IMPACT SCALE SUSTAINABILITYC I T I ZE N S C H O O L S B US I N E S S P L A N 2 0 1 1 - 201 4

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CITIZEN SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE 2011-2012

Dallas

NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte

DurhamHenderson

NEW YORK Bronx

Brooklyn

Harlem

NEW JERSEY Newark

MASSACHUSETTSBoston

New Bedford

Revere

TEXAS Houston

NEW MEXICO Albuquerque

Mescalero

Santa Fe

CALIFORNIACampbellEast Palo Alto

OaklandRedwood City

7 states | 16 school districts | 31 school partners | 4,600 students | 4,200 Citizen Teachers

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The keel, her nautical metaphor suggested, would provide

balance and stability as we pursued greater student learning

amidst the shifting tides of education policy and public opinion.

Today, Kay’s advice feels more important than ever, as

education policy and practice change faster than ever before—

and as frustration levels rise among educators due to persistent

achievement gaps (we don’t feel successful) and declining

resources (we expect things will get harder before they get

better).

Sixteen years after founding Citizen Schools, I am clearer than

ever about my keel. I believe that children, particularly low-

income children, need three things to succeed in school and life.

Children need more time to learn, more talent and caring adults

in the classroom, and more relevance in their learning

experiences.

LETTER FROM THE CO-FOUNDER

A teacher of mine at the Harvard Graduate

School of Education, Kay Merseth, used to tell

me and my fellow students to be clear on our

“keel”: our core beliefs about education.

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More time to practice and learn academic and life skills.

As Malcolm Gladwell suggests in his best-selling book

Outliers, and Matthew Syed brilliantly chronicles in

Bounce: How Champions Are Made, becoming excellent at

anything—from sports to violin to college-level

academics—is a matter of practice, not inherited talent.

Gladwell says 10,000 hours of practice are required to

excel.

Upper-income children likely have greater access to

out-of-school learning through tutoring, supervised

homework sessions, sports teams, art and music

lessons, travel, museum and college visits, and dinner-

table discussion and debate. We will have a chance to

close the achievement gap only when we give low-

income children equal or greater learning time and

opportunities as upper-income children.

More caring and talented adults in their lives—including but not limited to full-time teachers.

Human beings learn through relationships and

experience. We always have and we always will. In

strong communities (at all income levels), children get a

chance to learn with many talented adults—teachers,

coaches, mentors, tutors, neighbors, and more.

In an upper-income community, children are more

likely to meet (and may be related to) successful

professionals, including doctors, lawyers, engineers,

and scientists. This opens up options. When these

diverse adults are inaccessible to students in their

schools and extended-day experiences, as they are in

many low-income neighborhoods, there is an

opportunity gap—which we must work to close.

LETTER FROM THE CO-FOUNDER

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More real-world, relevant learning opportunities that connect school to careers and teach problem-solving and creativity.

These are the skills individuals increasingly need to

succeed in the workforce of the future. Most schools

serving upper-income children cover the academic

basics and engage students in authentic projects, which

both require the application of basic skills and engender

excitement about learning. Too often, schools serving

low-income students focus on the basics but don’t

connect academics to the real world. As a result, too

many students are bored by school and don’t see the

connection between academic classes and the cool jobs

they could apply for in the future.

Even if we equalize proficiency in reading and math

(and we’ve got a long way to go), we will not eliminate

the achievement gap in college and career readiness

until we provide all students with an equal chance to

build their creativity and problem-solving skills

through motivating, real-world projects.

At Citizen Schools, we work every day to provide

children with these key ingredients of more time, more

caring adults, and more relevant learning.

Together with visionary school and district leaders—

and with committed community and corporate

partners—we are inventing a new model and structure

for schooling: one that supports teachers and schools

instead of blaming them. Together we can not only

reduce opportunity and achievement gaps, but

eliminate them.

