Citizen Schools Strategic Plan History, Growth and Future Directions

August, 1998

Citizen Schools, Inc.

Contents

I.

History & Track Record

II.
III.

Current Landscape / Opportunities

The Citizen Schools Model

IV.
V.

Future Plans
Financials

Citizen Schools, Inc.

History & Track Record

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 School with 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.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

History & Track Record

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 two additional sites this fall:

Current and New Sites Dever Elementary

Wilson Middle Timilty Middle Garfield Elementary Irving Middle St. Mark's Neighborhood Campus* Cleveland Middle School

Location Dorchester
Dorchester Roxbury Brighton Roslindale Dorchester Dorchester

Start Date Summer 1995

Spring 1996 Summer 1996 Summer 1996 Summer 1997 Fall 1998 Fall 1998

* St. Marks Neighborhood Campus is a collaboration of the Neighborhood House Charter School, the OHearn public school, and St. Marks parochial school, all located near Dorchesters Shawmut T stop.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

History & Track Record

Citizen Schools has a strong track record.

All three program models (after school, Saturday and Summer) have received very high ratings 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 do this! We did this at Citizen Schools! - Ms. Merel, 6th Grade Math Teacher at the Woodrow Wilson School.

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 that resulted 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 and the BPS Center for Leadership Development invited Citizen Schools to make opening remarks and display high-quality student work as a way to demonstrate the power of project-based learning.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

History & Track Record

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 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.

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

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

*Citizen Schools has recently begun conversations with the Boston Public Schools Office of Research, Assessment and Evaluation and plans to track student achievement starting in 1998-99, including student performance on the Stanford 9.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

History & Track Record

Citizen Schools has built a broad base of corporate and community support.
Funders Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center Boston Foundation Ernst & Young (in-kind) Hale and Dorr Law Firm Hayden Foundation Massachusetts Department of Education Office of Instructional Technology Putnam Investments Reebok Surdna Foundation Community Partnerships 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 listed have provided $40,000 to $250,000 in leadership support; more than two dozen additional companies and foundations have supported Citizen Schools at the $1,000 to $40,000 level

Citizen Schools, Inc.

Current Landscape / Opportunities

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 grade levels in the three Rs and the ability to work on a diverse team, to communicate effectively in writing and orally, to work with computers, and to form hypotheses and test them as part of a problem-solving activity, conclude Frank Levy and Richard Murnane in their book, Teaching the New Basic Skills.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

Current Landscape / Opportunities

Educators are increasingly realizing the sizeable opportunity to teach children during out-of-school time.
Potential Learning Time (non sleep hours / year) In School: 1000 hours

Out of School: 4200 hours Out-of-school time includes afterschool, weekend, and summer time.

Summer programming is especially important; studies show that unchallenged students lose ground over the summer in what educators call the summer lag effect.

Citizen Schools, Inc.

Current Landscape / Opportunities

Only a small percentage of school-aged children in Boston are served by out-of-school programs.

6% Licensed Programs (after school and summer)

Drop-in, sports, community center and other programs (after school, weekends and summer) 11%

No program on a regular basis 83%

Source: Parents United for Child Care

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

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Current Landscape / Opportunities

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 $40 million 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, Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute, Dewitt-Wallace/Readers Digest, Annie B. Casey).

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Current Landscape / Opportunities

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 address and has hired Jennifer Davis, former special assistant to Secretary of Education Richard Riley, 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 all students. 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.
100% 80%
Retention of Knowledge The Apprenticeship Approach

& Teach & Do

60% & Discuss

40% & See

20%
Hear

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The Citizen Schools Model

The Power of Citizen 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?

32,000

Students
1,500 Teachers

Citizens

574,283

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

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

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The Citizen Schools Model

The Mission of Citizen Schools is to educate children and strengthen community.

Education Reform: Value for Children and Parents Hands-on education led by citizen teachers in a small class setting (average teacher to student ratio is 2:7) High standards lead to high-quality educational experiences. Parents get involved: a gateway to greater involvement in schools. Seizing the educational opportunity of outof-school time and serving children when parents are working. Children develop: specific skills
apprenticeships

Community Building: Value for Communities and Schools Apprenticeship products and performances give value to the community. Children and citizens work together to strengthen their communities. Adult volunteers add value and skills to their own lives. Schools are connected to resources and talented adults. Adults and children connect across income, race, neighborhood lines. Employers see strengthened skills in employees who teach apprenticeships.

general skills
written and oral communication social question asking persistence planning

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Future Plans

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

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Future Plans

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 of five)
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 learning and 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 days per week. Increase number of students per site from 35-40 to 45-60 apprentices.

