Investing In Our Educators Like We Invest In Learning Environments

At City Year, we believe whole-child learning environments that include integrated social, emotional, and academic support promote the equitable outcomes students deserve. By formalizing our Network for School Improvement (NSI) program, we can strengthen the people who make those learning environments possible – the teachers and administrators who work with students every day.

We Support Students When We Support Educators.

Districts spend on average $18,000 per teacher on professional development but only 3 out of 10 teachers improve as a result of professional development. Our NSI program delivers the effective and empowering professional development districts are seeking.

We Build Capacity When We Build Sustainable Systems.

When AmeriCorps members leave, the critical capacity they provided vanishes. Our NSI program gives educators the space, structure, and methodology to explore long-term, system-changing tactics that advance their School Improvement Plans (SIPs).

We Accelerate Change When We Accelerate Connection.

Positive relationships are essential for student learning. The same is true for educators. Our NSI brings educators together from beyond school walls, across districts and states to exchange ideas, provide inspiration, and create community.

Empowering The Whole Teacher Empowers The Whole Child

The national data is clear: when educators feel valued, connected, and equipped, they are more likely to stick around – and create those same conditions for their students.

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out of

new teachers hired each year are replacing colleagues who left the classroom before retirement

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as many new teachers who do not receive mentoring and other support leave the profession than those who do.

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out of

teachers improve as a result of professional development with districts spending on average $18,000 per teacher.

Trusting – And Resourcing – Educators To Take The Lead

Teachers and administrators have invaluable ideas about how to improve agency, belonging, and connectedness for the learners at their schools. Our NSI program amplifies educators’ expertise, reinforces their agency, and honors their humanity so they can systematically develop and implement those ideas.

Self-Identity

Educators use the space we create to reflect on how their experiences and values connect to personal job satisfaction, better student outcomes, and a healthy school community.

Durable Skills & Knowledge

NSI program participants receive proven change ideas that spark innovative thinking and learn to build a sustainable continuous improvement process that supports their goals.

Agency

Educators use our data practices and tools to develop school-wide goals and implement tailored strategies that have an exponential impact on student outcomes.

The benefits of continuous improvement include sharing of resources and ideas and realizing that you are not alone in the efforts to improve student performance and success.

Educator

Milwaukee Public Schools

Our Impact:

More Educators Scaling More Change

Our NSI’s collective impact scales and accelerates educator-led changes at the school, district, and state level, giving more students access to the learning experiences they deserve.

Our Reach

City Year and the Everyone Graduates Center engages school teams from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Jacksonville, Florida. We work with 8th grade teachers, principals, school social workers, students, parents, and other school support staff to advance each individual school’s goals.

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schools across 3 states

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178

educators

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students

Student Outcomes

Our educators combine trusting, equity-grounded relationships with continuous improvement processes to make whole-child learning environments the new norm in and beyond their individual schools.

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percentage point increase in overall on-track rates for Black students In Milwaukee compared to last year

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1.3

percentage point increase in overall on-track rates for Latino students In Tulsa

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percentage point increase in end-of-year GPA in Tulsa

The NSI network made a direct change in my classroom culture and climate because our change idea gave students space to have restorative conversations and gave them time to have a voice.

Educator

Milwaukee Public Schools

Participant Experience

City Year NSI participants believe that they’re making a real difference for their students.

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educators would recommend the network to other colleagues.

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of respondents agree or strongly agree that engaging in PDSA cycles will help improve the educational outcomes of 8th graders.

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of respondents agree or strongly agree that the continuous improvement approach they have learned through our NSI is shaping the way they solve other problems in their school.

“The network ensures that working on site-based problems isn't put off to the side with the many things we have to do and makes administration accountable to provide the time we need to meet, work, and collaborate as a network."

Case Study:

Small Changes Have Big Impacts

School in Milwaukee

Plan Improve 8th grade student outcomes by creating a positive learning environment that fosters agency, belonging, and connectedness

Do
Classrooms spend time intentionally designing their space and their routines to better infuse care and respect. Classroom rules have been developed with students and posted on the walls. Students have personalized "Zen Dens" in the corner of the room.

Study 21 out of 28 students (75%) met or exceeded their growth goals on their reading MAP tests from Fall-Winter, and 20 out of 28 (71.4%) met or exceeded their growth goals on their math MAP tests from Fall-Winter.

Act By testing and adapting over the years, we have learned that promoting agency through data chats, fostering belonging through positive learning environments, and building connectedness through tailored academic initiatives creates a supportive and inclusive environment where students can thrive academically, personally, and professionally.

School in Tulsa

Plan Reduce the number of disciplinary referrals.

Do Adapted a change idea from a school in Milwaukee called "Leadership Look Fors" to promote and reward positive student behavior.

Study Students were surveyed at the start of the year about different positive behaviors and characteristics, how they could display them, and how they would like to be rewarded. Teachers look for these behaviors daily, and at the mid-year point of SY23, referrals were down by more than half from SY22.

Act In SY24, the team adapted the positive behavior incentive system to tie it to a larger district goal around chronic absenteeism. Each teacher challenges their class to work towards perfect attendance; for each day of perfect attendance, students get closer to earning a reward.

School in Jacksonville

Plan Increase 8th grade student course performance in Civics and Algebra

Do Start WOW Wednesdays where students and teachers from multiple classes review pre- and post-test data together.

Study Students began holding teachers accountable for the data chats and were more engaged in their lerning. We reallocated Professional Learning Community time to allow teachers to have one-on-one sessions with up to 10 students, twice a week. Both teachers and students are now able to pinpoint areas of need more effectively.

Act 8th grade science students have been utilizing the WOW Wednesday protocol and have set a goal of an average score of 70%. Students are achieving higher averages compared to district standards, with scores rising from 50% to 60%.

Formalize Our NSI

Investing in the educators who make whole child learning environments possible is the next evolution of City Year’s commitment to equitable student outcomes.