Soul ful (adj.) full of or expressing feeling or emotion
AN N UA L REPORT 2023
TABLE of CONTENTS ENGAGING CLASSROOMS ..................................................1 RIGOROUS INSTRUCTION .................................................. 3 ACADEMIC SUCCESS ......................................................... 9 YEAR IN REVIEW ...............................................................12 FINANCIALS .....................................................................14 OUR SUPPORTERS ............................................................15
Dear Friends of Alma, I imagine most of you know where our organization’s name comes from. Alma del Mar literally translates in Spanish to “Soul of the Sea.” Our name speaks to the richness of our location, a historic port city, while evoking the depth to which we seek to transform our young scholars through education. At Alma, we recognize that scholar success hinges on soulful, passionate educators. Our teachers bring energy and dedication into engaging classrooms where rigorous instruction propels scholars to academic heights. But we know that the transmission of knowledge is only part of the equation. Our support staff and administrators share in the soulful mission of nurturing our students holistically. It takes passion to truly see and uplift the humanity in each child. Our staff brings heart and spirit into their work, connecting with students in meaningful ways that affirm their inherent worth. We do this work with soul, with love, with full hearts and minds dedicated to empowering New Bedford youth. Our shared passion for educational equity and justice rings through every interaction in our halls. With soulful devotion, we can ensure our school realizes its ambitious vision: engaged classrooms, rigorous instruction, and academic success for all. The pages of this report seek to give you a peek into how much soul must go into the critical work of molding young minds.Thank you, friends of Alma, for supporting this work. In Service,
Executive Director
Board Chair
ENGAGING CLASSROOMS ARE
soulful
WE’VE IMPLEMENTED ADDITIONAL COACHING FOR TEACHERS AND LEADERS THAT HELPS THEM FOCUS ON A SMALL NUMBER OF CRITICAL LEVERS — CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, AND ACADEMIC FEEDBACK — TO RAPIDLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. 1 • A LM A DEL MAR
Annual Report 2023
practice. This means inspiring scholars to push themselves to accomplish more than they ever have before. Of course, we will continue to support our scholars and families with their other, nonacademic needs; we know that serving the whole child is critical to their success. We also know we are uniquely positioned to give our scholars an excellent education that equips them with the tools they need to change the world.
As a school, our most important equity work is providing a high quality and rigorous academic program. This work is more high stakes than ever because of our scholars’ unfinished learning due to the pandemic. That’s why, for the 2022-2023 school year (and beyond), we have been focused on ensuring all scholars are meaningfully engaged in rigorous instruction every day. This means hiring and retaining the best teachers possible. This means investing in leader development so they can effectively coach teachers on excellent instructional
Our teachers are deeply invested in this work and are already putting this commitment into practice. In 8th grade science, our scholars are learning about climate change and the impact of rising sea levels on present-day communities. In 3rd grade math, scholars are practicing rounding multi-digit numbers. In PE, scholars are learning problem solving strategies to help with productive collaboration. True to the Alma way, we use every single minute we have with our scholars to move their learning forward. We have piloted a new coaching model with our staff, which involves multiple coaching meetings to dive deep into lesson plans, receive direct coaching on instructional practice, and analyze scholar work. We have always believed that investing in our teachers’ growth is one of the most critical investments we make, and we have now doubled down on that in service of improved academic outcomes for all of our scholars. A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 2
RIGOROUS INSTRUCTION 3 • A LM A DEL MAR
Rigorous instruction at Alma is soulful instruction. Alma teachers set clear expectations for their scholars, every day. They engage scholars in compelling and relevant content constantly while providing ample opportunities for scholars to actively participate in the lesson. It’s this equation for equity — a culture of care and empathy, high expectations and accountability — that leads to equitable educational experiences for our scholars. Alma’s mission is to prepare scholars to be active and engaged citizens, ready to understand the world as it is and create the world as it could be. By the time they graduate from Alma, scholars will have developed the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to succeed in a variety of high school settings, college, career, and civic life. Our work is driven by authenticity: scholars read compelling and ageappropriate texts to intentionally build knowledge and perspective about local and world affairs, write eloquent texts based on real-world examples, and speak fluently and persuasively to support their ideas. When speaking and writing, they support their ideas with precise and compelling evidence.
STUDENT ETHNICITY ALMA DEL MAR Black, 14%
White, 20%
Latinx, 60%
Other, 6%
NEW BEDFORD Black, 14%
White, 36%
Latinx, 44%
Other, 6%
MASSACHUSETTS Black, 9%
White, 54%
Latinx, 24%
Other, 13%
SETTING ALL SCHOLARS UP FOR STRONG ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ANTI-RACIST WORK WE DO AS A SCHOOL.
SPECIAL POPULATIONS 36
First Language not English
25
English Language Learners
26
12 16
Students with Disabilities
16
43
Alma del Mar
30
New Bedford Massachusetts
22
High Needs
86 87
55 74
Low Income
42 0
20
40
60
80
80 100
A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 4
soulful
5 • A LM A DEL MAR
instruction
A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 6
TEACHERS SAY: There’s a really strong sense of community. Everyone’s identity is celebrated which develops good energy amongst everyone. We then bring that energy into the classrooms and it manifests! -Kamden Teixeira, Behavior Interventionist Not only have I learned so much throughout the year, but I also love the impact that I have on the scholars that I work with. -Brittany Correia, First Grade Lead Teacher The importance of building relationships with scholars and families is very important to me … no other school in this district puts such a high emphasis on this. -Amber Autry, Kindergarten Lead Teacher I believe in Alma and its mission and vision. I have grown more professionally and in my teaching practices this year than I ever have in previous workplaces. I love the opportunity to be a better teacher and leader for our scholars. -Matthew Pimentel, 8th Grade Math Teacher
EMILYMARI RODRIGUEZ, Multilingual Learner Coordinator “It is vital for our scholars to see an increase in diversity of Latin American people working as educators to critically improve the educational outcomes of our Latinx scholars and create that strong relationship between student and educator.
