Citizen Schools’ Proposal to
Framingham State University Nonprofit Giving Course
Deepening the Impact of Expanded Learning Time for
Middle School Students in Low-Income Communities in Greater Boston
March, 2015
Organizational Overview & Mission
Imagine a nation of schools where learning is relevant and engaging and where students stay in school, succeed in school,
and graduate from high school ready for college. Citizen Schools believes that the key to restoring public education as the
engine of opportunity lies in creating more time for learning, more high quality and relevant learning activities, and more
relationships between students and a network of caring adults. Middle school is a critical inflection point in students’ lives
and in their attitude towards the importance of school and postsecondary education. Research has consistently found that
the beliefs, choices, and behaviors of adolescents are strong predictors of long-term outcomes. Based on that research,
Citizen Schools’ Expanded Learning Time (ELT) model is designed to shift students’ access, beliefs, and educational
trajectories and prepare them for their futures as successful students, professionals, and citizens. For the past two decades,
Citizen Schools has been committed to closing opportunity and achievement gaps for low-income students and reinstating
public education as a gateway to economic opportunity.
Citizen Schools serves high-need schools and communities in Greater Boston. In the 2014-15 school year, four out of six
of our schools were ranked among the 20 percent lowest performing schools statewide. Our school partners—The DeverMcCormack K-8 School in Dorchester, The Trotter Innovation School in Dorchester, The Washington Irving Middle
School in Roslindale, The Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury, The Edwards Middle School in Charlestown,
and the Joseph Browne School in Chelsea—are serving populations that have significant challenges to overcome,
including poverty, exposure to violence, instability in housing, and access to health care. For example in Dorchester,
home to McCormack Middle School and Trotter Innovation School, 42 percent of children come from low-income
families, making it one of the densest clusters of childhood poverty in the state according to a study sponsored by the
Boston Foundation.
In our Expanded Learning Time partnership model, Citizen Schools’ “second shift” of staff, AmeriCorps members, and
volunteers expand the learning day by 400 hours or more per year for every student in participating grades, offering a
combination of academics and enrichment:
Academic League: In daily Academic League sessions led by Americorps National Teaching Fellows, student
complete math and ELA lessons that are aligned with Massachusetts state and Common Core standards. For
example, for 5 hours each week, students at the Orchard Gardens review daily lessons, build upon basic skills,
and gain expertise in areas of challenging academic material.
Apprenticeships: Citizen Schools’ apprenticeships are the cornerstone of our program model. Each year in
Massachusetts, we recruit and train hundreds of professionals from a diverse cross-section of fields and sectors in
Boston to become Citizen Teachers. These volunteers commit to “teaching their passion” to middle schools
students for 90-minutes, twice a week, for a total of 10 weeks, culminating in a “WOW!” celebration.
8th Grade Academy (8GA): The 8GA program allows us to support our oldest students as they transition from
middle school to high school, which can be a difficult time period for many students. Our five areas of support
include: (1) Building proficiency in reading and math; (2) Developing writing skills with a volunteer Writing
Coach from companies including Fidelity Investments, Choate Hall & Stewart, State Street, Wayfair, among
many others; (3) Supporting the high school application process: Boston students have a spectrum of high school
options, including traditional district schools, exam schools, charter and pilot schools, and independent schools. In
8GA, students work with their Team Leaders to understand what is most important to them in a high school,
research their options, and apply to at least eight schools (“the lucky 8”); (4) Increasing readiness for high school,
college, and beyond; (5) College visits and panels at institutions ranging from Bunker Hill Community College to
MassArt to Brandeis and Harvard. For many, this is their first time on a college campus. These visits (which
include one overnight trip) include tours, classes, conversations with admissions officers, and financial aid
workshops.
