Ranked Nonprofits: Local Middle-Secondary Education 2010

The Cause: Proposition 49 (2002) in California led to the creation of 4,000 new after-school programs. These programs were meant to tie academic standards to after school activities, were run by the district or community based organizations, included elements of youth development, and were mostly for students K-8 from 3-6pm. As awareness of the summer learning loss among disadvantaged students increased, new programming was created for students in the summer in the hopes of closing the achievement gap. The San Francisco Bay Area is notable for the enormous number of nonprofits working in the education space.

The Scope: Bay Area middle-secondary education (junior high school to high school) experts were asked to recommend nonprofits working on public school reform, the achievement gap, human capital, teacher education, curricular content development, college prep, low-performing schools turnarounds, data, standards and assessments, after school programming, summer programming, parental involvement, and more. Types of nonprofits could include research, policy, advocacy, training, traditional nonprofits or community based organizations, the traditional after-school kind of nonprofits/CBOs, or even the public schools themselves.

		Top Nonprofit	Mission
1		Aspire Public Schools	Aspire Public Schools' mission is to enrich students' lives and reshape local public school systems by increasing the academic performance of California's diverse students, developing effective educators, and sharing successful practices with other forward-thinking educators.
2		KIPP Bay Area	KIPP Bay Area Schools helps students develop the knowledge, skills, and character needed to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond by operating tuition-free, college-preparatory public charter schools in under-served neighborhoods.
3		New Leaders	Our mission is to ensure high academic achievement for all children, especially students in poverty and students of color, by developing transformational school leaders and advancing the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed.
4		College Track	At College Track, our ultimate goal is to transform low-income communities into places where college readiness and college graduation are the norms.
5		Eastside College Preparatory School	At Eastside College Preparatory School we are committed to opening new doors for students historically underrepresented in higher education. Our challenging and engaging curriculum enables students to discover their intellectual strengths, sharpen their academic skills, and embrace new opportunities in a culture of learning that supports the potential of every student to enter and succeed in a four-year college and beyond. Eastside students who are the first in their families to go to college create a ripple effect, changing their own lives, the lives of their families, and the life of their community.
6		Summer Search	Summer Search is a high-impact program that gives low-income students the opportunities and support they need to transform their lives, achieve their own potential, and create change as role models and everyday leaders.
7		Aim High	The mission of Aim High is to inspire a life-long love of learning and instill a sense of community, opportunity, and respect so that students are prepared for success in school and life.
8		The Education Trust (West)	The Education Trust—West works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, kindergarten through college, and to forever close the achievement gaps separating low-income students and students of color from other youth. Our basic tenet is this — All children will learn at high levels when they are taught to high levels.
9		Envision Schools	Envision Schools was founded in June 2002 as a 501(c)(3) charter school management organization to bring high quality college preparatory education to communities with the greatest need, with the goal of sending all the organization's students to college. Envision Schools targets underserved urban youth, particularly those who are first in their families to attend college, in communities of color and neighborhoods served by underperforming public schools.
10		Downtown College Prep	DCP prepares underachieving students—who will be the first in their families to go to college—to thrive at four-year universities. DCP has a singular goal for every student: DCP graduates will enroll in and graduate from a four-year college. DCP recognizes that its students need a rigorous curriculum that builds college-ready skills and a school culture that develops their college aspirations. DCP performance outcomes are designed to promote academic resilience and independence among students in order to prepare them for the challenge of college.
11		National Equity Project	At the National Equity Project, we believe every child has a right to a quality education. We coach people to become the powerful leaders who make good on that promise. We provide comprehensive services to build culture, conditions, and competencies for excellence and equity in districts, schools, classrooms, nonprofit organizations, and communities.
12		First Graduate	First Graduate's mission is the help students finish high school and become the first in their families to graduate from college.
13		BUILD	Founded in 1999, BUILD’s mission is to use entrepreneurship to excite and propel disengaged, low-income students through high school to college success. We believe that the power of student ideas in action drives youth to reach their fullest potential in school and beyond. Our four-year high school program offers a unique blend of entrepreneurship, academics, and personal support that attracts and motivates many students who are otherwise at high risk of failing classes and dropping out of high school.
14		River Charter School	Our purpose is to educate sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students to be responsible, respectful self-motivated learners who make positive contributions to their communities. We will accomplish this with the collaboration of teachers, parents and students who provide a nurturing learning environment that emphasizes academic competence, creative expression, and personal and social responsibility and models the values we want our students to learn.
15		Silicon Valley Education Foundation	The mission of Silicon Valley Education Foundation is to leverage partnerships and resources for public education, so all students can realize their full potential.

Check out all nonprofit reviews for Local Middle-Secondary Education (Bay Area).

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