Citizen Schools partners with middle schools to expand the learning day through hands-on projects and targeted academic support. It brings "second shift" staff of 15-20 people to provide small group instruction and other supports. This expanded learning time increases school hours comparable to top charter schools. Student outcomes include improved attendance, test scores, and graduation rates. The document outlines Citizen Schools' program elements and partnerships across several states that aim to close the achievement gap through an enriched educational experience.

1. EXPANDED LEARNING TIME PARTNERSHIPS
A Second Shift of Educators for Student Success

2. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ VISION FOR STUDENTS
Enabling successful
transitions into
Closing the HIGH SCHOOL Providing
achievement gap and increasing pathways from
in MIDDLE SCHOOL graduation rates COLLEGE TO CAREERS

3. A PARTNERSHIP TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES
Citizen Schools is a non-profit organization that partners with middle schools in low-
income communities to expand the learning day. Since 1995, middle school students
have discovered new paths through our hands-on projects, targeted academic
support. School partners have been transformed in turn, through the benefits of:
 15-20 highly talented staff join your school faculty
“SECOND SHIFT”
 Low (1:17) teacher to student ratios for academic and social support
STAFFING  Opportunity to spread workload across more faculty and allow for more planning time
 Targeted support of high leverage academic skills
ACADEMIC  Standards-aligned curricula in Math or Literacy
PRACTICE  Citizen Schools staff join grade level meetings and Instructional Leadership teams
 Hands-on activities that make learning relevant
REAL WORLD  Diverse 10-week apprenticeships taught by community and corporate volunteers
LEARNING  Curriculum focus on 21st century skills, including oral presentation, teamwork,
leadership, data analysis, advanced literacy, and technology
 Biweekly phone calls home to report student progress and updates from school faculty
FAMILY  Regular events to help families connect to schools, including potlucks and high-school
ENGAGEMENT information sessions and selection coaching
 Help families connect to schools by hiring staff who communicate in home languages
 Students participate in 100+ hours of “college and career” programming that helps
COLLEGE TO prepare them for high school and college
CAREER EXPOSURE  Visits to colleges, corporations and cultural institutions
2

4. MORE TIME…
Expanded Learning Time (ELT), used well, enables schools to offer a more in-depth and well-
rounded education. The learning time that Citizen Schools adds to traditional public middle
schools makes their day comparable to that of the highest-performing charter schools.
Hours of School Time Per Year
1,872
1,800
1,692
1,600 1,620
1,560
1,536
1,480
1,300 1,260
800
Traditional Harmony Apollo 20 Achievement Uncommon YES Prep Citizen Schools KIPP
Public Schools First Schools ELT
3

5. …AND MORE PEOPLE
To deliver these hours of instruction, Citizen Schools brings in a second
shift: an afternoon team of educators that collaborates with, and
mirrors, a school’s principal, teachers, and instructional leadership team.
The Second Shift
A Citizen Schools campus consists of
AmeriCorps members who play CAMPUS DIRECTOR
specialized roles called “leads,” as
well as part-time educators
embarking on a teaching career, AmeriCorps
an experienced supervisor, and TEACHING FELLOWS
volunteer Citizen Teachers who  Academic Lead Part-time
teach unique, inspiring courses in  Citizen Teacher Lead
 College Readiness
TEACHING
their fields. The program begins in Lead ASSOCIATES
 Data Lead
the afternoon, and seamlessly
 Family & Student
integrates its culture of achievement Engagement Lead
with each school’s.
Volunteer
CITIZEN TEACHERS
4

6. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ THEORY OF CHANGE
We believe that skills, access, and belief drive student
success in cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning.
Our curricula are designed to build
students’ skills, provide access to
community resources, and instill belief
in the connection between hard
work and success.
Program elements foster three
competencies vital to students’ future
success: academic skills, college
readiness skills, and 21st century skills:
 Collaboration
 Communication
 Global awareness
 Advanced literacy
 Data analysis
 Technology
 Problem solving
 Effective reasoning
 Innovation
5

7. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ THEORY OF CHANGE
Citizen Schools drives student impact by shifting students’ educational
trajectory in middle school toward a path to college and career success.
SUCCESS
in college
& career
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
 Achievement
 Graduation
 College and career
MID-TERM OUTCOMES readiness
 Engagement
 Achievement
 Selection of a college-
SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES track high school
 ACCESS to positive peers,
adults and experiences
CITIZEN SCHOOLS  SKILLS, academic and
PROGRAM 21st century
 Apprenticeships  BELIEF in the connection
between hard work, education
 Academic coaching and future success
 College to career
connections
6