Explorations: Citizen Schools has a clear mandate of hands-on, experiential learning. We engage all students,
regardless of age or ability, in “explorations” at local colleges and corporate offices with the hope that students
can then envision themselves in these environments in the future. For example, last year, a group of students from
the Dever-McCormack in Dorchester visited Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Suited in lab coats, students witnessed an
expert scientist create a placebo pill and later learned about careers in the biopharmaceutical field.
Goals & Evaluation
Citizen Schools’ overarching goal for our Expanded Learning Time programs is to build strong partnerships with schools,
districts and networks in order to support individual student achievement and whole school improvement.
Our ELT model is designed to:
1) Engage students in hands-on learning, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM): Apprenticeships are the centerpiece of Citizen Schools' strategy, with an increasing
emphasis on STEM fields. For example, this spring semester alone, we have 500 volunteers serving our 1,471
students through 127 unique apprenticeships and 9 Writing Coach programs.
2) Help students advance academically and achieve proficiency in core disciplines: In daily Academic League
sessions, students complete lessons that are mapped to state and Common Core standards, build skills in need of
remediation, and gain proficiency in challenging academic competencies.
3) Provide enrichment and foster healthy development: Citizen Schools’ non-traditional learning activities such as
apprenticeships and College, Career, Connections (C3) programming help students set goals and see the
connections between effort, grades, and future opportunity.
4) Lift students’ aspirations for college and career opportunities: Citizen Schools helps students to develop visions
for their future that are informed by a concrete understanding of the efforts they must make in middle school, high
school, and beyond to reach their goals.
5) Connect schools with community resources, including volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, and neighbors:
Citizen Schools’ model provides an innovative channel and effective infrastructure to engage community
volunteers in improving students’ academic performance through our wide variety of apprenticeships. For
example, this spring, our well-rounded sector offerings include 68 STEM, 15 Arts & Culture, 22 Food & Healthy
Living, 10 Law & Government, 9 Philanthropy & Community Service, 3 Media & Marketing, and 1
Environmental apprenticeship.
6) Foster collaboration and excellence among faculty: Alignment with school goals and standards is a top priority
for Citizen Schools, and staff work closely with teachers and school leaders to develop a shared vision, plan for a
successful program launch, and adjust implementation throughout the year.
Furthermore, Citizen Schools embraces accountability and is committed to achieving a significant and measurable impact
on student learning that begins in middle school and continues through high school and college. The specific metrics that
we use span the domains of engagement in learning, academic performance, and connections to college attainment and
career opportunity. For the 2014-15 academic year in Greater Boston, these elements will include:
• Outcome: Students attend at high rates.
• Target: 90% attendance rate in grade levels served by Citizen Schools.
• Outcome: Citizen Schools teaching staff develop excellent core teaching skills.
• Target: 80% of rows on the Instructional Rubric will be rated “Developing Proficiency” or above.
• Outcome: Citizen Schools’ apprenticeships and volunteer experiences are high quality.
• Target: 80% of apprenticeship experiences are rated healthy by Citizen Teachers through the Citizen Teacher
Partnership Health Rubric.
• Outcome: School partnerships are functioning effectively.
• Target: 80% of school partnerships are rated healthy by Citizen Schools campus leaders and school partners.
• Outcome: Students demonstrate mastery of 21st century skills.
• Target: 70% of students achieve benchmarks for mastery of select 21st century skills targeted through their
apprenticeships.
• Outcome: Students demonstrate mastery of academic content in ELA and/or math.
• Target: 80% of students demonstrate mastery in the core subject(s) taught in the Citizen Schools Academic
League (academic support component) measured through performance on unit assessments.
• Outcome: Students achieve high growth on Common Core-aligned assessments.
• Target: Increased percentage of students meet or exceed annual growth targets relative to the prior year's
performance on Common Core assessments. (Student Growth Percentile (SGP) allows us to measure each
student’s growth during the school year relative to the “typical” growth for students starting at a similar level and
we believe that it is more accurate as it takes prior performance into account, and is more aligned with current
national and state policy trends).
