Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ANNUAL REPORT
Board of Directors
CHAIR
Mark B. Grier
Vice Chairman
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Chris Gabrieli
Partner Emeritus,
Bessemer Venture Partners
Chair, Massachusetts
Board of Higher Education
CEO, Empower Schools
Janet Murguía
President and CEO
UnidosUS
Michael Cohen
President, Achieve
Achieve is proud to be the leading voice for the college- and
career-ready agenda, and has helped transform the concept of
“college and career readiness for all students” into a national priority.
Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c) between what a state expects of all high school
(3) nonprofit education reform organization graduates and what it actually takes to succeed
dedicated to working with states, districts, after graduating. Achieve designed the criteria
and partners on policies and practices to raise that states and others use to develop high-
academic standards and graduation requirements, quality standards in English language arts (ELA)/
improve assessments, and strengthen literacy, mathematics, and other subjects, and
accountability. Created in 1996 by a bipartisan developed tools for states, districts, and teachers
group of governors and business leaders, to use in determining the quality and alignment of
Achieve is leading the effort to make college and instructional materials. Achieve has also leveraged
career readiness a priority across the country so its expertise in assessments to help states develop
that students graduating from high school are high-quality assessments and ensure they are
academically prepared for postsecondary success. aligned with the state’s academic standards.
Over the past 20 years, Achieve has worked with
When states want to collaborate on education
state teams, educators, postsecondary leaders,
policy or practice, they come to Achieve. Starting
grassroots and civil rights organizations, coalition
with the landmark American Diploma Project,
partners, the business community, and many
Achieve has worked with nearly every state and
others to improve student readiness for life after
their higher education and employer communities
high school by aligning key policies with the
to make college and career readiness a national
demands of the real world.
priority and close the expectations gap — the gap
1 Priority One
Keeping the Focus on All
Students in All States
2 Priority Two
Supporting Comprehensive
Approaches in States
Achieve will continue to be the nation’s leading voice Ensuring all high school graduates are ready
for college and career readiness for all students. We will for college, careers, and life requires more than
take that leadership role a step further by working with standards alone. College and career readiness
states to commit to — and report on — that readiness. policies must include high-quality assessments,
coherent graduation pathways, transparent
We will continue our research, digging into the
outcome (and system) information, and equitable
data to make sure states are being transparent
accountability systems in order to be fully effective.
and ensuring we fully understand what makes the
numbers move. We will work with states, districts, We will be reviewing, analyzing, and sharing the work
and partners to share this information broadly, always we do in these areas. Our deep content knowledge
mindful to disaggregate it by subgroups of students and expertise in ELA/literacy, mathematics, and
so that special attention can be paid to closing science positions us as the reliable source to
persistent achievement gaps. We will work to paint conduct this work and to provide state and district
a full, nationwide picture of how all students are education leaders with the tools, resources, and
doing, supporting states and districts as they work strategic advice — rooted in data and research —
to improve student performance closer to home. that will help them make informed decisions.
3 Priority Three
Building and Expanding
Partnerships
4 Priority Four
Strengthening
Our Foundation
We cannot achieve our mission and succeed Accomplishing our mission depends on a strong
without help. It is a point of pride that we have organizational foundation from which to launch
strong partnerships across and within states our work. Achieve is committed to developing
— gathering stakeholders from the education, our outstanding staff and maximizing the use
policy, business, and civil rights worlds who are of smart internal controls to keep us at peak
committed to adopting and sustaining college efficiency. We will ensure our financial sustainability
and career readiness policies and practices. and strength by deepening relationships with
traditional funders as well as cultivating new funding
We are committed to providing counsel, expertise,
relationships — and we will continue to rely on
advocacy, and communications support to expand the
our impressive Board to advance our work.
number of advocates calling for college- and career-
ready policies and practices. We have a solid coalition-
building strategy that we will expand and refine to
empower local voices of support. We will also broadly
share lessons learned from this work to boost advocacy
efforts among our national and state partners.
EQuIP Summits
June 2017 EQuIP Trainings
In addition to the Summits, Achieve also conducted numerous other EQuIP trainings across the country, training
dozens of educators to use the EQuIP rubric, student work protocol, and the rest of the EQuIP suite of tools.
Achieve released a suite of NGSS Parent Guides Building on the success of the NGSS Parent
to help parents gain a better understanding Guides for Grades K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, new
of what the instructional shifts required by versions are now also available for Spanish-
new science standards look like. They were speaking parents. The suite of guides illustrates
developed and designed based on feedback how the standards are a powerful foundation to
from parents and educators in NGSS-adopted help students build a cohesive understanding
states and districts, and are now available for of science over time. See the Spanish language
Grades K–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, and Grades parent guides here: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12.
9–12.
Last Set of Example Bundles Released
January 2017
•5
th Grade Bundles (Thematic Model and
Topics Model)
•M
iddle School Course III Models
(Phenomenon Model and Topics Model)
demographics, and methodology, please read District, the fifth largest school district in the
the Methodology. These overviews are not U.S. A revised version of PEEC (Version 1.1)
intended to value one strategy over another and a Professional Learning Facilitator’s guide
in these areas of implementation, but rather, developed from this field test will be released in
they’re meant to illustrate the different ways early 2018.
districts are handling these tough issues during
California Science Teachers Association Award
their transition to the standards.
October 2017
• Professional Learning for NGSS Lessons
Learned addresses the different formats
and audiences for professional learning
districts used, the content and design of the
professional learning for both teachers and
administrators, and criteria for selecting or
designing professional learning programs.
