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Accountability
Targeted Assistance
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Provider: Citizen Schools
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| Provider Details |
| Program Areas: | Writing, Mathematics |
| Grades: | 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Place of Service: | Student's School |
| Type of Organization: | Not For Profit |
Experience with:
Limited English Proficient (LEP) students: No
Students with disabilities: No |
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| Program Description (written by provider) |
| The Citizen Schools after-school program helps students 1) build important math and writing skills, 2) develop positive values and leadership abilities, 3) prepare for high school and college success, and 4) gain exposure to careers and mentors from a variety of professions. Under the guidance of a professionally trained staff, students “apprentice” with talented volunteers from diverse fields, including, architecture, business, journalism, law, and technology. Students practice academic skills and make the connection between what they learn in school and career success as they complete real-world apprenticeship projects, such as preparing and arguing a mock trial, writing and publishing a newspaper, redesigning subway stations, creating web pages, and more. Our talented staff also supports homework completion and connects regularly with classroom teachers. |
| Evidence of Effectiveness (written by provider) |
Seven years of data collection and a rigorous external evaluation of Citizen Schools’ Boston program have confirmed Citizen Schools’ effectiveness in addressing three major educational challenges: engaging at-risk middle school students, building a bridge to high school success, and increasing high school graduation and college-going.
1. Citizen Schools engages at-risk students in middle school, creating momentum during these difficult years, reversing the “middle school slide,” and leading to some academic gains;
• Among sixth- and seventh-grade students who attended Citizen Schools regularly, differences in school attendance rates were particularly positive (95% for participants vs. 90% for peers, amounting to an additional nine school days during their first year of participation). Even more encouraging, these results persist into high school.
• Sixth and seventh graders with regular program attendance earned better grades than matched peers in English and math and scored higher on the English MCAS exam during their first year in the program, all at statistically significant levels.
2. Citizen Schools bridges the transition from middle school to high school and improves performance in core academic courses and high-stakes tests well after students graduate from the program.
• In 10th grade, a significantly higher percentage of participants than matched nonparticipants earned A’s or B’s in their English courses (46% to 26%). In math, the difference of 36% to 28% also favored participants, although the difference was not statistically significant.
• Citizen Schools participants outperformed their matched peers and the district overall on the 10th grade MCAS exams required for high school graduation.
3. Citizen Schools improves the odds of high school graduation and college enrollment for its graduates.
• Citizen Schools has collected preliminary data on the rates of high school graduation and college attainment for its alumni. These data show dramatically higher rates for Citizen Schools graduates than for the district as a whole. Specifically, 83% of Citizen Schools’ 8th Grade Academy students graduated from high school on time as compared to a citywide on-time graduation rate of 59%, and 63% of Citizen Schools’ students enrolled in a four-year college compared with 30% of Boston Public Schools students. |
| District(s) Served |
Please note that these are the districts this provider is approved to serve through this contract. Not all of these districts may be required to offer supplemental educational services through Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act. Check with your school or district for more details.
| Boston Public Schools | Lowell Public Schools | Malden Public Schools |
| New Bedford Public Schools | Springfield Public Schools |
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