A SCHOOLS PITTSBURGHS COMMUNITY ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION
1901 CENTRE AVENUE NO 302, PITTSBURGH, PA 15219 www.aplusschools.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO FOCUS OUR COMMUNITY'S ENERGY ON IMPROVING STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN THE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

4A. RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATIONS4A-A. REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY: THE ORGANIZATION PUBLISHES AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY ON PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRESS THAT DETAILS PROGRESS ON KEY INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE FOR THE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS A WHOLE AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS WITHIN THE DISTRICT. COPIES OF THE REPORT ARE DISTRIBUTED TO MORE THAN 25,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 15,000 MAILED DIRECTLY TO PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL HOUSEHOLDS. THE ORGANIZATION'S STAFF PRESENTS WORKSHOPS ON USING THE REPORT TO SCHOOLS, PARENT GROUPS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WITH OVER 900 PEOPLE PRESENTED TO IN THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR. THE REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY HAS BECOME A TRUSTED SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR PARENTS, SCHOOL STAFF AND POLICY MAKERS. 4A-B. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES: IN 2018, A+ SCHOOLS ENGAGED PARENTS AND STUDENTS AT SIX SITES IN TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT A SET OF TOOLS, BELIEFS, AND EXERCISES COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS "RESTORATIVE PRACTICES." THROUGH THIS WORK, OVER 500 PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED INTRODUCTORY TRAINING ON RESTORATIVE PRACTICES, 50 PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS RECEIVED INTENSE TRAINING, AND PARENTS AND STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MEANINGFUL WAYS IN THEIR SCHOOL'S IMPLEMENTATION OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AT FIVE SCHOOLS. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL TRAINING IN THE PRINCIPLES OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES FOR PARENTS, AND TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR IMPROVED USE IN SCHOOLS.4A-C. BOARD WATCH: THE ORGANIZATION'S SIGNATURE BOARD WATCH PROGRAM IS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT INVOLVING TRAINED VOLUNTEERS WHO OBSERVE THE PITTSBURGH SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS USING STANDARDS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE. THE PROGRAM WAS PILOTED IN 2008 AND LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2009. SINCE THEN OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND MOBILIZED TO OBSERVE AND EVALUATE PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. TWENTY-NINE BOARD WATCH REPORT CARDS HAVE BEEN RELEASED, EACH WITH A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW THE BOARD CAN IMPROVE ITS GOVERNANCE. IN 2017, A+ SCHOOLS REVAMPED THE PROGRAM AND DUBBED IT THE BOARD WATCH ACADEMY. IN ADDITION TO OBSERVING AND GRADING THE BOARD, BOARD WATCH VOLUNTEERS ARE NOW PROVIDED MONTHLY WORKSHOPS ON HOW TO BE A GOOD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, WITH THE HOPE THAT IT WILL GIVE VOLUNTEERS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AND INSPIRE SOME TO RUN FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE.4A-D. RESEARCH BRIEFS: PERIODICALLY, THE ORGANIZATION WILL PUBLISH ISSUE SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF A CRITICAL ISSUE IN EDUCATION WITH ANNUAL ANALYSES OF SCHOOL BUDGETS AND POLICY MATTERS. 4A-E. COMMUNICATIONS: TO SHARE THE GOOD INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS, A+ SCHOOLS ENGAGES A CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE VIA MULTIPLE CHANNELS AND THROUGH EARNED MEDIA.

4B ENGAGEMENT: A+ SCHOOLS SUSTAINS THREE KEY NETWORKS - STUDENTS (TEEN BLOC), PARENTS (PARENT NATION), AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS (PARTNERS FOR EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE). THESE NETWORKS ARE INTEGRAL TO WORKING FOR EQUITABLE AND EXCELLENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 4B-A. TEEN BLOC: TEEN BLOC IS A YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZING PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS A CORE GROUP OF LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY. TEEN BLOC LED A STUDENT BILL OF RIGHTS CAMPAIGN IN 2013-14 THAT RESULTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS INTO THE DISTRICT'S STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT. SINCE THAT TIME, THE YOUTH PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED TO DEVELOP YOUNG LEADERS THROUGH A SUMMER TIME YOUTH ORGANIZING ACADEMY AND YEAR ROUND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS RELATED TO DEVELOPING PODCASTS, HOW TO SPREAD A MESSAGE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, AND MORE. 4B-B. PARENT NATION & PARENT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: PARENT NATION IS A CITY-WIDE NETWORK OF PARENT LEADERS FROM MORE THAN 27 SCHOOLS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE. PARENT NATION MEMBERS WORK DIRECTLY WITH A PARENT ORGANIZER WHO HELPS TO ARRANGE WORKSHOPS TO RAISE PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND PROVIDE COACHING AND SUPPORT TO PARENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING CHANGE IN THEIR SCHOOLS. 15 PARENTS FROM ACROSS THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH COME TOGETHER MONTHLY THROUGH OUR PARENT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN 2019. THESE PARENTS RECEIVE TRAINING AND SUPPORT AND ARE TASKED WITH TAKING ON A DISTRICT WIDE ISSUE TO TRY AND IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS. THE HOPE IS THAT ONCE TRAINED, THESE LEADERS WILL BECOME INDEPENDENT ADVOCATES AND LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO DRIVE CHANGE WHERE THEY SEE FIT. 4B-C. PARTNERS FOR EQUITY & EXCELLENCE AND GENERAL ENGAGEMENT: A+ SCHOOLS CONVENES ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE ON A REGULAR BASIS TO DISCUSS AND ENGAGE WITH ISSUES IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS IN PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN 2018, THESE PARTNERS HELPED DEVELOP A PLAN FOR CHILD CARE FOR STUDENTS IN THE EVENT OF A PENDING STRIKE. IN 2019, 22 OF THESE PARTNERS CAME TOGETHER AS PART OF THE VOTE SCHOOL BOARD FIRST! CAMPAIGN. WITH THEIR HELP, A+ SCHOOLS ENGAGED OVER 10,000 VOTERS BY MAIL, PHONE, DOOR TO DOOR CANVASSES, AND AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY. A+ SCHOOLS HOPES TO CONTINUE TO BUILD COLLABORATIONS ACROSS THE NONPROFIT SECTOR TO SUPPORT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

4C. PUBLIC AFFAIRS/MOBILIZATION: IN 2019, THE ORGANIZATION'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MOBILIZATION PRIORITIES INCLUDED THE PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS WORK, A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN FOR FAIR SCHOOL FUNDING, AND DIRECT ADVOCACY TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ABOUT: (1) IMPROVING ACCESS TO GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS, (2) SUPPORTING THE ROLLOUT OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES TRAINING AT ALL SCHOOLS, (3) SUPPORTING THE MOVE OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT PITTSBURGH MILLIONES 6-12 TO ARSENAL 6-8, AND (4) CREATING GREATER EQUITY IN THE PPS BUDGET.

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