«THE ADELAIDE L. SANFORD INSTITUTE CONTINUING THE CALL FOR CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR 2013 -2014 ANNUAL REPORT Adelaide L. Sanford Institute Fall ...»

THE ADELAIDE L. SANFORD

INSTITUTE

CONTINUING

THE CALL FOR CHANGE

IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

2013 -2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Adelaide L. Sanford Institute Fall 2013 Parent Sessions

Common Core State Standards: Grades 3 – 12

Do You Know What Your Child’s Scores Mean?

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE

Opportunity

Possibility

Hope

Adelaide L. Sanford Institute September 21, 28, and October 5, 2013 Made possible by a grant from United Way New York City

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR…………………………………… 3 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD……………… 4 THE CALL ……………………………………………………………… 5 THE ACTION  Goal I Professional Development………………............. 6  Goal II Parent Advocacy…………………………………. 8  Goal III Direct Services to Students………

 Goal IV Policy……………………………………………….

HISTORY OF THE ADELAIDE L. SANFORD INSTITUTE……….. 12 FINANCIAL REPORT………………

TRUSTEES, OFFICERS, AND MEMBERSHIP…………………….... 18 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………… 19 IMPORTANT MOMENTS……………………………………………… 20

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends, Your unwavering support during the past year has sustained the Adelaide Sanford Institute, (ASI) as we actualize our mission through exciting programs for students, parents, educators and members of the community. We continued with a close examination of the Common Core Learning Standards through multiple workshops and teaching demonstrations for parents and educators. A research-based workshop on Culturally Responsive Teaching was offered at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, to inform parents, students, teachers and professors.

We are very pleased about our first annual art exhibition dedicated to the life of Harriet Tubman.

Art teachers, students, and parents engaged in the study of a true American hero. This annual event will focus on matters of historical importance to people of African descent.

A successful collaboration with the United Way of New York City was established on the initiative to build capacity in schools to increase students’ attendance, improve understanding of the Common Core Learning Standards, and prepare students to be college and career ready. A noteworthy book talk was held in May highlighting Harlem’s Rattlers and the Great War, The Undaunted 369th Regiment and the African American Quest for Equality. The talk featuring co-author Professor Jeffery Sammons, New York University, in conversation with Professor Roger Green, Medgar Evers College, was televised by CSPAN. This event was a collaboration with the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY.

Our highly acclaimed, eighth annual Oratory Contest was presented to a full house of loyal supporters. We are very excited about the first Adelaide Sanford Institute’s Scholars Grow in Brooklyn Program to honor the achievements of college bound students from our community.

Thank you for your consistent encouragement that inspires us to provide meaningful programs for youth and adults in Central Brooklyn.

Sincerely, Linda K. Patterson Linda K. Patterson, Ph.D.

Director

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The statistical prognosis for students of color is grim. Under the new requirements, the assessment of high school seniors as college and career ready puts African American youth at a profoundly disturbing disadvantage: by all measures, only 12.5 percent will be deemed ready for college level work or upward mobility in the employment sector. The enormity of the problem should sound a deafening alarm resulting in a clarion call for action; we need to energize and revolutionize our approach to eradicating the dismal prospects that engulf our youth.

While an analysis of the data presents a desperate and depressing forecast of their future, it actually masks the tremendous potential that our youth possess. The bleak narrative ignores the strengths and possibilities inherent in our youth who are constantly marginalized by a substandard education and nominal opportunities in fragile communities. ASI has embraced the task of undoing the all too frequent portrayal of our youth as deprived, depraved, and delinquent; we are determined to provide multiple opportunities for our youth to shine and, therefore, prosper. In keeping with that goal, ASI sponsored its first annual Scholars Grow in Brooklyn Event to celebrate all seniors in Central Brooklyn who are on their way to college in September, 2014. We must change the focus from dysfunction to hope; we must promote the positivity that exists so that our youth can believe in their capabilities and achieve success.

Since ASI accepted the challenge to confront the various issues that cause our students to stumble and fail, we have been forced to prioritize our efforts at community renewal. Do we embrace a holistic approach that embodies a seamless delivery of services to students and families? Do we categorize the stakeholders and differentiate the resources that we provide for each group? Or do we strategically embrace both models and co-mingle resources as we both vertically and horizontally tackle the problems that are interrelated and confound student success, family solvency, and community stability.

ASI has chosen to attack the obstacles that hold our youth captive in a cycle of failure, frustration, and hopelessness, by recognizing it as an issue of mis-education, both academically and culturally.

As a result, during 2013-2014 we specifically emphasized cultural competence as well as academic proficiency in all our endeavors.

As we look at the 2014-2015 year, we seek again the support from our community partners who have continued to revitalize our efforts at youth success and, ultimately, community enrichment.

We need your voice, your loyalty, your collegiality. The task is difficult but the rewards are unfathomable.

Lester W. Young, JrLester W. Young, Jr., Ed.D.Chairman, Board of Trustees

THE CALL Since its inception in 2006, the Adelaide L. Sanford Institute (ASI) has maintained an unswerving commitment to the attainment of excellence for our youth in all facets of their development. The hallmark of our call to service is quality of purpose and execution. We subscribe to high standards and practices that empower and elevate communities of color in Central Brooklyn. Our locus of control centers on students, parents/caregivers, and all those who provide services to these constituencies. We have evolved from a nascent, grassroots entity to a local force that is propelled by the urgency of the educational crisis and the severity of the systemic inadequacies that characterize and threaten school success in particular and life in general for the youth and families in our target communities.