8. PROGRAM ELEMENTS Program & Impact
Our program model blends academic support and project-based enrichment for three
hours per day to close the opportunity and achievement gap for middle school students.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT APPRENTICESHIPS COLLEGE TO CAREER
 Previews and reviews of  Aligned to 21st Century Skills CONNECTIONS
standards-based Math and  Semester-long projects that  Explicit instruction in study skills
Literacy skills and concepts culminate in student and school success habits
 Targeted homework support presentations  Exposure to college and career
 Time management and self-  Co-taught by Citizen Schools staff opportunities and pathways
organization skills and volunteer Citizen Teachers  Individualized report card analysis
 Key partners: Citizen Schools, who are experts in their fields to set goals for school success
teachers, parents, administrators  Key partners: Citizen Schools,  Key partners: Citizen Schools,
volunteers, parents, teachers volunteers, teachers, parents
7

9. THE EXPANDED LEARNING DAY
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom Homeroom
Literacy & ELA Literacy & ELA Literacy & ELA Literacy & ELA Literacy & ELA
Math Math Math Math Math
Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies
Science Science Science Science Science
Transition
around SNACK AND CIRCLE SNACK SNACK SNACK
3pm
ACADEMIC SUPPORT ACADEMIC SUPPORT JOINT
ACADEMIC SUPPORT ACADEMIC SUPPORT
PROFESSIONAL
APPRENTICESHIPS/ DEVELOPMENT
Dismissal
around COLLEGE TO CAREER 8TH GRADE APPRENTICESHIPS
ACADEMY EXPLORE!
6pm CONNECTIONS
SATURDAY
8TH GRADE ACADEMY/
COLLEGE TO CAREER
CONNECTIONS
8

10. PARTNERSHIPS COAST TO COAST CITIZEN SCHOOLS ELT FOOTPRINT
In 2011-12, Citizen Schools will partner with 19 Expanded Learning Time schools across six states
and nine communities. In seven additional communities, we run optional after-school
programs, which we aim to convert to the Expanded Learning Time model in the near future.
NEW YORK
Bronx
Brooklyn MASSACHUSETTS
Harlem Boston
Revere
After-school:
New Bedford
NEW JERSEY
Newark
NORTH CAROLINA
Durham
After-school:
Charlotte
CALIFORNIA
East Palo Alto
Oakland Dallas
Redwood City
After-school:
NEW MEXICO
Campbell
Mescalero
Santa Fe
After-school: TEXAS
Albuquerque After-school:
Houston
9

11. MEETING A NEED
Twelve diverse districts have partnered with Citizen In AY 2010-2011, 76% of Citizen
Schools to implement Expanded Learning Time programs Schools students were eligible for
as an improvement strategy in their schools: free or reduced price lunch.
The majority of students identified
 Boston Public Schools (MA) as Latino or African-American.
 Durham Public Schools (NC) Over 41% of participants spoke a
 Houston Independent School District (TX) primary language other than
 Mescalero Apache School (NM) English at home.
 New Bedford Public Schools (MA)
Race and Ethnicity
 New York City Department of Education (NY)
Latino 46%
 Newark Public Schools (NJ)
African American 27%
 Oakland Unified School District (CA) White 8%
 Ravenswood City School District (CA) Asian or Pacific Islander 5%
 Redwood City School District (CA) Multiple Race or Other 14%
 Revere Public Schools (MA) Grade Level
 Santa Fe Public Schools (NM) Grade 5 1%
Grade 6 55%
Grade 7 26%
Grade 8 16%
Language Spoken at Home
English 59%
Spanish 33%
Other 8%
10

12. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ RESULTS
Citizen Schools is committed to improving student outcomes through the effective use of data.
Data-Guided Program Management Internal Evaluation
Our online database Our internal Program Scorecard
monitors attendance and defines key outcomes and
outcomes, allowing staff to indicators, such as grades,
identify areas of strength student belief, and parent
and concern in real time satisfaction, and enables us to
and adjust their practice. track progress toward goals.
External Evaluation
 An external longitudinal study completed by Policy Studies Associates employed a
quasi-experimental matched comparison group design and reported positive
findings related to school engagement, achievement, and attainment.
 A current external evaluation by Abt Associates is studying schools that adopt
Expanded Learning Time in partnership with Citizen Schools to matched comparison
schools over the course of five years.
 We also review student end-of-year proficiency gains on state standardized exams.
11

13. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ RESULTS
An independent evaluation found that Citizen Schools’ Out-Of-School program, the basis for our ELT
model, is associated with significant gains for our alumni through high school, years after the program.
ENGAGEMENT
Attendance is one of the best predictors
of whether a student will drop out of Citizen Schools attendance is
school. As early as middle school, high higher than matched peers,
absenteeism is a powerful indicator of reducing absenteeism by 43%.1
dropout risk.
ACHIEVEMENT State Exam Passage Rates (Grade 10)
Many students lack the academic skills Citizen Schools Boston 9 out of 10 Citizen Schools
Participants
93 93
necessary for college and career success. 88 89 alumni passed state exit exams
Boston Public Schools
83 82
Only one-quarter of high school graduates in math and English, closing the
75 77
who took the ACT in 2010 met college
Massachusetts Low- achievement gap with state
Income Students
averages.1
readiness benchmarks.2 Massachusetts - All
Math English Language Arts Students
GRADUATION
Nationwide, 2.2 million students attend high Citizen Schools participants
schools that qualify as “dropout factories.” had a 20% higher high school
Each year, more than a million young graduation rate than matched
people fail to graduate with their class.3 peers (71% vs. 59%).1
1. Arcaira, Vile, and Reisner (2010). Achieving High School 2. ACT (2010). The Condition of College 3. Civic Enterprises, Everyone Graduates Center, and
Graduation: Citizen Schools’ Youth Outcomes in Boston. and Career Readiness 2010. America’s Promise Alliance (2010). Building a Grad Nation.
12

14. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ RESULTS
One of the schools in the study, our flagship ELT partnership with the Edwards
Middle School in Boston, has reversed the state-wide achievement gap.
State Exam Proficiency: Grade 8 Math
60
Implementation of ELT (fall 2006)
Edwards +
Citizen Schools
Massachusetts
50
40
Boston Public Schools
30
20
10
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
SOURCES. Fleischman et al. (2010). Highlights from PISA 2009.; Arcaira, Vile, and Reisner (2010). Achieving
High School Graduation; MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
13

15. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ RESULTS
In 2010-2011, after one year of an Expanded Learning Time partnership with Citizen Schools,
schools averaged six percentage point gains on state standardized exams, positioning the
schools to meet a three-year cumulative goal of a 15 percentage point gain—exceeding
the US Department of Education standard for successful school turnaround.
Average Annual Proficiency Gains
14
ELA Math
12
10
8
8.0 8.3
6
4
2.3
2 3.6 3.6
1.2
0
District Average High quality turnaround efforts Citizen Schools partnerships
14

16. WHAT MAKES A STRONG SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
Criteria for partner schools:
 Scores that lag behind state or district averages on
state-based standardized tests
 Greater than 75% of students from low socio-
economic background as identified by free and
reduced lunch
 A strong principal leader with:
− a data-driven and strategic approach to
student success and teacher assessment
− a commitment to Citizen Schools as core to the
school’s improvement strategy, including
ensuring access to time, dollars, space and staff
to ensure programmatic success and alignment
Expectations for partner schools:
 Inclusive communication with school day and
Citizen Schools staff about the ELT partnership
 Collaboration with Citizen Schools on scheduling
and other logistics
 Access to student data and records
 Behavior policies and procedures that align with
those of Citizen Schools
 Access by Citizen Schools campus staff to
instructional and leadership meetings
 Support for joint professional development with
Citizen Schools
15

17. WHAT MAKES A STRONG DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP
Criteria for partner districts:
 Potential school partners that align with Citizen
Schools target population
 Leadership support of Citizen Schools ELT program
as a school improvement strategy for select
schools
 Demonstrated track record with outside partners
Expectations for partner districts:
 Help in identifying public funding sources to
support 60-80% of direct program costs
 Public expression of support for ELT as a school
turnaround strategy
 Transportation for ELT students
 Schools with autonomy over scheduling and
transportation
 Necessary support staff during expanded day
 Access to student performance data
 Adequate heating and cooling for school buildings
16

18. CITIZEN SCHOOLS’ PROMISE TO SCHOOL PARTNERS
 Citizen Schools will add 3 hours per day, 4
days per week of high-quality
educational programming to the school
day, and ensure alignment with the
regular school day.
 We will maintain respectful relationships
and support the school community.
 We will articulate to students a clear
vision for academic excellence,
including connections to the school’s
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CITIZEN SCHOOLS
curriculum and courses.
 We will meet with school staff on a
regular basis and communicate with
student families biweekly.
 We will ensure a results and data-driven
approach to student achievement while
fostering a love of learning.
17

19. “Partnering with Citizen Schools advances our vision
of full-service community schools, and provides critically needed human capital to expand the learning
day by three hours daily. The additional time is filled with a combination of real-world learning led by role
models from our community – engineers from Google and Cisco Systems, attorneys, chefs, artists, and
even some parents – plus small-group academic instruction led by a ‘second shift’ that complements our
traditional district educators. The Citizen Schools ELT partnership provides a proven model for effective
middle school reform for the district’s other low-performing schools.”
ANTHONY SMITH
OAKLAND SUPERINTENDENT

20. www.citizenschools.org