Eric Schwarz

July 2011

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By 2020, we envision that most U.S. schools serving low-income

children have re-imagined the length and structure of the school

day. Thousands of schools have moved from the six-hour day

led by a teacher talking to kids to a nine- or ten-hour day that

incorporates master teachers leading core instruction and a

second shift of skilled educators who bring learning to life

through hands-on, real world projects and academic practice.

The opportunity and achievement gaps with wealthier students

have closed. The high school drop-out rate is cut in half. College

graduation rates have doubled. The U.S. is first in the world in

education again, and the U.S. economy roars back to life,

fortified by a new generation of inventors and collaborators.

And our democracy is stronger.

VISION

Close the opportunity and achievement gap

by expanding the learning day and

engaging students in real-world learning,

ensuring that all children graduate high school

ready to succeed in college and careers.

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Education is the key to individual opportunity and prosperity.

College graduates now earn twice as much as those with high

school diplomas, and the gap continues to grow.

Middle school reform is a particularly urgent national

challenge. Hard-won gains from the elementary years are often

undermined during these years. Sixth grade performance is a

predictor of long-term success, including high school

graduation. Exposure to professional scientists and engineers is

an important factor in fostering interest in these careers.

A common feature of the few hundred schools that are

delivering great results for poor kids is dramatically more

learning time to provide relevant and targeted academic

support and coaching.

Offering an effective and sustainable longer learning day

requires a second shift of skilled educators and volunteer

citizen teachers, whose lessons are aligned with the traditional-

day teachers but offer new techniques to motivate and engage

students.

By mobilizing citizens to get directly involved in education,

Citizen Schools increases chances for broader school reform

while adding relevance to academic work.

THE CASE FOR CITIZEN SCHOOLS

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Policy changes such as Race to the Top have dramatically

increased the pace of change in education and openness to out-

of-the-box solutions to improve results for all children. States are

creating systems to link teacher performance to student

achievement. Several nationwide initiatives are encouraging

innovation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)

education. Some new union contracts offer more flexibility in

working conditions and compensation. The increase in charters

is putting competitive pressure to improve on districts.

At the same time, districts face significant budget challenges.

School closings, layoffs and increases in class size are

increasingly common. As a result, districts are increasingly open

to scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective partnerships and

outsourcing to improve results.

Citizen Schools offers districts a proven, cost-effective solution

to increase student and parent engagement and improve

academic results.

THE CONTEXT FOR REFORM

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THEORY OF STUDENT IMPACT

The Shooting Star

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

SUCCESSin college

& career

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INSPIRE KIDS

Engage high-need middle school

students through highly effective

ELT school partnerships

Mobilize a second shift of

educators to make learning

relevant, and train and support

them

THEORY OF SYSTEMIC IMPACT

Prove it

works.

Transform

education.

Inspire

kids.

PROVE IT WORKS

Use rigorous evaluations to show

that ELT increases engagement in

school and proficiency on state tests

Persuade district decision-makers

that ELT is a cost-effective way to

improve results and attract families

The Megaphone

Through data and stories of success,

we mobilize a movement.

TRANSFORM EDUCATION

Change laws or regulations at

local, state, and national level to

make it easier to use current

public investment on ELT

Create a demand for change

through media, influence, and

advocacy

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CITIZEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM MODEL

Since 1995, Citizen Schools has provided middle school students

with the opportunity to learn through hands-on projects and to

receive targeted academic support and coaching during the

afternoon hours.

This part of the school day is taught by a “second shift” of

educators, consisting of Citizen Schools’ program staff and

“Citizen Teachers,” volunteers with expertise in different fields,

including STEM.

Citizen Schools begins in the afternoon, and seamlessly

integrates its culture of achievement into the school. 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: 21st century

skills, academic skills, and college readiness skills.

The Bull’s Eye

Skills, access, and belief drive student success in cognitive,

behavioral, and affective learning.

