a3 NYC: Attend, Achieve, Attain

An Innovation Proposal to Validate a Model for Whole School Turnaround

The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) in partnership with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), Harlem
Children’s Zone (HCZ), Good Shepherd Services (GSS), the New York City Department of Education
(DOE) and an independent evaluator, the Center for Advanced Study of Education at the City University of
New York (CUNY), is requesting $30 million over four years in federal Investing in Innovation (i3) funds
to validate a powerful model for turning around the lowest performing schools and boosting student
achievement. By increasing student achievement and turning around low-performing schools, a3 NYC will
benefit approximately 4,500 students and families at nine low-performing elementary schools in districts in
Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. By evaluating, demonstrating and communicating a three-pronged
community school model – a broad range of student and family support services, increased learning time
and robust professional development – a3 NYC partners will establish and employ a sustainability and
regional replication plan that will benefit many more students after the grant period.

Like many other low-performing elementary schools in NYC and across the country, the a3 NYC schoolsi,
face a startling and significant hurdle to school turn around: high chronic absenteeism. In NYC, one in five
elementary school children (90,000) were chronically absent (missed a month or more of school/year)
during the 2007-2008 school year; this chronic absenteeism is clustered in the lowest performing schools
and districts in NYC. Consistent attendance starting in the early grades is critical to gaining the social and
academic skills essential to school success.

Building on a rich evidence base, the a3 NYC team has adopted a laser-like goal: increase student
achievement in target elementary schools, which are plagued by persistent low performance and where
30% or more children are chronically absent. The project will do so through a community school model
emphasizing a set of three integrated and coordinated strategies, for which partners will share
accountability:
1. Transform the school with a broad range of student and family support services, overcoming the non-
academic barriers to learning that children face by integrating and coordinating student and family
supports into the school – such as after-school and summer programs, medical services, parent
classes and family engagement programs, and direct material assistance – including targeted
interventions for chronically absent children;
2. Increase learning time and the length of the school day for all children and align the school day with
after-school and summer programs; and
3. Provide additional targeted and robust professional development to teachers, school administrators,
and community partners at school-based teacher centers.

As the lead applicant, CAS, which has run community schools in NYC for close to 20 years and operates
the National Center for Community Schools, will provide overall program and fiscal management and
technical assistance. CAS will also be the lead community-based partner in up to three a3 NYC schools.
The UFT will facilitate increased learning time and new schedules, and a teacher center at each
participating school that will provide professional development. HCZ and GSS will be the lead
community-based partner in up to three schools each. The Center for the Advanced Study of Education at
CUNY will conduct an independent and quasi-experimental study of a3. All of the official partners will
participate in project design and sustainability planning.

CAS, HCZ, GSS, UFT, and the Center for NYC Affairs at the New School (research experts on chronic
absenteeism) and the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice (a parent advocacy and organizing entity) will
participate in the a3 NYC advisory council to lead the sustainability and replication plan.
                                                            
i
 Three schools have been selected for year one and an additional six schools will be selected through a set of defined criteria.