Challenges
Closing the college readiness gap is a daunting challenge. By identifying and addressing potential obstacles to success,
Citizen Schools hopes to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of its program.
Challenge 1: Citizen Schools is seeking to affect an outcome (college success) that cannot be measured until several years
into the future.
Our Approach: Citizen Schools’ guiding Theory of Student Impact outlines our belief that our intensive middle school
program and light-touch support for program alumni can influence long-term outcomes. This belief is consistent with
research in the field that has established connections between behavior and beliefs in early adolescence and outcomes in
high school and college as well as our own evidence. Our alumni also tell us that their 8GA experience shaped their
future. “I was a passionate student, always eager to go to school,” Boston alumna Agostinha DePina told a group of
Citizen Schools supporters in 2012. “However, as classes became more rigorous and the material was harder to
understand, my parents’ motivational speeches were not enough. In sixth and seventh grade, I couldn’t keep my grades
up, and I began to lose my drive for school. In eighth grade, though, I was lucky. I got a support network that kept me
from going off track. A group of people believed in my potential and gave me the knowledge and skills that have gotten
me where I am today. These were the people of Citizen Schools.” Agostinha went on to graduate from the John D.
O’Bryant High School in Boston and to attend Clark University.
Challenge 2: Citizen Schools is only one of many influences on college success.
Our Approach: Students’ schools, families, peers, and individual talents and personalities all affect their odds of college
success. Citizen Schools’ approach is to focus on specific elements of readiness that it is uniquely positioned to affect,
such as high school selection and early exposure to college environments. As a partnership-oriented organization, Citizen
Schools also plays a targeted role in maximizing the positive engagement of other stakeholders in this process. For
example, 8th Grade Academy engages families in early discussions about high school choice and college readiness,
helping to position them as informed partners in their students’ decisions. Through its focus on character strengths and
college knowledge, Citizen Schools also seeks to prepare students to take advantage of the supports that are available to
them in high school and college, many of which it publicizes through information sharing and alumni events. For
example, by helping students understand the importance of extracurricular activities and internships in the college
application process and making them more comfortable asking for support from adults, Citizen Schools equips students to
not only seek out these types of opportunities in high school but to engage teachers, guidance counselors, and mentors in
realizing them.
Alumni Engagement
Citizen Schools continues to engage our student alumni in a number of ways, including a Deputy Team Leader program
(DTL). In the 2014-2015 school year, the Deputy Team Leader program has consisted of 16 Citizen Schools alumni. Most
of them range in grade between freshmen and seniors in high school, but there are a couple of high school graduates who
have remained active in the program as well.
All DTLs are selected through a two-step process that takes place the summer before the school year begins. They are
required to first complete a written application and then conduct a half hour long interview. Alumni accepted to the DTL
program are expected to display high levels of maturity, responsibility, and commitment to the Citizen Schools mission.
Their roles within the organization include developing a partnership with an 8GA Teaching Fellow, chaperoning 8th grade
students on college trips every month, and building strong relationships with those students.
A few DTLs have stood out as truly exceptional. Vidya, now a senior in high school, has been involved in the DTL
program ever since finishing the 8th grade. She attends every meeting and event, and has been present on almost all of the
college trips. She has applied to many top-tier colleges, including Harvard and Boston University, and hopes to become a
defense attorney. Another DTL, Madina, is a first generation immigrant who aspires to one day represent Afghanistan in
the United Nations. She participated in a rigorous mentorship program at Harvard Medical School, which she says taught
her to always pursue her dreams. Madina will be attending Denison University in Ohio next fall.
