Citizen Schools Plan 1998

7/27/2019 Citizen Schools Plan 1998

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Cit izen Schools , Inc .

Citizen Schools Strategic Plan

History, Growth and Future Directions

August, 1998


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Cit izen Schools , Inc .2

Contents

I. History & Track Record

II. Current Landscape / Opportunities

III. The Citizen Schools Model

IV. Future Plans

V. Financials


3/23


Citizen Schools was founded in 1995 with a mission of educating

children and strengthening community.

Opened pilot summer program in 1995 at Dorchesters Paul A. Dever Elementary Schoolwith 60 students, ages 9 to 14.

Opened pilot after-school program with 32 students at the Dever two afternoons per week,

fall 1995.

Opened pilot Saturday program at the Woodrow Wilson Middle School with 55 students,spring 1996.

All programs focus on hands-on apprenticeship learning led by volunteer professionals,trades people, and artisans.

History & Track Record


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Dever Elementary Dorchester Summer 1995

Wilson Middle Dorchester Spring 1996

Timilty Middle Roxbury Summer 1996

Garfield Elementary Brighton Summer 1996

Irving Middle Roslindale Summer 1997

St. Mark's Neighborhood Campus* Dorchester Fall 1998

Cleveland Middle School Dorchester Fall 1998

Current and New Sites Location Start Date

Citizen Schools has engaged more than 1000 apprentices,

ages 9 to 14, and 1000 volunteer Citizen Teachers.

Citizen Schools currently runs programs at five Boston Public School sites and is opening twoadditional sites this fall:

* St. Marks Neighborhood Campus is a collaboration of the Neighborhood House CharterSchool, the OHearn public school, and St. Marks parochial school, all located nearDorchesters Shawmut T stop.



5/23


Citizen Schools has a strong track record.

All three program models (after school, Saturday and Summer) have received very highratings from parents and students.

High attendance rates (89-99%) demonstrate the strong student enthusiasm for Citizen Schools.

A significant majority of students want to enroll in future workshops.

Parents ratings of overall program quality averaged 4.7 (on a 1 to 5 scale 1=poor and 5=excellent)

Classroom Teachers believe Citizen Schools builds academic skills.Now when I introduce an activity in my class, a Citizen Schools apprentice will say, Oh, I know how to dothis! We did this at Citizen Schools! - Ms. Merel, 6th Grade Math Teacher at the Woodrow WilsonSchool.

Boston School Superintendent Tom Payzant is an enthusiastic supporter of Citizen Schools.

I had the opportunity to visit Citizen Schools and was impressed with the products and performances thatresulted from the apprenticeship curriculum. Of greatest interest to me was the ability of the apprentices

to communicate about their learning to me. I want to support its growth and vision.

At the August 1998 Training Retreat for 127 Boston Public School principals, Superintendent Payzant andthe BPS Center for Leadership Development invited Citizen Schools to make opening remarks anddisplay high-quality student work as a way to demonstrate the power of project-based learning.



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Citizen Schools participants come from many backgrounds

and represent the diversity of Bostons children.

89% are from low/moderate income families

Citizen Schools Students Racial Diversity

45% are African-American

24% Caucasian

18% Latino

6% Asian-American 6% from other backgrounds

Citizen Schools Students Come from Many Kinds of Schools (100 total)

75% are from the Boston Public Schools

10% are from parochial schools

10% are from public schools outside Boston (including Metco Schools)

5% are from charter schools.

Based on a sample of 27 Boston Public School students entering the 1998 Dever SummerProgram, 85% scored significantly below grade level on the Stanford 9 Achievement Test.*

*Citizen Schools has recently begun conversations with the Boston Public Schools Office ofResearch, Assessment and Evaluation and plans to track student achievement starting in1998-99, including student performance on the Stanford 9.



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Citizen Schools has built a broad base of corporate and

community support.

Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center

Boston Foundation

Ernst & Young (in-kind)

Hale and Dorr Law Firm

Hayden Foundation

Massachusetts Department of EducationOffice of Instructional Technology

Putnam Investments

Reebok

Surdna Foundation

Boston Main Streets

Boston Police Department (Area C-11)

Boston Public Library

Childrens Museum

City Year

Codman Square Health Center

First Night Neighborhood Network

Harbor Point Tenants Task Force

New England Aquarium

Parents United for Child Care

Funders Community Partnerships


Funders listed have provided $40,000 to $250,000 in leadership support; more than two dozen additional companies andfoundations have supported Citizen Schools at the $1,000 to $40,000 level


8/23


Only a very small percentage of eighth graders can read, write

and do math as well as 8th graders should.

6-13% of Boston 8th graders perform at grade level depending on subject.

State-wide achievement percentages are only twice as high.

Half of all United States high school graduates do not have the New Basic Skills -- 9th gradelevels in the three Rs and the ability to work on a diverse team, to communicate effectivelyin writing and orally, to work with computers, and to form hypotheses and test them as partof a problem-solving activity, conclude Frank Levy and Richard Murnane in their book,Teaching the New Basic Skills.

Current Landscape / Opportunities


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Only a small percentage of school-aged children in Boston are

served by out-of-school programs.

