expanded learning time partnerships

EXPANDED LEARNING TIME PARTNERSHIPS A Second Shift of Educators for Student Success

Closing the achievement gap in MIDDLE SCHOOL

Enabling successful transitions into HIGH SCHOOL and increasing graduation rates

Providing pathways from COLLEGE TO CAREERS

CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ VISION FOR STUDENTS

A PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES

“SECOND SHIFT” STAFFING

ACADEMIC PRACTICE

REAL WORLD LEARNING

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

COLLEGE TO CAREER EXPOSURE

15-20 highly talented staff join your school faculty Low (1:17) teacher to student ratios for academic and social support Opportunity to spread workload across more faculty and allow for more planning time

Targeted support of high leverage academic skills Standards-aligned curricula in Math or Literacy Citizen Schools staff join grade level meetings and Instructional Leadership teams

Hands-on activities that make learning relevant Diverse 10-week apprenticeships taught by community and corporate volunteers Curriculum focus on 21st century skills, including oral presentation, teamwork,

leadership, data analysis, advanced literacy, and technology

Biweekly phone calls home to report student progress and updates from school faculty Regular events to help families connect to schools, including potlucks and high-school

information sessions and selection coaching Help families connect to schools by hiring staff who communicate in home languages

Students participate in 100+ hours of “college and career” programming that helps prepare them for high school and college

Visits to colleges, corporations and cultural institutions

Citizen Schools is a non-profit organization that partners with middle schools in low-income communities to expand the learning day. Since 1995, middle school students have discovered new paths through our hands-on projects, targeted academic support. School partners have been transformed in turn, through the benefits of:

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MORE TIME…

Expanded Learning Time (ELT), used well, enables schools to offer a more in-depth and well-rounded education. The learning time that Citizen Schools adds to traditional public middle schools makes their day comparable to that of the highest-performing charter schools.

1,260

1,4801,536 1,560

1,600 1,6201,692

1,872

800

1,300

1,800

TraditionalPublic Schools

Harmony Apollo 20 AchievementFirst

UncommonSchools

YES Prep Citizen SchoolsELT

KIPP

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Hours of School Time Per Year

AmeriCorps TEACHING FELLOWS Academic Lead Citizen Teacher Lead College Readiness

Lead Data Lead Family & Student

Engagement Lead

Volunteer CITIZEN TEACHERS

Part-time TEACHING

ASSOCIATES

CAMPUS DIRECTOR

…AND MORE PEOPLE

A Citizen Schools campus consists of AmeriCorps members who play specialized roles called “leads,” as well as part-time educators embarking on a teaching career, an experienced supervisor, and volunteer Citizen Teachers who teach unique, inspiring courses in their fields. The program begins in the afternoon, and seamlessly integrates its culture of achievement with each school’s.

The Second Shift

To deliver these hours of instruction, Citizen Schools brings in a second shift: an afternoon team of educators that collaborates with, and mirrors, a school’s principal, teachers, and instructional leadership team.

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CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ THEORY OF CHANGE

Our curricula are designed to build students’ skills, provide access to community resources, and instill belief in the connection between hard work and success.

Program elements foster three competencies vital to students’ future success: academic skills, college readiness skills, and 21st century skills:

Collaboration Communication Global awareness Advanced literacy Data analysis Technology Problem solving Effective reasoning Innovation

We believe that skills, access, and belief drive student success in cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning.

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Citizen Schools drives student impact by shifting students’ educational trajectory in middle school toward a path to college and career success.

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

Achievement

Graduation

College and career readiness MID-TERM OUTCOMES

Engagement

Achievement

Selection of a college-track high school

CITIZEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Apprenticeships

Academic coaching

College to career connections

SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES

ACCESS to positive peers, adults and experiences

SKILLS, academic and 21st century

BELIEF in the connection between hard work, education and future success

SUCCESS in college & career

CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ THEORY OF CHANGE

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Program & Impact PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Our program model blends academic support and project-based enrichment for three hours per day to close the opportunity and achievement gap for middle school students.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT Previews and reviews of

standards-based Math and Literacy skills and concepts

Targeted homework support Time management and self-

organization skills Key partners: Citizen Schools,

teachers, parents, administrators

APPRENTICESHIPS Aligned to 21st Century Skills Semester-long projects that

culminate in student presentations

Co-taught by Citizen Schools staff and volunteer Citizen Teachers who are experts in their fields

