We are happy to announce the publication of our 2010 Annual Report, The Impact of City Connects. Again this year, our report presents strong evidence of the positive effects of City Connects for students and their families, for teachers and staff who work in our schools, and for our community partners.
Among the findings this year:
- Improved Academic Outcomes: Our evaluation confirms again the significant benefits of City Connects for academic outcomes as measured both by report card scores and by MCAS scores extending into middle school, after students have left City Connects. A cutting-edge approach to statistical analysis is detailed in the report.
- Decreased Retention: City Connects students experience lower rates of retention in grade than those in comparison schools.
- Satisfied Principals: 100% of principals surveyed reported satisfaction with City Connects as a whole, and 100% would recommend City Connects to a principal in another school.
- Satisfied Teachers: 97% of teachers would recommend City Connects to a teacher in another school. In open-ended survey responses, teachers told us that the increased knowledge of students’ non-academic lives that they gain through City Connects allows them to tailor instruction and employ new strategies to engage students in learning.
- Satisfied Partners: Community agencies continue to report high levels of satisfaction with partnership quality and effectiveness with City Connects schools; for example, 95% are satisfied with their primary contact at City Connects schools (vs. 67% at non-City Connects schools).
We are grateful to all of our school district and community partners for their commitment to addressing the out-of-school factors that impact students’ lives. The report is evidence of the success of our collaboration.
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