Closing the Achievement Gap
Despite the promise of equal educational opportunity, the United States has largely failed to provide low-income children
access to a high-quality education. The difference in academic performance between poor and affluent students, known
as the achievement gap, has serious implications for the future life opportunities of students and for our society at large.
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With only one in 10 low-income students in the U.S. graduating from college, closing the achievement gap is both
an economic and moral imperative—the modern frontier of the civil rights movement.
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According to Teach For America, fourth graders growing up in low-income communities are already three years
behind their peers in high-income communities. About 50 percent of them will not graduate from high school by
the time they are 18 years old.
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On the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), low-income and minority New York City
students lagged at least 20 points below their affluent, white peers on mathematics and reading assessments.
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Two out of three students in Connecticut elementary and middle schools met state goals on the 2007 Connecticut
Mastery Test. However, just one-third of African-American, Hispanic and low-income students met these same
goals.
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Our country as a whole is falling farther behind our international peers. According to the Organization 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.
Mission
Achievement First delivers 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. Our schools in
Connecticut and New York provide students with the academic and character skills they need to achieve at high levels,
graduate from college, succeed in a competitive world and become leaders in our communities.
Ten Years and Growing
Amistad Academy opened in 1999 with 84 fifth and sixth graders. Achievement First was created in 2003 as a separate
non-profit with the goal of using Amistad’s knowledge and best practices to impact more students. Achievement First
expanded to Brooklyn, NY, in 2005 as part of NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein’s education reform initiatives. Currently,
Achievement First includes 19 academies serving over 5,000 students in grades K through 12.
New Haven
Amistad Academy Middle, est. 1999
Elm City College Preparatory Elementary, est. 2004
Elm City College Preparatory Middle, est. 2004
Amistad Academy Elementary, est. 2006
Amistad-Elm City High, est. 2006
Bridgeport
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle, est. 2007
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Elementary, est. 2010
Hartford
Achievement First Hartford Academy Elementary, est. 2008
Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle, est. 2008
Brooklyn
Achievement First Crown Heights Elementary, est. 2005
Achievement First Crown Heights Middle, est. 2005
Achievement First East New York Elementary, est. 2005
Achievement First Bushwick Elementary, est. 2006
Achievement First Endeavor Middle, est. 2006
Achievement First Bushwick Middle, est. 2007
Achievement First Brownsville Elementary, est. 2008
Achievement First Crown Heights High, est. 2009
Achievement First East New York Middle, est. 2009
Achievement First Apollo Elementary, est. 2010
Growth Projection
Our strategic plan calls for us to expand from 17 to 34 schools, eventually serving more than 12,000 students.
Achievement First Network Support
Achievement First is much more than great individual schools—it is an interconnected “team and family” of students,
teachers, parents, school leaders, data specialists, content experts, operations and finance professionals, 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 network support services.
We call this The Power of the Network.
To ensure the success of our schools, Achievement First has created a network-wide support team of professionals
focused on finance, curriculum, talent development, operations, recruitment, human capital, technology, data practices,
external relations and more. Our network support team has five objectives:
Freeing Schools to Focus on Achievement
 By centralizing certain functions—teacher recruitment, fundraising, data practices, information technology,
facilities operations, budgeting and fiscal management, and more—we are able to free principals and teachers to
focus on the most important things: teaching and learning.
 Teachers and principals are supported by an outstanding operations team within each school 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.
Knowledge Capture and Sharing
 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 to network-wide professional development for teachers, teacher leaders, deans and
principals.
 We have 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
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Through economies of scale and specialization, Achievement First performs key tasks with significantly less
expense and with higher levels of quality than the schools could on their own.
These efficiencies enable the network to operate at cost levels that are the same or less than our host districts.
Our Approach
Unwavering Focus on Student Achievement
 All Achievement First teachers and principals are focused on completely closing the achievement gap for our
students.
Talent Development
 Achievement First firmly believes that the most important determinant of student achievement is the quality of the
teacher in the classroom.
 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.
 Schools release early on Fridays to provide two additional hours of team meeting and learning time. Every
teacher has a coach (a principal, dean or master teacher) who meets with them at least once every two weeks.
More Time on Task
 School days are nearly two hours longer than traditional public school days, 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.
 All 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 for 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 gives interim assessments (IAs) that measure whether students have actually
mastered standards.
 Results are 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 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:
o 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.
o 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 significant
effect on overall culture, and we believe that students will rise to the level of expectations adults have for
them.
o College focus The message at Achievement First schools is that all students are going to college. We
continuously expose students to college—all of our classrooms are named after universities, and students
make field trips to college campuses, hear speakers talk about college, write research papers on colleges
and, most importantly, master a college-preparatory curriculum. From the moment our students arrive,
they know the year they are expected to graduate from college (our current kindergarteners are known as
the “Class of 2026”).
o Teachers know and care Achievement First schools are small learning communities in which all
teachers and leaders know the names 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
group.
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Parents as partners At Achievement First schools, parents, students and principals all sign a contract
that outlines their shared commitment to hard work and consistent support of one another. While this
contract is not legally binding, it is an important symbolic commitment and plays an integral role in
strengthening the relationship between parents and the school.
Uniforms All Achievement First students wear their school’s chosen uniform.
Joy factor Achievement First believes that great education should be rigorous AND fun, challenging AND
engaging, structured AND joyful. In fact, we coach teachers to ensure that the J-Factor (the “joy factor”) is
high in every class and dominates regular school-wide celebrations. Students are frequently and
systematically recognized for academic achievement and good behavior.
Our Values
As a student at Achievement First, I have the power to create a great life for myself. I have high standards and always
behave in a way that brings me closer to my goals of success in high school, college and life. I follow the REACH values
to keep my community safe and strong.
Respect
 Treat teachers like platinum My teachers care about me and my future. I never talk back, roll my eyes or suck
my teeth. My teachers are here to help me be my best, so I treat them with TOTAL RESPECT.
 Be nice I treat my teammates as I wish to be treated. I never tease, laugh at or put down others.
 Patience pays I raise my hand to speak during class. Calling out is disruptive.
 Keep it clean I keep my desk, my classroom, our bathrooms and the rest of the school spotless. I pick up trash
when I see it.
Enthusiasm
 Jump to it I follow all directions the first time.
 Focus I commit two eyes, two ears and one big brain to learning. I SLANT (Sit up, Listen, Ask questions, Nod,
Track the speaker) and actively participate in class.
 Bring an A+ attitude I’m excited to climb the mountain to college. I always bring a positive attitude. I never
whine, pout or act out when things don’t go my way.
Achievement
 Top quality I do my absolute best on all assignments. I never rush through my work. My homework and
classwork are always neat and complete.
 Achievement first I am constantly mastering new standards. My grades and test scores show dramatic gains.
Citizenship
 No excuses I take responsibility for my actions. I admit when I am wrong and I apologize to the people I let
down.
 Be honest I tell the truth at all times. I never lie.
 Help others I am part of Achievement First’s team and family. I celebrate the achievements of others and always
look for ways to support my teammates.
Hard Work
 Bring my tools I come to class with all necessary materials. I come to school every day and I am never late. I
wear my uniform properly at all times.
 Act like a college student today Climbing the mountain to college is not easy. To get to college, I must do all
my work and treat each class like a priceless gift.
Connecticut Office
403 James Street
New Haven, CT 06513
infoCT@achievementfirst.org
Phone: 203.773.3223 ext 17238
Fax: 203.773.3221
New York Office
510 Waverly Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11238
infoNY@achievementfirst.org
Phone: 718.623.2660 ext 12426
Fax: 718.804.0131
Visit Us Online
www.achievementfirst.org