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Future Plans

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 school computers, teach parents and teachers how to maximize the Internet, and design web pages.
Publishing: Citizen Schools apprentices will write and publish newspapers, Kids Guides to various topics (The Freedom Trail, Boston High Schools, Nature Walks) and childrens books. Arts: Citizen Schools apprentices will paint murals, choreograph and perform dances at First 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, much more.

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Future Plans

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.

2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 Kids Volunteers

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

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Future Plans

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

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Financials

Citizen Schools Cost Per Year Round Site and Cost Per Child Per Year
Cost per year round site
Supplies, educational materials, travel and food 8%
($12,595)

Cost per child per year

3000

2500

Management, Admin and Fundraising 15%

($25,218)

Late van and custodial overtime 5% ($8,540)

School year $1642 / child

2000

1500

1000

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

($35,996)

Site director salary and fringe 26%

($42,340)

Summer $1095 / child

500

Program Support and Mgmt (volunteer coordination, curriculum HR/training) 24%

($39,531)

0 Cost Per Child

Total Cost Per Year Round Site

Based on 10 Year Round Sites at 60 Students Each

$164,220

Total Cost Year Round Per Child $2737

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Financials

Boston program/overall Citizen Schools budget 1995 through 2003 with sources of support.
Citizen Schools Program and Funding Data
1995 Program Data (Annual) School Year Sites* 0-1 Summer Sites 1 Number of Apprentices 91 Number of Citizen Teachers 108 Total Apprentice Hours 17,290 Cost Per Apprentice Hour $6.44 Hours of Operation 275 Budget Data Program Budget (incl. Admin) 111,373 Technical Assistance & Outreach Total Operating Budget 111,373 Total Revenue From All Sources 149,539 Revenue Growth from Previous Year % n/a End of Year Surplus or Shortfall 38,166 Actual/Projected % Budget Funded 134% Total Revenue Listed By Source Corporate 29,500 Foundation and Special Investments 91,000 Individuals 16,870 Public Sector 0 Tuition and Earned Revenue 12,169 Total Revenue From All Sources 149,539 Breakdown of Revenue (Percentages) Corporate 20% Foundation and Special Investments 61% Individuals 11% Public Sector 0% Earned Revenue and Tuition 8% 1996 1-3 3 216 360 39,312 $8.22 350 1997 4-5 5 501 624 78,657 $6.87 375 1998 1999 Projected Projected 5-7 5 555 792 87,690 $9.86 450 7-10 7 990 1,116 211,000 $6.17 500 2000 10 8 1220 1,368 276,000 $5.95 500 2001 10 10 1300 1,476 300,000 $5.66 500 2002 12 10 1480 1,656 336,000 $5.76 500 2003 12 12 1560 1,800 360,000 $5.50 500 1999-2003 Totals or Averages 6550 7416 1,483,000 $5.81 2500 8,560,996 2,557,404 11,118,401 11,792,000 124% 673,599 106% 2,000,000 4,625,000 2,045,000 1,260,000 1,862,000 11,792,000 17% 40% 17% 10% 15%

323,253 540,020 864,985 1,305,749 1,642,109 1,697,607 1,935,577 1,979,954 35,917 60,002 103,010 283,403 453,689 467,563 598,437 754,312 359,170 600,022 967,955 1,589,152 2,095,798 2,165,171 2,534,014 2,734,266 378,359 673,977 1,050,000 1,693,500 2,191,000 2,360,000 2,684,500 2,863,000 253% 178% 156% 161% 129% 108% 114% 107% 19,189 73,955 82,005 104,348 95,202 194,829 150,486 128,734 105% 112% 108% 107% 105% 109% 106% 105% 107,500 189,085 260,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 193,500 314,691 460,000 825,000 975,000 975,000 1,000,000 850,000 32,003 54,467 120,000 200,000 350,000 425,000 490,000 580,000 0 33,300 90,000 140,000 200,000 220,000 300,000 400,000 45,356 82,434 120,000 228,500 316,000 340,000 444,500 533,000 378,359 673,977 1,050,000 1,693,500 2,191,000 2,360,000 2,684,500 2,863,000 28% 51% 8% 0% 12% 23% 47% 8% 5% 12% 25% 44% 11% 9% 11% 18% 49% 12% 8% 13% 16% 44% 16% 9% 14% 17% 42% 18% 9% 14% 17% 37% 18% 11% 17% 17% 30% 20% 14% 19%

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

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Financials

Citizen Schools Fundraising Goals

Mezzanine investors from foundation community to invest in quality improvement and initial stages of growth (need $2 million)
Growing earned income from tuition and sale of products and services (10% Growing income from individuals (10% 20%) 20% of revenue)

Increase annual corporate funding and sponsorship from $260,000 to $500,000 Identify and develop government funding sources (5% Reduce reliance on foundation funds (50% 30%) 15%)

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