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.

Alternate Route to Administrator Certification (092)

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.

Residency Program for School Leadership Alternate Route to Administrator (092) Certification

Program Overview

The Residency Program for School Leadership is a new collaboration between the traditional public school districts of New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport, and Achievement First. The Residency Program is designed to accelerate the development of stellar assistant principals, coaches and teacher leaders who are interested in serving as the next generation of principals in New Haven, Hartford or Bridgeport. Participation in the program carries a placement commitment to the respective host district after completion of the residency year.

The Residency Program is accredited by the Connecticut State Department of Education as an alternate route to administrator/supervisor (092) certification. Candidates who complete the program are qualified to earn the Connecticut Intermediate Administration/Supervision (092) certificate. The program is open to certified teachers who have a minimum of four years of K-12 educational experience and meet other admission standards. The Residency Program is non-credit bearing.

Residency Program participants gain the knowledge and develop the skills to effectively lead change in the highest-need schools in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport. Graduates of the program are well grounded and understand how to apply the concepts and theories of culture leadership, instructional leadership, organizational management, and vision setting and inspiration to enhance student achievement.

Program Components:

Throughout the program, training is guided by a competency framework outlining the skills, mindsets and actions needed to become a highly effective school leader.

Pre-Residency Summer Leadership Development: Residents attend an intense series of workshops that focus on development in key leadership competencies.
Residency Practicum: Residents serve two paid residencies over the course of one academic year: first at a high-performing Achievement First public charter school and next at a traditional district school with a high-impact principal. Residents are mentored by an outstanding principal at each school, given specific leadership responsibilities and provided with focused feedback on growth and development.
Academic Year Seminars: Weekly evening seminars held during the residencies provide training and practice in key areas of school leadership, including school culture, instruction, staff leadership and vision setting. Each seminar supports and challenges residents to translate best practices to the school-change context, and additional training focuses on how to develop staff mindsets to meet mission goals.
Post-Residency Summer Leadership Development: A week-long Technical Skills Boot Camp upon completion of the residencies focuses on fiscal management and district-specific school administration.
Ongoing Professional Development and Support: In the years following the Residency Program, alumni continue to receive cohort-specific training sessions, change management coaching, planning assistance in transitioning to school leadership, and district and Achievement First professional development opportunities.

092 Eligibility

According to Connecticut state educator regulatory requirements, candidates must:

Hold a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education accredited by the Board of Governors for Higher Education or a regionally accredited body.
Have at least 40 school months (four years) of teaching experience, of which at least 10 school months are in a position requiring certification at a public school in this state or another state.
Be recommended by their immediate supervisor or district administrator on the basis of their performance.
Candidates participating in the administrative alternative certification route program must meet the graduate degree and credit requirements required for different levels of certification. The sequence of certification under current statutes and regulations will be:
- Resident educator certificate (one-year duration) will be issued when the candidate is admitted to the administrative alternate route certification while serving for a minimum of 10 months in an administrative position.
- Initial educator certificate (three-year duration) will be issued based on successful completion of training, assessment and service requirements under the resident educator certificate.
  - A master’s degree must be completed within five years of the issuance date of the initial educator certificate.
Provisional educator certificate (eight-year duration) will be issued based on completion of a minimum of 10 months of successful service as an administrator for a Connecticut public school under the initial educator certificate.
Professional educator certificate (five-year duration and renewable in five-year increments thereafter) will be issued based on completion of: (1) a minimum of 30 months of successful service as an administrator under the provisional educator certificate for a Connecticut public school, and (2) a minimum of 30 graduate credits beyond the master’s degree.

Admission to the Program

To be considered for the Residency Program for School Leadership Alternate Route to Administrator/Supervisor (092) Certification, candidates must apply to the Residency Program by completing the standard application process. Acceptance to the Residency Program for School Leadership Alternate Route to Administrator/Supervisor (092) Certification is contingent on acceptance to the Residency Program. Please click here for more information about the Residency Program, including how to apply.