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

Amistad-Elm City High School is a new public charter high school in New Haven, CT, that opened in 2006 as an extension of Amistad Academy Middle School, the nationally acclaimed flagship school in the Achievement First network of high-performing public charter schools. In the years prior to the opening of Amistad-Elm City High School, the need for a high school explicitly committed to closing the achievement gap became increasingly apparent to the leaders of Achievement First. While many Amistad Academy Middle School alumni went on to graduate from public and private high schools and to attend college, many others struggled to remain on the path to college upon leaving the achievement-oriented, college-preparatory environment that defines Amistad Academy and all Achievement First schools. Amistad-Elm City High School was developed to ensure that students receive the consistent academic rigor and character development they need to complete the path to college.

School Description

Opened: August 2006 (with ninth graders)
Grades: Nine to 12
Community: Urban
School Type: Public charter
School Year: Three trimesters
Faculty: 16
Administration & School Support: Nine
Faculty with Advanced Degrees: 44%

Student Population

Number of Students in 2009-2010: 175
Student Demographics in 2009-2010:
45% Boys, 55% Girls
99% African American or Hispanic
56% Qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch
Average Daily Attendance: 96%
Graduation Rate: n/a (inaugural 12th graders to graduate in June 2010)

Overview

Amistad-Elm City High School is based on an innovative premise: closing the achievement gap by providing a prep-school quality education to inner-city students. Amistad-Elm City 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 Amistad-Elm City High School program include:

• Rigorous course of studies for all students: At Amistad-Elm City 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 on-line, and we provide every student with an Achievement First e-mail 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 Amistad-Elm City 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 that they need to successfully navigate the college application process.
• Expanding athletics and after-school program: During the 2008-09 school year, Amistad-Elm City 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: Amistad-Elm City 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.

Admission

Amistad-Elm City High School is a public charter school open to graduates of Amistad Academy Middle School and Elm City College Preparatory Middle School, Achievement First’s two New Haven, CT middle schools. Students are admitted to both middle schools by a blind lottery run by the New Haven Public Schools as part of their “Public Schools of Choice” program. There are no admission requirements, tests or interviews, and there are no admission or tuition fees for students of our middle or high schools. We serve special education students, English Language Learners, talented and gifted students and everyone else who comes through the lottery to our schools.

School Leader

Jeff Sudmyer is the founding principal of Amistad-Elm City High School. Prior to joining Achievement First, Mr. Sudmyer served as a Teach For America (TFA) corps member in San Jose, CA, teaching high school history. After Teach For America, Mr. Sudmyer taught history at Framingham High School, in Framingham, MA. There, he taught AP U.S. History for several years, supervised student teachers, mentored new teachers and coached basketball and baseball. Mr. Sudmyer also has experience working for the Massachusetts Institute for New Teachers, run under the auspices of the New Teacher Project, where he trained and supervised mid-career professionals transitioning into teaching. Mr. Sudmyer majored in political science at Colgate University and earned a master’s degree in teaching and learning from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is currently working toward a sixth-year degree in educational leadership at the University of Connecticut.