Drop-in, sports, community centerand other programs (after school,

weekends and summer)11%

6%Licensed Programs

(after school and summer)

No program on aregular basis

83%

Although they are licensed to serve children through age 14, many school aged programs note adrop off in enrollment for those in fifth grade and beyond. Few programs have determined how tosuccessfully recruit and retain older children. - Work/Family Directions


Source: Parents United for Child Care


11/23


Nationally, there is strong interest in the out-of-school field

and growing resources.

Congress passed the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act and provided $40million in initial funding to support after-school programs that boost student skills.

Several states and cities have initiated broad-based support of out-of-school programs

(North Carolina, Georgia, New York, Seattle).

National foundations are making out-of-school programs a priority (C.S. Mott, SorosFoundation/Open Society Institute, Dewitt-Wallace/Readers Digest, Annie B. Casey).



12/23


In Boston there is a strong interest in creating a national

model of educational support during out-of-school time.

Mayor Menino launched a 2 to 6 initiative in his January, 1998 State of the City addressand has hired Jennifer Davis, former special assistant to Secretary of Education RichardRiley, as coordinator.

Superintendent Tom Payzant has told Citizen Schools that he sees out-of-school

educational opportunities as a critical component to his efforts to lift achievement for allstudents.

Boston2000 has identified out-of-school programming as a possible Legacy Project.

Major corporations are invested in out-of-school programming (BankBoston, Fleet Bank,

Fidelity Investments, Hale and Dorr, Putnam Investments, Reebok).



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The Citizen Schools Model

Citizen Schools apprenticeship model leads students to retain

knowledge at a higher rate because students learn by doing and

teach the community.

& Teach

& Discuss

& Do

& See

Hear

The

Apprent iceship

Approach

Retent ion o f

Knowledge

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


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The Power of Cit izen Teachers: In Boston, we expect 1,500

classroom teachers to educate 32,000 students. Why not tap

the talents of the citizens of Boston to augment the work of

these teachers?

0 100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000

Students

Teachers

Citizens

32,000

1,500

574,283

Source: Census and Boston Public School Department.Note: Student and Teacher numbers are for grades 4-8.



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The Mission of Citizen Schools is to educate children and

strengthen community.

Hands-on education led by citizenteachers in a small class setting (averageteacher to student ratio is 2:7)

High standards lead to high-qualityeducational experiences.

Parents get involved: a gateway to

greater involvement in schools. Seizing the educational opportunity of out-

of-school time and serving children whenparents are working.

Children develop:

specific skills

apprenticeships

general skills

written and oral communication

social

question asking

persistence

planning

Apprenticeship products and performancesgive value to the community.

Children and citizens work together tostrengthen their communities.

Adult volunteers add value and skills to theirown lives.

Schools are connected to resources andtalented adults.

Adults and children connect across income,race, neighborhood lines.

Employers see strengthened skills inemployees who teach apprenticeships.

Education Reform:

Value for Children and Parents

Community Building:

Value for Communities and Schools



16/23


Citizen Schools plans to deepen its impact on student learning

and create stronger connections to the Boston Public School

Learning Standards.

Citizen Schools will focus on two academic / life success skills:

The ability to write well

Exhibiting eloquence (effective word choice, appropriate tone)

Organizing thoughts well (logical flow of thoughts, ideas backed by evidence)

Using proper mechanics (grammar, punctuation, spelling)

The ability to gather, analyze, and present data well

Asking questions and finding information

Making and testing hypotheses

Manipulating data using computational skills (fractions, percentages)

Presenting data using charts and graphs

Future Plans


17/23


Citizen Schools plans to increase its connection to its public

school partners and parents.

Goal of a Citizen Schools staff person on the school site council at all sites (currently two offive)

Goal of regular attendance by Site Directors at grade level and cluster meetings

Communicate twice a month with parents and classroom teachers to discuss student work

and organize one parent conference per semester. Involve parents in Citizen Schools as volunteers and collaborators in motivating students to

high achievement levels.

Collaborate with school leaders to assess student achievement.

Offer trainings to parents and teachers on the Citizen Schools model of hands-on learningand its connection to the Boston Public School Learning Standards.

Increase school-year Citizen Schools Programs from 1 or 2 days per week to 3 or 4 daysper week.

Increase number of students per site from 35-40 to 45-60 apprentices.

Future Plans


18/23


Citizen Schools will increase the quality of apprenticeship

learning and increase the impact and authenticity of student

work.

Technology: Citizen Schools apprentices will work with technology experts to fix schoolcomputers, teach parents and teachers how to maximize the Internet, and design webpages.

Publishing: Citizen Schools apprentices will write and publish newspapers, Kids Guides

to various topics (The Freedom Trail, Boston High Schools, Nature Walks) and childrensbooks.

Arts: Citizen Schools apprentices will paint murals, choreograph and perform dances atFirst Night, and both write and perform poetry and plays.

Business: Citizen Schools apprentices will start small businesses (greeting cards, t-shirts,crafts) and provide consulting services to neighborhood businesses.

Other apprenticeships including architecture, carpentry, law, photography, and much, muchmore.