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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 SNACKSNACKSNACK AND CIRCLE

COLLEGE TO CAREER

CONNECTIONS

ACADEMIC SUPPORTACADEMIC SUPPORT

ACADEMIC SUPPORTACADEMIC 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

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Homework time

Time management and

self-organization

Standards-aligned,

hands-on practice in

math or literacy

COLLEGE TO CAREER

CONNECTIONS

Support for high school

applications in districts

with high-school choice

Visits to colleges and

introductions to careers

Analyzing grades to set

goals

APPRENTICESHIPS

Aligned to 21st Century Skills and

common-core standards

Semester-long projects that

culminate in student presentations

Co-taught by Citizen Schools staff

and volunteer Citizen Teachers

who are experts in their fields, with

special focus on STEM professionals

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VALUE PROPOSITION FOR SCHOOLS

“SECOND SHIFT”

STAFFING

ACADEMIC

PRACTICE

REAL WORLD

LEARNING

FAMILY

ENGAGEMENT

COLLEGE TO

CAREER EXPOSURE

15-20 highly talented staff join your school faculty

Low teacher to student ratios (1:15) 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 English Language Arts

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,

leadership, data analysis, advanced literacy and technology

Biweekly phone calls home, based on conversations with 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 programming that helps prepare

them for high school and college

Visits to colleges, corporations and other cultural institutions

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ENGAGEMENTAttendance 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%.

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.

9 out of 10 Citizen

Schools alumni passed

state exit exams in

math and English,

closing the

achievement gap with

state averages.

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.

Citizen Schools

participants

had a 20% higher high

school graduation rate

than matched peers

(71% vs. 59%).

Independent evaluations show that

students who participated in Citizen Schools

are more engaged and successful in school

than their peers—even years after the

program.

A TRACK RECORD OF IMPACT

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THE EDWARDS TURNAROUND

In 2006, Citizen Schools began exploring Expanded Learning

Time (ELT) partnerships in Boston, serving the entire sixth grade

as part of a mandatory longer school day.

Four low-achieving schools in Massachusetts that piloted ELT

partnerships with Citizen Schools saw average annual gains in

proficiency that are double to triple the gains for other ELT

schools, and state averages.

At the Edwards Middle School, for instance, 6th grade

proficiency rates increased from 15% to 37% in math and from

27% to 49% in English Language Arts (ELA). The 8th graders

who had participated in ELT for all three years of middle school

outscored the state average in math in 2009, reversing the

achievement gap.

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FROM OUT-OF-SCHOOL TO EXPANDED-LEARNING

These results suggest that our hands-on program model,

developed in out-of-school time (OST), can drive significant,

school-wide results when more students experience it in a

setting fully integrated into the full school day.

Today, Citizen Schools is shifting from an optional after-school

program to a whole-grade, whole-school, ELT model to help

traditional public schools serving the poorest communities

dramatically improve performance. We plan to shift the

majority of our school partnerships from OST to ELT by 2014, and

focus our strategy on proving that ELT is effective and

sustainable at scale.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, 2011-2014

Increase our

IMPACT on students and schools

using proven metrics

Increase

SCALEby ten times to serve more

students and schools

Increase organizational

SUSTAINABILITYand create the conditions

for an ELT movement

We will validate ELT as a school

improvement and turnaround model,

demonstrating significant gains in

proficiency (15 percentage points or

greater) and school engagement (30%

reduction in absenteeism and

suspensions and improvement in

belief/locus of control measures).

We will grow the ELT model to serve

more students and schools and prove

effectiveness at 25 schools across urban

and rural school districts.

In order to define and create the

conditions to scale ELT more broadly

beyond 2014, we will grow

renewable/replaceable public and

private funding streams to be

sustainable at $31+ million without

special infusions of “growth capital.”