Key partners: Citizen Schools, volunteers, parents, teachers

COLLEGE TO CAREER CONNECTIONS Explicit instruction in study skills

and school success habits Exposure to college and career

opportunities and pathways Individualized report card analysis

to set goals for school success Key partners: Citizen Schools,

volunteers, teachers, parents

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THE EXPANDED LEARNING DAY

FRIDAY

8TH GRADE ACADEMY/ COLLEGE TO CAREER CONNECTIONS

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

APPRENTICESHIPS/ 8TH GRADE ACADEMY

APPRENTICESHIPS

SNACK SNACK SNACK SNACK AND CIRCLE

COLLEGE TO CAREER CONNECTIONS

ACADEMIC SUPPORT ACADEMIC SUPPORT

ACADEMIC SUPPORT ACADEMIC SUPPORT

EXPLORE!

JOINT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Transition around

3pm

Dismissal around

6pm

Homeroom

Lunch

Literacy & ELA

Math

Science

Social Studies

SATURDAY

Homeroom

Lunch

Literacy & ELA

Math

Science

Social Studies

Homeroom

Lunch

Literacy & ELA

Math

Science

Social Studies

Homeroom

Lunch

Literacy & ELA

Math

Science

Social Studies

Homeroom

Lunch

Literacy & ELA

Math

Science

Social Studies

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Dallas

CITIZEN SCHOOLS ELT FOOTPRINT

In 2011-12, Citizen Schools will partner with 19 Expanded Learning Time schools across six states and nine communities. In seven additional communities, we run optional after-school programs, which we aim to convert to the Expanded Learning Time model in the near future.

NORTH CAROLINA Durham

After-school: Charlotte

NEW YORK Bronx

Brooklyn Harlem

NEW JERSEY Newark

MASSACHUSETTS Boston Revere

After-school: New Bedford

TEXAS After-school: Houston

NEW MEXICO Mescalero Santa Fe

After-school: Albuquerque

CALIFORNIA East Palo Alto Oakland Redwood City

After-school: Campbell

PARTNERSHIPS COAST TO COAST

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MEETING A NEED

Twelve diverse districts have partnered with Citizen Schools to implement Expanded Learning Time programs as an improvement strategy in their schools:

Boston Public Schools (MA) Durham Public Schools (NC) Houston Independent School District (TX) Mescalero Apache School (NM) New Bedford Public Schools (MA) New York City Department of Education (NY) Newark Public Schools (NJ) Oakland Unified School District (CA) Ravenswood City School District (CA) Redwood City School District (CA) Revere Public Schools (MA) Santa Fe Public Schools (NM)

Race and Ethnicity

Latino 46% African American 27% White 8% Asian or Pacific Islander 5% Multiple Race or Other 14%

Grade Level

Grade 5 1% Grade 6 55% Grade 7 26% Grade 8 16%

Language Spoken at Home

English 59% Spanish 33% Other 8%

In AY 2010-2011, 76% of Citizen Schools students were eligible for free or reduced price lunch.

The majority of students identified as Latino or African-American.

Over 41% of participants spoke a primary language other than English at home.

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CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ RESULTS

Citizen Schools is committed to improving student outcomes through the effective use of data.

Data-Guided Program Management Internal Evaluation

External Evaluation

Our online database monitors attendance and outcomes, allowing staff to identify areas of strength and concern in real time and adjust their practice.

Our internal Program Scorecard defines key outcomes and indicators, such as grades, student belief, and parent satisfaction, and enables us to track progress toward goals.

An external longitudinal study completed by Policy Studies Associates employed a quasi-experimental matched comparison group design and reported positive findings related to school engagement, achievement, and attainment.

A current external evaluation by Abt Associates is studying schools that adopt Expanded Learning Time in partnership with Citizen Schools to matched comparison schools over the course of five years.

We also review student end-of-year proficiency gains on state standardized exams.

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An independent evaluation found that Citizen Schools’ Out-Of-School program, the basis for our ELT model, is associated with significant gains for our alumni through high school, years after the program.

1. Arcaira, Vile, and Reisner (2010). Achieving High School Graduation: Citizen Schools’ Youth Outcomes in Boston.

ENGAGEMENT Attendance is one of the best predictors of whether a student will drop out of school. As early as middle school, high absenteeism is a powerful indicator of dropout risk.

