An effort that began as an after-school tutoring program for 25 ninth graders in Long Island, N.Y., is now a national nonprofit organization that works in partnership with schools and school districts to enable at-risk high-school students to stay in school, graduate, and go on to college or other postsecondary education, job training, or work. The Institute for Student Achievement (ISA), a proponent of the small schools movement, believes that with a rigorous, academic curriculum, support from a dedicated staff of teachers and a counselor, parental support, and a vigorous extended day/year, every child can succeed in school.

ISA works with high schools and districts to create small learning communities that provide underserved and underperforming students with multiple opportunities for high achievement and academic and social success. We believe that small schools facilitate meaningful, sustained teacher-student relationships that can be used to increase student motivation and achievement. Toward that end, ISA has developed seven non-negotiable principles that guide its Small Schools Model™. (http://www.studentachievement.org/principles.htm)

ISA currently serves over 15,000 students in school districts on Long Island, in New York City, Westchester, and upstate New York; Atlanta, Georgia; Union City, New Jersey; and Baton Rouge, Lousiana. In our New York City sites, 78 percent of the mostly minority student body is eligible for free lunch; overall, 70 percent of ISA's student body is eligible for free lunch. ISA partner schools graduate 83% of their students, and 83% of these are accepted to college.

Institute for Student Achievement
1430 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York City, NY 10018

Phone: 212-937-0010
Fax: 212-937-0011

Headquarters:
One Hollow Lane, Suite 100
Lake Success, NY 11042-1215

Phone: 516-812-6700
Fax: 516-812-6701

A more complete look into ISA's work is available on their web site at http://www.studentachievement.org.