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OBJECTIVES MEASURES

1Increase

STUDENT SUCCESS

Average network-wide score on Program Scorecard

Percent of apprentices maintaining an A or B or improving a C, D, or F in English Language Arts

Percent of apprentices maintaining an A or B or improving a C, D, or F in Math

Increased proficiency rate on Math & ELA state assessments

2

Engage

MORE APPRENTICES

for more time

Average campus retention rate

Average annual enrollment

3Improve

APPRENTICESHIP IMPACT

Percent of apprenticeships rated high-quality

Percent of Citizen Teachers who feel they made a significant impact on student learning

Percent of apprenticeships led by partners

Percent of apprenticeships with science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) focus

4GROW

the national network

Number of ELT campuses secured

Number of Super STEMcampuses

Public funds appropriated for Citizen Schools and programs like it since 2009

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Ensure

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

at scale

Total revenue

Fully loaded cost per child

Total operating reserve

Total revenue raised for the next fiscal year

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Deliver effective

SITE SUPPORT

and services

Percent of Campus Directors satisfied with support and services from the national organization

7 Build our BRAND

Pilot: Number of high-leverage actions taken on behalf of Citizen Schools by Citizen Teachers

Number of high-leverage online actions taken on behalf of Citizen Schools

Number of e-mail addresses on our house list

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Effectively recruit,

retain and develop

STAFF

Number of campus staff (Program Directors, Campus Directors, Teaching Fellows, and Teaching Associates)

hired in time to attend relevant orientations

Percent of state, national and Campus Director roles where at least 33% of finalists are of color

Scores of incoming campus staff on the characteristics most correlated with high performance

Percent of staff satisfied with their supervision

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Build and maintain a

CULTURE reflecting

our core values

Percent of staff satisfied with organizational culture and values

BALANCED SCORECARD METRICS

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IMPACT METRICS

OBJECTIVES MEASURES TARGETS

Build ENGAGEMENT &

INVESTMENT

in Citizen Schools

Achieve student enrollment target

Promote student attendance

Promote student retention

Ensure constituent satisfaction

95%

91% (ELT: 92%; OST: 90%)

75% (ELT: 90%; OST: 70%)

4.0

Build students’

ACADEMIC SKILLS

Literacy

Maintain an A/B grade in English Language Arts (ELA) course

Improve a C/D/ F grade in ELA course

Increase proficiency rate on ELA state assessment*

85%

50%

+5 percentage points

Math

Maintain an A/B grade in Math course

Improve a C/D/ F grade in Math course

Increase proficiency rate on Math state assessment*

85%

50%

+5 percentage points

Build students’

21ST CENTURY SKILLS

Improve oral communication skills

Improve leadership skills

77%

77%

Build students’

ACCESS & BELIEFS

Promote students’ culture of support

Promote students’ access to high school, college & career connections

Promote students’ belief in the education-to-success connection

Promote students’ self-efficacy

50%

50%

94%

78%

Build students’

COLLEGE PATHWAYS Set 8th graders on a college pathway** N/A**

* Assessment results will be reported in fall 2012 when results are available. If possible, preliminary results will be reported in July on the end-of-year PSC.

** Each region is in the process of developing a college pathway measure that is a meaningful and appropriate measure given its local context.

Results will be reported in fall 2012.

Program Scorecard, 2011-2012

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TACTICS FOR INCREASING IMPACT

1. Strengthen national and

regional summer

trainings

2. Strengthen Citizen

Teacher support:

curriculum, lesson

planning, enhanced

guidance from program

staff, and education

reform context

3. Provide direct field

support to Managing

Directors of Program

around ELT planning and

implementation, core

program model

execution, and

instructional leadership

CREATE EXCELLENT

TRAINING AND

COACHING

SYSTEMS FOR

SECOND SHIFT

1. Develop a knowledge

capture and sharing

system for program best

practices

2. Invest in an effective,

easy-to-use curriculum

development/lesson

planning system

3. Document and share

models of excellence

across program

elements aligned with

rubrics and tools

4. Develop “Our Shared

Culture” Plan including

trainings/ standards/

tools/resources for

classroom

management, goal-

setting, character/

student success

CREATE SCALABLE

TOOLS FOR

INSTRUCTION AND

MANAGEMENT FOR

SECOND SHIFT

1. Refine school

selection/cultivation

criteria that reflect

critical factors including

school leadership/

academic team

leadership, high-need

student population

2. Integrate the first and

second shift, creating a

shared vision of student

expectations, shared

instructional practices

and shared student level

assessments

CREATE STRONG

SCHOOL

PARTNERSHIPS

1. Engage Abt Associates

to evaluate our ELT

model through a school

level quasi-experimental

study consistent with

What Works

Clearinghouse

standards

VALIDATE ELT

RESULTS THROUGH

EVALUATION

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TACTICS FOR INCREASING SCALE AND SUSTAINABILITY

PROGRAM STAFF EDUCATORS:

1. Invest in college partnerships

2. Tighten the implementation of

our candidate selection

model/criteria

3. Use data comparing candidate

hiring rubric scores and on-

campus performance to drive

continuous improvements in

sourcing and selection

4. Source Campus Directors via

Teaching Fellowship and TFA

alumni partnership

VOLUNTEER CITIZEN TEACHERS:

1. Invest in corporate partnerships

to deliver excellent partner-led

apprenticeships

2. Invest in social media to

develop and mobilize

community of Citizen Teachers

to drive retention and

recruitment

CREATE RELIABLE TALENT

PIPELINES FOR SECOND

SHIFT

1. Refine district

selection/cultivation criteria

that reflect critical factors,

including district level support

for ELT as a lever for reform and

funding

2. Convene ELT practitioners and

other partners to create a

community of practice, inspire

excellence, and establish a

network of ELT experts and

ambassadors

CREATE STRONG

DISTRICT PARTNERSHIPS

1. Build strong national and

regional boards capable of

generating large gifts

directly and through their

networks

2. Increase support from

foundations who are

aligning with districts and

interested in school

transformation strategies

3. Drive large gifts through our

corporate sponsorship

efforts with national players

who have a presence in

multiple Citizen Schools

states

INCREASE PRIVATE

FUNDING BY

FOCUSING ON 6-7

FIGURE GIFTS

1. Generate research and

case studies that

demonstrate how school

leaders are freeing up

public funds to pay for ELT

2. Optimize current public

funding sources, including

Title I, SES, CLC, SIG, RTTT and

state/local formula dollars

3. Create stronger

relationships with

district/school leaders,

through an ELT Summit in

Boston and tailored

cultivation led by state

Executive Directors

4. Raise expectations for

financial commitment from

prospective ELT partners:

most new partners/ELT sites

for FY12 are committing

$1,000-$1,200 per student

INCREASE SHARE OF

DIRECT CAMPUS

COSTS COVERED BY

PUBLIC FUNDS

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TACTICS FOR BUILDING AN ELT MOVEMENT

1. Continue direct federal

advocacy, primarily pursuing

policy changes to 21st CCLC

and maintaining funding for

21st CCLC and AmeriCorps,

and ESEA reauthorization

2. Seek greater emphasis on ELT

and better definition within

School Improvement Grant

program

3. Pursue early-stage state policy

advocacy, including

engagement with state

departments of education

CREATE A SUPPORTIVE

CLIMATE FOR ELT

THROUGH PUBLIC

POLICY

1. Pursue third-party validation

for ELT including books, reports,

media coverage including op-

eds, endorsement by

influential bloggers,

academics, and pundits

2. Find compelling stories to

prove ELT and generate new

leads, video, reports, case

studies, and share through old

and new media

3. Align external mass

communication policies and

systems (constituent database,

and how we reach out to

constituents)

4. Ensure high-functioning

internal communications

INCREASE VISIBLITY FOR

ELT AS A LEADING

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

STRATEGY

1. Create a shared library of

curriculum, training guides,

and other materials pertaining

to high-quality ELT for use by

Citizen Schools staff, partners,

and the field more broadly

CREATE AN ELT

TOOLBOX FOR USE BY

CITIZEN SCHOOLS AND

THE FIELD

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www.citizenschools.org