PEEC highlights what is truly innovative about Achieve was honored to receive the 2017
the NGSS and includes a set of tools and California Science Teachers Association
processes developed to help the field determine Distinguished Contributions Award for
how well full-year instructional materials significant impact on science education in
programs have been designed for the NGSS. California. Achieve has partnered with CSTA to
PEEC uses the well-established EQuIP Rubric for offer training and support for California’s NGSS
Science as a unit-level evaluation tool and also early implementer districts and other science
supports reviewers to look for evidence of NGSS educators and advocates in the state.
design across a full program. Even during its
development, public drafts of PEEC influenced
state level adoption processes. Since its release,
PEEC was field tested in Clark County School
Achieve’s diverse and experienced staff have many years of experience in teaching, school
and district leadership, policy, advocacy, communications, government, and more. The
Achieve team delivered presentations, spoke on panels, and provided trainings across the
country during 2017. Highlights from the year include:
• “Open Mikes: Historical and Contemporary Issues • “Mathematics Education: Issues and Trends
in American Education Policy” presentation by Across the States” presentation by Ted Coe at the
Michael Cohen at the Federal Policy Institute at Arizona State University School of Mathematics
the Teachers College education policy graduate and Statistical Sciences in April
course in January
• Presentation by Michael Gililgan at the Flamboyan
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the California Foundation National Fellows Strategic Planning
NGSS Early Implementers meeting in January Meeting in May
• “Shifts and Influences in K–12 Mathematics” • “What Does ‘Out of Proportion’ Really Mean?”
presentation by Ted Coe at the Urban presentation by Ted Coe at the Student
Mathematics Leadership Network Retreat Achievement Partners’ Core Advocates Meeting
in February in May
• “Reflecting Upon and Improving Implementation • Presentation on state ESSA plans with regard to
of State Standards and Assessments: Hearing science and STEM by Michael Cohen at a BOSE
Educator Voices from the American Teacher and meeting in June
School Leader Panels” presentation by Michael
• “Measuring and Evaluating Deeper Learning in
Cohen at the AEFP Annual Conference in March
Large-Scale Assessments: New Approaches”
• High-Quality Mathematics Materials panelist and presentation by Ted Coe at the CCSSO National
Math Content Break-Out presentation by Ted Conference on Student Assessment in June
Coe at the TNTP Pathways to Adoption Summit
• “Issues and Implications of Incorporating
in March
Nationally-Recognized High School Assessments
• “Questions Boards Should Ask about their ESSA into State Systems” and “Why Less is More:
State Plans” panel moderation by Sandy Boyd at Working with Districts and States to Reduce
the NASBE Legislative Conference in March Redundant and Unnecessary Assessments”
presentations by Jacob Mishook at the CCSSO
• “Too Many Tests! Minimizing the Number of Tests
National Conference on Student Assessment
for the Maximum Impact on Learning Through
in June
the Student Assessment Inventory for School
Districts” and “The Role of School Boards in • Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the GE
Supporting High-Quality Assessment Systems” Foundation’s Leadership for the Future
presentations by Jacob Mishook at the NASBE conference in July
Annual Meeting in March
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan on 2017 Achieve
• Presentation giving perspective on state efforts in Poll results, both national and New York-specific
standards, curriculum, formative assessment, and results, in New York in July
instruction by Michael Cohen at the ANET Board
Meeting in April
• “Education Policy & Practices Panel Discussion” • “Mathematics Education: Issues and Trends
by Michael Cohen at the MCEC National Training Across the States” keynote presentation by Ted
Seminar in August Coe at the ArizMATYC Fall Conference in October
• “Support from In-State Advocates: PTAs & • “Better Science for All” presentation by Michael
Parents, Civil Rights Groups, Etc.” with Sandy Lach at the NGSS@NSTA Forum in November
Boyd as a panelist at the CCSSO Instructional
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the Georgia
Materials and Professional Development Network
PEE Critical Issues Forum in November
in August
• “Understanding Prowess — Making Sense of
• Recommendations for graduation pathways
Proficiency” presentation by Ted Coe at the
before Indiana’s Graduation Pathways Panel by
American Mathematical Association of Two-Year
Michael Cohen in September
Colleges National Conference in November
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the Donnell-
• “Complexity and Rigor: New Lenses for Thinking
Kay Foundation conference in September
About Assessment” presentation by Ted Coe at
• Communications training and office hours by Arizona Math Leaders in November
Chad Colby and Michael Gilligan at the California
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the California
Science Teachers Association meeting in October
STEAM Symposium in December
• Presentation by Michael Gilligan at the Joyce
Foundation ESSA Meeting in October
Contributors
Achieve is grateful for the generous Achieve is also grateful for the
support of our 2017 contributors. support of the following individuals
Arconic Foundation for making contributions at Achieve’s
Bayer USA Foundation 20th Anniversary in December 2016.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Kenneth Chenault James Crisp
Carnegie Corporation of New York Juan Luciano Stan Litow
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation Dr. Craig Barrett Sarah Keh
Chevron Peter Bezanson Jim Hobart
ExxonMobil P.J. Simon Scott Callicott
The Leona & Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Kerri Briggs Frances K. Cox
Pisces Foundation Chris Gabrieli Jason Smith
The Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh
The Prudential Foundation
S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
WEBSITES
Achieve.org NextGenScience.org
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