Citizen Schools attendance is higher than matched peers, reducing absenteeism by 43%.1

ACHIEVEMENT Many students lack the academic skills necessary for college and career success. Only one-quarter of high school graduates who took the ACT in 2010 met college readiness benchmarks.2

9 out of 10 Citizen Schools alumni passed state exit exams in math and English, closing the achievement gap with state averages.1

GRADUATION Nationwide, 2.2 million students attend high schools that qualify as “dropout factories.” Each year, more than a million young people fail to graduate with their class.3

Citizen Schools participants had a 20% higher high school graduation rate than matched peers (71% vs. 59%).1

9389

8277

8375

9388

English Language ArtsMath

State Exam Passage Rates (Grade 10)Citizen Schools Boston Participants

Boston Public Schools

Massachusetts Low-Income Students

Massachusetts - All Students


2. ACT (2010). The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2010.

3. Civic Enterprises, Everyone Graduates Center, and America’s Promise Alliance (2010). Building a Grad Nation.

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One of the schools in the study, our flagship ELT partnership with the Edwards Middle School in Boston, has reversed the state-wide achievement gap.


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

State Exam Proficiency: Grade 8 Math

Edwards + Citizen Schools

Boston Public Schools

Massachusetts

SOURCES. Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights from PISA 2009.; Arcaira, Vile, and Reisner (2010). Achieving High School Graduation; MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Implementation of ELT (fall 2006)

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In 2010-2011, after one year of an Expanded Learning Time partnership with Citizen Schools, schools averaged six percentage point gains on state standardized exams, positioning the schools to meet a three-year cumulative goal of a 15 percentage point gain—exceeding the US Department of Education standard for successful school turnaround.

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3.6 3.6 2.3

8.0 8.3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

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District Average High quality turnaround efforts Citizen Schools partnerships

Average Annual Proficiency Gains

ELA Math


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WHAT MAKES A STRONG SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

Criteria for partner schools: Scores that lag behind state or district averages on

state-based standardized tests

Greater than 75% of students from low socio-economic background as identified by free and reduced lunch

A strong principal leader with:

− a data-driven and strategic approach to student success and teacher assessment

− a commitment to Citizen Schools as core to the school’s improvement strategy, including ensuring access to time, dollars, space and staff to ensure programmatic success and alignment

Expectations for partner schools: Inclusive communication with school day and

Citizen Schools staff about the ELT partnership

Collaboration with Citizen Schools on scheduling and other logistics

Access to student data and records

Behavior policies and procedures that align with those of Citizen Schools

Access by Citizen Schools campus staff to instructional and leadership meetings

Support for joint professional development with Citizen Schools

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WHAT MAKES A STRONG DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP

Criteria for partner districts: Potential school partners that align with Citizen

Schools target population

Leadership support of Citizen Schools ELT program as a school improvement strategy for select schools

Demonstrated track record with outside partners

Expectations for partner districts: Help in identifying public funding sources to

support 60-80% of direct program costs

Public expression of support for ELT as a school turnaround strategy

Transportation for ELT students

Schools with autonomy over scheduling and transportation

Necessary support staff during expanded day

Access to student performance data

Adequate heating and cooling for school buildings

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CITIZEN SCHOOLS

Citizen Schools will add 3 hours per day, 4 days per week of high-quality educational programming to the school day, and ensure alignment with the regular school day.

We will maintain respectful relationships and support the school community.

We will articulate to students a clear vision for academic excellence, including connections to the school’s curriculum and courses.

We will meet with school staff on a regular basis and communicate with student families biweekly.

We will ensure a results and data-driven approach to student achievement while fostering a love of learning.

CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ PROMISE TO SCHOOL PARTNERS

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“Partnering with Citizen Schools advances our vision of full-service community schools, and provides critically needed human capital to expand the learning day by three hours daily. The additional time is filled with a combination of real-world learning led by role models from our community – engineers from Google and Cisco Systems, attorneys, chefs, artists, and even some parents – plus small-group academic instruction led by a ‘second shift’ that complements our traditional district educators. The Citizen Schools ELT partnership provides a proven model for effective middle school reform for the district’s other low-performing schools.”

A N T H O N Y S M I T H O A K L A N D S U P E R I N T E N D E N T

www.citizenschools.org