Achievement First

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Closing the achievement gap is the civil rights issue of our time. From the moment students arrive at Achievement First schools, they are held to high expectations built around the belief that they can and will achieve academic success.

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All Achievement First students know they can and will go to college.

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The culture at our schools is one of rigor and joy—you can sense the urgency and energy when you enter an Achievement First school. Our lessons are geared to engage students and foster a lifelong love of learning.

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Achievement First schools emphasize the REACH values—Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement, Citizenship and Hard Work.

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At Achievement First, we believe all children can succeed when presented with the right educational opportunities. Across the Achievement First network, our students—low-income, African-American and Latino students—are outpacing their state and district peers.

For the third consecutive year in as many graduating classes, 100 percent of seniors have gained acceptance to four-year colleges and universities.

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We work hard every day to close the achievement gap and deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all children, regardless of race, economic status or zip code. Our first priority is to provide a truly outstanding, gap-closing education to our thousands of students.

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We believe a great education can level the playing field, break the cycle of poverty and create a brighter future for all of us.

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Achievement First is proud to serve special education students, English Language Learners, talented and gifted students, and all other students accepted through our blind lotteries. We don’t have admission requirements or interviews, and there are no admission or tuition fees.

Students, teachers and parents work as a team to achieve success.

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At Achievement First, we help individual students, entire schools and partner districts close the achievement gap. We are committed to engaging volunteer tutors, increasing public awareness, and advocating for public policies that would support education reform and the expansion of high-quality school choices.

We host hundreds of visitors—including community members, elected officials and educators—in our schools each year.

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People matter mightily at Achievement First. We spare no effort to recruit the best teachers, school leaders, subject-area and functional experts, and operations specialists from around the country, provide them with outstanding professional development, and create opportunities that will inspire and support them in their careers.

We develop, recognize and reward teachers through constant professional development and the Teacher Career Pathway.

Achievement First Alumni

Many talented students have come through the doors of Achievement First schools in the last 10 years. At Amistad Academy, Achievement First's flagship school, the first students to graduate from the school are now attending college! The following students illustrate Amistad Academy's impact, what our alumni have accomplished and how they work to give back.

Kiara Fuller

Amistad Academy Class of 2002

"Amistad let me know that things were not just going to come for me; I had to work for them. I know it was for the best, and I apply the value of hard work to everything that I do. The REACH values are definitely just as prevalent in life as they are within the walls of Amistad."

Kiara is an active Amistad alum, hosting overnight visits for current Amistad students to Connecticut College and leading alumni group sessions on private school life and the college process. She has also taken advantage of Amistad alumni resources such as academic counseling, SAT prep classes, an internship program, and workshops on financial aid and essay writing.

Amistad Academy Middle School

Class of 2002
Earned academic honors
Qualified for REACH Award

The Hopkins School

Class of 2006
Participated in the Concert Choir
Member of Amnesty International, S.U.R.E. (Students United for Racial Equality) and the Spanish Club
Ran varsity track and tutored middle-school students

Connecticut College

Class of 2010
Member of the Advisory Board for Student Counseling
Chair of Umoja, the Black Student Union
Chair of the Gospel Choir
Study abroad in Vietnam, spring 2009

Albert Maldonado

Amistad Academy Class of 2003

Through Albert's involvement with the Amistad alumni program, he interned with the New Alliance Bank and the Grand Avenue Village Association. Albert has also taken advantage of alumni programs such as SAT prep classes, week-long college tours to Maryland, Washington, DC, and North Carolina and an overnight retreat in his junior year to set goals and prepare for his senior year in high school. To stay connected to Amistad, he has mentored current students and has led group sessions on the college admission process.

Amistad Academy Middle School

Class of 2003
One of three students in Advanced Geometry
Earned academic honors
Participated in soccer and varsity basketball

Notre Dame High School of West Haven

Class of 2007
Earned academic honors
Participated on the varsity football team
Volunteered with local political campaigns

Northfield Mount Hermon School

Post-graduate year, class of 2008

Wesleyan

Class of 2012

Kiamesha Holland

Amistad Academy Class of 2003

Kiamesha has taken full advantage of Amistad alumni resources around career services, interning at the Yale-New Haven Hospital and New Haven Pediatrics. As an alumna of Amistad, she also participated in a four-day, summer pre-college retreat to the University of New Haven to jumpstart her college application process. Kiamesha continues to tutor Amistad students during Saturday Academy.

Amistad Academy Middle School

Class of 2003
Earned academic honors
Qualified for the REACH Award
Participated in dance

Hill Regional Career Magnet School

Class of 2007
Earned academic honors while working three jobs
Starred in the school production of Dream Girls
Interned at Yale Hospital in the Neo-natal Unit

Southern Connecticut State University

Class of 2011

Kaylani Rosado

Amistad Academy Class of 2004

Though away at boarding school, Kaylani has been an active participant in the Amistad alumni program. She has taken advantage of SAT prep classes, overnight retreats, high school support and academic counseling, and the internship program. Kaylani continues to lead alumni group sessions on private school life and the college process.