Key Leadership & Other Sources of Funding
Citizen Schools is a national nonprofit organization that has operated large-scale extended learning programs in diverse
districts, including Boston and Chelsea. Citizen Schools’ national organization has primary responsibility for curriculum
development, staff recruitment and pre-service training, research and evaluation, and financial management, including
payroll. Citizen Schools’ Massachusetts office is responsible for establishing strong partnerships with local schools,
companies, and universities. The Managing Director of Program oversees quality management, including training,
support, and retention of staff and volunteers. Citizen Schools recruits its site directors (called “Campus Directors”) from
a national pool of education leaders who bring a track record of excellence. The Massachusetts office is led by Pat Kirby,
who has a dual regional and national role as Chief Growth Officer and Massachusetts Executive Director.
As the Executive Director, Pat demonstrates his passion for the mission through his longevity within the organization (8
years) and his endless zest for connecting with people and better serving our students. Individually, for the past two years,
Pat has been a Writing Coach to Shemari, an 8GA from the McCormack Middle School. Additionally, Shemari will be
accompanying Pat to Citizen Schools’ annual ELT Summit and Hill Day in Washington D.C. as a special guest - giving
Shemari the opportunity to meet face to face with our nation’s leaders on Capitol Hill and much more.
Citizen Schools strives to have a diverse funding base and is fortunate to have funding support from a variety of sources
including foundations, corporations, government, and individual donors. In addition to regional support, Citizen Schools
will also allocate portions of national unrestricted grants to this project. Citizen Schools fiscal year runs from July 1 to
June 30, and as of March, 2015 we have raised 87% of our $5,400,000 revenue target. A subset of major corporate and
foundation donors in Massachusetts for FY15 includes: Boston Public Schools ($1,200,000), Corporation for National &
Community Service (AmeriCorps) ($610,000), Chelsea Public Schools ($340,000), Biogen Idec ($275,000), Fidelity
Investments ($100,000), Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative ($100,000), CA Technologies ($50,000), Amelia Peabody
Foundation ($50,000), Wilmer Hale, LLP ($50,000), Google ($22,000), and many others.
Project Description
With this proposal, Citizen Schools enthusiastically invites the Framingham State University Nonprofit Giving Course to
invest $10,000 to support our Expanded Learning Time (ELT) program (academic league, apprenticeships, and
explorations) in Massachusetts during the 2014-2015 year. A donation from Framingham State University Nonprofit
Giving Course will help Citizen Schools to serve 1,471 students at our six schools in Boston and Chelsea in the 20142015 year.
As Citizen Schools grows our ELT programs to serve more of the highest need students in Boston and Chelsea over the
next three years, we are striving to prove the potential of ELT to produce systemic change in Massachusetts and around
the country. In the 2014-2015 school year, more than 20% of Boston Public Schools’ 6th graders are participating in
Citizen Schools programs. Additionally, in partnership with the Chelsea Public School district and Superintendent Mary
Bourque, Citizen Schools will significantly scale ELT in Chelsea over the next three years with a goal to ultimately serve
all three middle school students in the district. Students in Chelsea, a ‘gateway city’ with an average household income
level and education attainment rate below state average, face a unique set of challenges. The high school dropout rate in
Chelsea is triple the state rate (6.5% vs. 2.2%). All three Chelsea middle schools are well below cumulative targeted
proficiency rates for Massachusetts. At the Browne Middle School, 93% of students are from low-income families. The
student population is 76% Latino, 14% Black, 7% White, and 2% Asian; 82% of students speak a language other than
English at home, and 31% of students are English Language Learners, many of which are level 1, meaning they only
speak very few key phrases in English.
In partnership, we can deliver a proven combination of inspiring volunteer-led apprenticeships, academic support, and
college and career preparation activities to hundreds of low-income students in Greater Boston communities. We are
demonstrating on a national level that our innovative Expanded Learning Time program offered in middle school can help
change students’ trajectories for the better, preparing them for success in high school, college, and the workforce. Citizen
Schools looks forward to building deeper partnerships with our host schools and serving more students through our
continued expansion in the 2015-2016 program year and beyond. We welcome the opportunity to provide any additional
information at your request.