Achievement Plus is a private and public partnership between the Saint Paul Public Schools and the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation to improve student achievement in Saint Paul’s urban schools. Achievement Plus is currently operating in four schools: John A. Johnson Elementary, Dayton's Bluff Elementary, and Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet (upper school campus). In 2008, the SPPS Foundation helped to expand this initiative to the University Academies for Boys and Girls at North End Elementary.
Other partners who helped create the initiative include the City of Saint Paul, Ramsey County, and the State of Minnesota. The SPPS Foundation supports Achievement Plus by taking the lead on fundraising with the SPPS district and Wilder to leverage partnerships to bring more community resources to the program.
Link here to the Wilder Research Brief on Achievement Plus (April 2009). Some highlights:
- Looking at 2008 data, an “apples to apples” comparison of students with similar race, language status, and income characteristics, finds most Dayton’s Bluff students outperform their statewide peers in both math and reading.
- When the program John A. Johnson elementary in 2001, 37 percent tested proficient on combined reading and math MCA test scores. In 2008, 51 percent of students testing are proficient.
- Ratings by teachers show continued improvement in order and discipline at both Dayton’s Bluff and John A. Johnson schools.
For more information about Achievement Plus, follow the link to the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation's website: www.wilder.org.
Some of the partnerships the Foundation has helped leveraged include the organizations listed below, which have increased the program's community resources.
Achievement Plus & Transitions Initiative Partners
African American Leadership Council
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation-Achievement Plus
City of St. Paul Mayor's Office
Minnesota State Legislature (Mariani Rosa)
Ramsey County Board of Commissioner (Carter)
St. Paul Federation of Teachers
St. Paul Black Inter-Denominational Ministerial Alliance
Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education
Saint Paul Public Schools Administration
University Academies for Boys & Girls at North End (SPPS)
