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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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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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About Achievement First Amistad High School

49 Prince Street
New Haven, CT 06519
Phone: 203-772-1092
Fax: 203-772-1784

Achievement First Amistad High School is a college-preparatory public charter school in New Haven, Connecticut. Achievement First Amistad High provides a life-altering education that prepares students for the opportunities and responsibilities they will face in college and beyond. The school was founded in 2006 based on one innovative premise: close the achievement gap by providing a prep-school-quality education to inner-city students. Achievement First Amistad High combines rigorous courses and high expectations with a host of support services more common at affluent and private high schools, including SAT prep, intensive college counseling, tutoring and explicit character education. Achievement First Amistad High is recognized as a national model of education reform, proving what is truly possible when urban students receive a world-class education.

Achievement First Amistad High has one goal: 100% of students will be accepted into four-year colleges and universities. The school prepares students to meet this goal by providing a challenging course of studies and supporting students in their growth outside the classroom. In the classrooms at Achievement First Amistad High, all students are prepared to take responsibility for their own learning. As students progress from grade nine to 12, instruction shifts from a teacher-directed approach to student-led exchanges of ideas. Outside of class, students grow as athletes, volunteers, leaders and responsible community members through participation in the school’s extracurricular, athletic and arts programs. Please visit our high school page or click here for more information.

School Description

Opened: August 2006 (with ninth graders)
Grades: Nine to 12
Community: Urban
School Type: Public charter
School Year: Three trimesters
Faculty/Student Services: 32
Administration: Four
Faculty with Advanced Degrees: 53%

Student Population

Number of Students in 2012-2013: 316
Student Demographics in 2011-2012:
45% Boys, 55% Girls
99% African American or Hispanic
73% Qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch
Average Daily Attendance: 97%
College Acceptance Rate (2012): 100%

Overview

Achievement First Amistad High School is based on an innovative premise: closing the achievement gap by providing a prep-school quality education to inner-city students. Achievement First Amistad High School combines rigorous academics and high expectations with a host of supports, including SAT prep, intensive college counseling, tutoring, explicit character education and a school culture in which it is “cool” to be smart. Key facets of the Achievement First Amistad High School program include:

Rigorous course of studies for all students: At Achievement First Amistad High School, every student is on a college-preparatory track. With college readiness as the paramount goal, we have built our curricula on the concepts, knowledge and skills used and/or developed by Advanced Placement exams, the SAT, the American Diploma Project, the book College Knowledge and actual college courses. All students complete a rigorous course of studies focused on core academics, and acceptance to a four-year college or university is a graduation requirement.
Personal attention for each student: As a small school, we can better meet the needs of each individual student. Small class sizes, small case loads for college counselors and small advisories enable us to make sure that no student “falls through the cracks.” Our teachers give students their home or cell phone numbers and make home visits in order to provide the level of support that each student needs.
Open communication: Every ninth and 10th-grade student meets with their advisory each morning. Advisories allow our dedicated faculty to check in with students on a more personal level and to reach out to parents if necessary. Additionally, we enable students and parents to check grades online, and we provide every student with an Achievement First email address so that they can easily communicate with teachers.
Focused learning environment: One of the biggest obstacles to learning at many urban high schools is a lack of discipline. At Achievement First Amistad High School, our staff works hard to create and maintain a sacred learning environment where all students are focused and engaged and where it is “cool” to be smart.
Intensive college counseling: The college application process can be challenging, cumbersome and confusing. We keep our counselor to student ratio low so that each student and family gets the individual attention and support they need to successfully navigate the college application process.
Expanding athletics and after-school program: During the 2008-09 school year, Achievement First Amistad High School officially joined the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), and we are planning to offer a range of programs, including volleyball, cross country, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, athletic training and track. We also offer theater, music and debate.
Unique senior year: Achievement First Amistad High School is designed to prepare students for college. One way we do this is by helping them become well-rounded. This includes a senior year in which students have the opportunity to earn college credits from the University of Connecticut, to take electives in areas such as computer programming and to complete internships at local businesses and organizations.
Commitment to robust student life programs: While providing a strong academic foundation will always be our first priority, we also realize that our students need opportunities to have varied experiences, including internships, community service and summer programs. In addition, it is important that our students have a fun and memorable high school experience made possible through awards ceremonies, senior privileges, dances and other popular high school rituals.

School Leader

Chris Bostock is the principal of Achievement First Amistad High School. Prior to joining Achievement First, Mr. Bostock served as a Teach For America corps member in New Haven, teaching middle school history. After his corps experience, he joined the team at AF Amistad High School, where he worked as an AP History teacher and served as the ninth grade level chair for two years. Mr. Bostock then became the school's dean of students and also served as an instructional coach before becoming principal in 2012. He holds a B.A. in history from Trinity College, is a graduate of the General Course at the London School of Economics and earned an M.A. from Teachers College at Columbia University.