Future Plans


19/23


Citizen Schools will increase the number of children and

adults engaged over time in order to have a great impact on

education and community in Boston.

Future Plans

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Kids

Volunteers


20/23


Citizen Schools seeks to lead the out-of-school field by

demonstrating a strong community impact and leveraging

greater public and private support.

Citizen Schools Goals

A large high-impact model program in Boston

Commitment to evaluation and demonstration of impact

Citizen Schools University to spread idea nationally

Future Plans


21/23


Citizen Schools Cost Per Year Round Site and Cost Per

Child Per Year

Financials

Site director salaryand fringe 26%

($42,340)

Program Support and Mgmt(volunteer coordination,

curriculum HR/training) 24%($39,531)

Front-line Staff (P.A.sSalary and Fringe) 22%

($35,996)

Management, Admin andFundraising 15%

($25,218)

Supplies, educational materials,travel and food 8%

($12,595)

Late van andcustodial overtime 5%

($8,540)

Cost

Per

Child

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Cost

Per

Child

Cost per child per year

School year$1642 / child

Summer$1095 / child

Total Cost Year RoundPer Child

$2737

Cost per year round site

Total Cost Per Year Round SiteBased on 10 Year Round Sites at 60 Students Each

$164,220


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Boston program/overall Citizen Schools budget 1995 through

2003 with sources of support.

Financials

Citizen Schools Program and Funding Data

1995 1996 1997

1998

Projected

1999

Projected 2000 2001 2002 2003

1999-2003Totals or

Averages

Program Data (Annual)

School Year Sites* 0-1 1-3 4-5 5-7 7-10 10 10 12 12 -

Summer Sites 1 3 5 5 7 8 10 10 12 -

Number of Apprentices 91 216 501 555 990 1220 1300 1480 1560 6550

Number of Citizen Teachers 108 360 624 792 1,116 1,368 1,476 1,656 1,800 7416

Total Apprent ice Hours 17,290 39,312 78,657 87,690 211,000 276,000 300,000 336,000 360,000 1,483,000

Cost Per Apprentice Hour $6.44 $8.22 $6.87 $9.86 $6.17 $5.95 $5.66 $5.76 $5.50 $5.81

Hours of Operation 275 350 375 450 500 500 500 500 500 2500

Budget Data

Program Budget (incl. Admin) 111,373 323,253 540,020 864,985 1,305,749 1,642,109 1,697,607 1,935,577 1,979,954 8,560,996

Technical Assistance & Outreach - 35,917 60,002 103,010 283,403 453,689 467,563 598,437 754,312 2,557,404

Total Operating Budget 111,373 359,170 600,022 967,955 1,589,152 2,095,798 2,165,171 2,534,014 2,734,266 11,118,401

Total Revenue From All Sources 149,539 378,359 673,977 1,050,000 1,693,500 2,191,000 2,360,000 2,684,500 2,863,000 11,792,000

Revenue Growth from Previous Year % n/a 253% 178% 156% 161% 129% 108% 114% 107% 124%

End of Year Surplus or Shortfall 38,166 19,189 73,955 82,005 104,348 95,202 194,829 150,486 128,734 673,599

Actual/Projected % Budget Funded 134% 105% 112% 108% 107% 105% 109% 106% 105% 106%

Total Revenue Listed By Source

Corporate 29,500 107,500 189,085 260,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 2,000,000

Foundation and Special Investments 91,000 193,500 314,691 460,000 825,000 975,000 975,000 1,000,000 850,000 4,625,000

Individuals 16,870 32,003 54,467 120,000 200,000 350,000 425,000 490,000 580,000 2,045,000

Public Sector 0 0 33,300 90,000 140,000 200,000 220,000 300,000 400,000 1,260,000

Tuit ion and Earned Revenue 12,169 45,356 82,434 120,000 228,500 316,000 340,000 444,500 533,000 1,862,000

Total Revenue From All Sources 149,539 378,359 673,977 1,050,000 1,693,500 2,191,000 2,360,000 2,684,500 2,863,000 11,792,000Breakdown of Revenue (Percentages)

Corporate 20% 28% 23% 25% 18% 16% 17% 17% 17% 17%

Foundation and Special Investments 61% 51% 47% 44% 49% 44% 42% 37% 30% 40%

Individuals 11% 8% 8% 11% 12% 16% 18% 18% 20% 17%

Public Sector 0% 0% 5% 9% 8% 9% 9% 11% 14% 10%

Earned Revenue and Tuition 8% 12% 12% 11% 13% 14% 14% 17% 19% 15%

*Indicates number of sites in spring and then increased number starting the following fall.


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Citizen Schools Fundraising Goals

Mezzanine investors from foundation community to invest in quality improvement and initial stagesof growth (need $2 million)

Growing earned income from tuition and sale of products and services (10% 20% of revenue)

Growing income from individuals (10% 20%)

Increase annual corporate funding and sponsorship from $260,000 to $500,000

Identify and develop government funding sources (5% 15%)

Reduce reliance on foundation funds (50% 30%)

Financials

Documents

Citizen Schools Plan 1998