Ascys Interactive
Melissa and Kenneth Scheve Yale University Bank of America
Jennifer L. Schiff Yannix Management, LP Chapel Construction
Gabriel Schwartz The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Foundations Good Copy Printing & Digital Graphics
Vinit Sethi
The Annie E. Casey Foundation Hadley, Inc.
Deborah Shanley
Henry E. and Nancy Horton Bartels Trust Kenneth Boroson Architects
Peter and Susan Shirk
Bodman Foundation MDG Associates of Connecticut
Katherine Shoemaker
Carl Marks Foundation NewAlliance Bank
Mark Shufro
Carnegie Corporation PPI Benefits Solutions
Constance Silver
Carson Family Charitable Trust Staples
John Simon
Cerimon Fund Whitson’s School Nutrition
Maya Simon
The Charter Oak Challenge Foundation Yale University
Bruce and Pamela Simonds
Clark Foundation
Christopher Sommers
The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Craig Steffen * We are recognizing gifts of $100 or greater
Dalio Foundation
John and Susan Steuer received between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.
Boards of Directors
Achievement First Central Board
William R. Berkley, Chair 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
and Chief Operating Officer
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,
Commerce & Economic Development
Jon D. Sackler Bouncer Foundation, President
Jennifer Smith Turner Girl Scouts of Connecticut,
CEO
Achievement First Brownsville
Kelly Wachowicz, Chair iStar Financial, Vice
President of New Business Initiatives
Chrystal Stokes Williams,Treasurer American
Express Company, Director
Elgina Brooks Parent Representative
Lee Gelernt ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project,
Deputy Director
Max Polaner Achievement First, Chief Financial
Officer
Achievement First Bushwick
Deborah Shanley, Chair Brooklyn College,
School of Education Dean
Jalak Jobanputra, Secretary New York City
Investment Fund, Senior Vice President
Shannon Kete, Treasurer Project Lead the Way,
Chief Operating Officer
Iris Chen I Have a Dream Foundation, CEO/President
Harris Ferrell Achievement First, Chief Information
Officer
Malda Hibri Highbridge Capital Management, LLC,
Senior Vice President
Emerson Moore TMP Worldwide, General Counsel
Judith M. Rodriguez NYC Comptroller’s Office,
Community Associate
Yvette Best Teacher Representative
Achievement First Crown Heights
Hon. L. Priscilla Hall, Chair Supreme Court of
the State of New York Appellate Division, Second
Judicial Department, Justice
Holly Washington, Secretary JP Morgan, Vice
President
Vivian Lau Serengeti Asset Management, Partner
Ethel Phillips Parent Representative
Gabriel Schwartz Davidson Kempner Capital
Management, LLC, Managing Director
Christopher Sommers Greenlight Capital, Analyst
Dacia Toll Achievement First, Co-CEO and President
Achievement First East New York
Anthony Davis, Chair Anchorage Capital Group,
LLC, President
Jon Atkeson, Treasurer Fortress Investment Group,
Managing Director
Diahann Billings Burford City of New York,
Chief Service Officer
Rich Buery Groundwork, Inc., Executive Director
and Founder
J. Colin Gibson Citi Global Wealth Management,
Director
Melaine Mullan Achievement First, Chief Operating
Officer
Tara Griffin McClain Parent Representative
Achievement First Endeavor
Shaka Rasheed, Chair JP Morgan Asset
Management, Managing Director
Frances Messano, Secretary Monitor Group,
Consultant
Sarah Curtis Bey, Treasurer Estee Lauder, Director
Global Makeup Marketing
Khephra Burns Author and Playwright
Justin Cohen Eton Park Capital Management,
Investment Analyst
Chris Growney Clearwater Analytics, Co-Founder
and Vice President of Business Development
Elana Karopkin Achievement First, Assistant
Superintendent
Claire Robinson Moody’s Corporation, Senior
Managing Director
May Taliaferrow-Mosleh Parent Representative
Achievement First North
Crown Heights
Wanda Felton, Chair Private Equity Consulting,
Principal
Denise Gordon, Vice Chair Deloitte Services LP,
National Service Line Talent Manager | Actuarial, Risk
and Analytics
Hasoni Pratts, Treasurer Empire State Development
Corp., Director of External Relations
Mashea Ashton Newark Charter School Fund,
Partner
Matt Klein Blue Ridge Foundation, Executive Director
Lesley Esters Redwine Achievement First, Vice
President of External Relations – NY
Achievement First Bridgeport
Andrew Boas, Chair Carl Marks Management Co.,
LP, General Partner
Shelly Kassen, Secretary/Treasurer Town of
Westport, Selectman
Dick Ferguson Newcity Foundation
Richard Kalt CRN International, Inc., Vice President
Karen King McGivney Community Center, Inc.,
Executive Director
Wiley Mullins Uncle Wiley’s Specialty Foods, Inc.,
President
Emily Saunders Teacher Representative
Achievement First Hartford
Steve Harris, Chair Community Leader
Marshall Ruben, Vice Chair Ruben, Johnson &
Morgan, P.C., President
Colleen Palmer, Secretary Monroe Public Schools,
Superintendent
John Motley, Treasurer MotleyBeup, Owner
Dominic Basile Teacher Representative
Tom Cody Robinson & Cole, Partner
Andrea Comer City of Hartford, Executive Assistant
and Board of Education Representative
Bruce Douglas CREC, Executive Director
Denise Gallucci CREC, General Director of Magnet
Schools
Ja Hannah Parent Representative
Alexis Highsmith Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc.,
Attorney
Jean LaVecchia Northeast Utilities System, Vice
President – Human Resources and Ethics
Jim Willingham Retired
 Amistad Academy
Alexander Troy, Chair Troy Capital, LLC, CEO
Carlton L. Highsmith, Co-Vice Chair Specialized
Packaging Group, CEO
Judge Clarance Jones, Co-Vice Chair Judicial
Branch, State of Connecticut, Superior Court Judge
Jane Levin, Secretary Yale University, Director of
Undergraduate Studies of Directed Studies
Paul McCraven Treasurer New Alliance Bank,
Senior Vice President
Anne Tyler Calabresi Community Activist
Katrin Czinger Philanthropist
Mayor John DeStefano Jr. Board of Education
Representative
Lorraine Gibbons Parent Representative
Andrew Lachman Connecticut Center for School
Change, Executive Director
Caroline Williams Event Coordinator
Rachel Ziegler Teacher Representative

Elm City College Preparatory

Dick Ferguson, Chair Newcity Foundation
Melinda Hamilton, Vice Chair Retired, Trilogy
Enterprises
Lystra M. Richardson, Secretary Southern
Connecticut State University, Professor – Department
of Educational Leadership
William F. Heins, Treasurer Private Investor
Harold Brooks Parent Representative
Joyce Critelli Philanthropist
Allen Hadelman Hadley, Inc., President
M. Ann Levett Board of Education Representative
Sharon Oster Yale School of Management, Dean
Patricia Pierce Yale University, Major Gifts Senior
Associate Director
Cassandra Reilly Teacher Representative
Rolan Young Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C., Senior
Partner

* We are including individuals who served on our

boards between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009.
CT Office
403 James Street
New Haven, CT 06513

NY Office
1137 Herkimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11233

www.achievementfirst.org