We continue to expand our influence by maximizing opportunities for viable and productive collaborations that enrich our efforts to sustain academic proficiency, social responsibility, and cultural competency among our youth. The authenticity of our model of community engagement and transformation is embedded in our strategies that continue to draw the public’s support, interest, and positive feedback.

The impact of our work can be seen in the numbers that we have reached:

Since 2006, ASI has…  strengthened the pedagogical skills of over 5000 education practitioners working in Central Brooklyn schools;

 provided advocacy, awareness, and capacity building services to over 4000 Central Brooklyn parents to increase their ability to ensure school success for their children;

 conducted strategy sessions for over 300 community leaders to influence decisions vital to the education of students attending Central Brooklyn schools; and  engaged over 2000 students in activities and programs designed to enhance the socioemotional development and leadership skills of Central Brooklyn students.

In keeping with our stated goals, originally adopted in 2006, our strategic plans focus on four

major areas:

 professional development for educators (Goal I);

 parent empowerment and advocacy (Goal II);

 direct services to students (Goal III); and  education policy decision-making (Goal IV).

While we target a specific constituency for our initiatives, in many instances, our broad-based outreach ultimately encompasses more than one stakeholder category. As a result, many of our endeavors satisfy more than one of our four goals. The structure of the 2013-2014 program year provided the context for the realization of our mission and purpose, and also expanded our collaborative relationships with human service organizations.

THE ACTION

GOAL I

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. COMMON CORE SESSIONS: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILD’S

SCORES MEAN?

After a highly successful series of Common Core Awareness Sessions in 2012, we extended our seminal training to the New York State Assessment Results with three sessions held on three consecutive Saturdays (September 21, 28, and October 4, 2013) at Boys and Girls High School.

While the event was advertised for parents, the overwhelming response by educators prompted us to record the series as professional development for principals, teachers, and parent coordinators who attended with families from their respective schools.

On September 21st, Dr. Lester Young, ASI Board Chair, delivered a compelling perspective on “Changing the Narrative: Opportunity, Possibility, Hope”; the very popular presentation, Understanding the Parent Test Report, followed. Participants were then directed to school level workshops that focused on the English Language Arts Test Results for grades 3 through 12.

On September 28th, the topic was Math Test Results: attendees learned how to read the Math Parent Report; workshops were held on each level from grades 3 through 12. As with the ELA sessions, all workshops were led by exemplary professionals who are well-versed in their respective disciplines. The parent evaluations indicated that the workshops were instructive, engaging, and left the attendees wanting more.

On October 5th, a panel of students and parents shared their steps for school success. While the new assessments had produced lower citywide results than those of previous years, the panelists had achieved the highest performance levels in spite of the more rigorous tests. Students and parents articulated their formulas for student success. In addition, a panel of representatives of community-based organizations that provide services to students and families shared their menu of resources. A presentation on preparing for college was also delivered.

At this last session, participants received materials for use at home with their children and a flash drive that contained all the information that had been presented over the three Saturdays. Over 200 parents and educators attended each session. Certificates of participation were awarded to all attendees.

2. COMMON CORE AWARENESS TRAINING: THE AIDP CAPACITY

BUILDING PROJECT

In January, 2014, ASI began five months of collaboration with the United Way of New York City and Good Shepherd Services. Dr. Linda Patterson, ASI Director, conducted a series of Common Core Standards Awareness Workshops for the AIDP Capacity Building Project. Dr. Patterson trained representatives of various social service agencies charged with the task of improving student attendance in schools designated as AIDP (Attendance Improvement Dropout Prevention).

3. OPPORTUNITIES DENIED…PROMISES NOT KEPT: A STRENGTH MODEL

FOR RECLAIMIMG AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH

On March 26, 2014 in conjunction with the Pipeline Series of Medgar Evers College - CUNY, Dr.

Lester Young presented a historical perspective on the education of Black people in America. The prevailing culture of the early enslaved families and communities revealed an uncommon tenacity for the desire for education even in the face of enormous brutality and certain death. Educators learned of the struggle endured for the opportunity to become literate. The implications for current educational issues were boundless

4. COMMON CORE TRAINING FOR THE NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE

On March 29, 2014, two members of ASI, Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil and Brian Favors, conducted Common Core Standards training for the executive board of the New York Urban League. The session was arranged by L. Joy Williams, President of the Brooklyn Chapter of the NAACP.

5. THE HARRIET TUBMAN ART EXHIBIT

On Saturday, March 29, 2014, the exhibit was held to provide a venue for educators, students, and parents to learn through a hands-on experience about the life and work of Harriet Tubman, a historical icon who helped shape the history of this nation. The project had a two-fold mission: to provide educators with a template that reflects an interdisciplinary approach to teaching AfricanAmerican History; and to engage students in a culturally-rich experience that taps into their creative sensibilities while teaching them about an important period in this country’s history.

Students were asked to interpret the life and beliefs of Harriet Tubman through a two-dimensional art form in mixed media (oil, acrylic, craypas, pencil, ink, charcoal).

The art work submitted by various elementary, middle, and high schools in central Brooklyn was displayed at PS5K and organized by ASI’s Director, Dr. Linda K. Patterson. The event will be held annually highlighting different cultural themes.