The amount of growth I’ve made in a year makes me feel like I did the right thing in choosing Alma and I can’t wait to continue to grow as not only an educator but a person in general. -Isabel Hernandez
As a former MLL/ESL student, I had Latinx teachers that truly changed my life for the better. Not only were these educators invested in me on a daily basis, but they were also helpful and passionate about what my overall educational/personal goals were. These teachers did not give up on me.
Alma has given me the tools to better my own learning and become a more effective teacher since I have been here… Alma is not just a place to work, it is a place that I feel that I am giving back and making a difference by being here. -Shannon Mello, MLL Specialist
I believe that having an educator that represents the Latina in me, marked me to the highest potential growth to excel and be the very first generation in my family to ever graduate high school and college to now, a Latin educator.”
7 • A LM A DEL MAR
TRAVIS MAPP, Eighth Grade Lead Teacher “The Greek philosopher Aristotle loosely defines the soul as ‘an important essence that gives (us) the potential to grow.’ Alma del Mar has been striving to develop the soul of its scholars; that is, to give you the tools you need to meet the potential for growth that all of you have. Projects such as Passages have helped you to see the course that you were set upon the day you walked through Alma’s doors for the first time. This, however, is not about endings but about beginnings. This is about looking ahead to the next stage of growth. Growth looks different for each of us. You have experienced successes and failures; and you have proven how resilient you can be in the face of challenge. Remember that you have the ‘soul of the sea’ inside you and that your soul cannot be destroyed, nor can its light be diminished.”
CHRIS REGO, Visual Arts Teacher and Almazing Fund grant recipient “I explored numerous public arts and education institutions in and around Raleigh, N.C., to see how these institutions address issues with the provenance of their collection, artistic commentary on on-going political and social issues on a local, national, and global scale. I spent hours in quiet art museums, full of strangers from around the world while still being able to explore the art, make connections, design projects for our scholars, and find inspiration for my own practice and future works. I saw multiple artists’ struggle with race, love, and identity as told through portraiture, sculpture, and video. I marveled at Rembrandt van Rijn’s copper etching plates. A local musician/folk historian performed songs on his fiddle and banjo that were taught to him by older generations of local musicians going back to the 1700’s. I experienced in the museums. I am excited to put some of what I learned from the museums of Raleigh into practice in my own classroom!” A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 8
ACADEMIC SUCCESS The 2023 MCAS results confirm that unfinished learning from the pandemic years persists, and it continues to have a significant impact on scholars’ academic performance, across the state and here at Alma. We continue to understand that the impacts of disrupted learning have been profound, and recovery will require deep work over multiple years.
2023 MCAS RESULTS OVERALL ACHIEVEMENT (GR. 3-8)
HIGH NEEDS ACHIEVEMENT (GR. 3-8) English Language Arts
English Language Arts
30 24 42
Mathematics
22
Alma del Mar New Bedford
41 0
10
20
30
40
20 24
22
Mathematics
28
26
19 23
Massachusetts 50
0
10
20
30
ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS AT THE CORE OF OUR MISSION TO PUT SCHOLARS ON THE PATH TO COLLEGE, AND WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO WORKING THROUGH THE STRUGGLE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS. 9 • A LM A DEL MAR
Our MCAS data reflects what we saw last school year on our internal internal assessments, which allowed us to identify gaps and areas of need and address them more immediately. While we hoped for stronger evidence of recovery schoolwide, we are encouraged by growth seen in particular subject areas and grade levels as a reminder that our results are leading to academic progress for many scholars in our schools. This year, we have already begun to implement several practices designed to accelerate mastery of grade-level standards and remediate unfinished learning from years past. Specifically, Alma is implementing the following practices
TEACHER COACHING: •
Organization-wide implementation of a new teacher coaching program designed to help teachers master instructional skills rapidly
•
Frequent curricular professional development for all teachers, which is individualized based on grade level and subject area
•
Providing targeted coaching and additional support from Network Curriculum Directors for grades with the most unfinished learning
CURRICULUM UPDATES: •
Piloting a new math curriculum to support grade-level mastery and recovery of learning from previous grades
•
Extending phonics and literacy instruction in elementary grades to support rapid growth in reading and writing
ADDITIONAL STAFFING: •
Created a Director of Network Scholar Support position to oversee the Special Education and Multilingual Learner programs, ensuring that our highest needs scholars are receiving targeted and adequate academic support adding new positions to serve our highest need grades
A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 10
ALMA
by the numbers 1,044 175 380 700+ 94%
1 1 • ALMA DEL MAR
scholars in grades K-8 staff (and growing!) alumni (and growing!) families avg. daily attendance
YEAR in REVIEW BUILDING CAPACITY: In the past year, we’ve added a number of new staff members in order to strengthen our work. These roles include: •
Curriculum Director of Humanities
•
STEM Curriculum Director
•
Director of Scholar Support (Network based)
•
Network Registrar
•
Additional Secondary Schools Guidance Counselor
ALMA STAFF ARE DEDICATED TO THE MISSION: 95% of staff who received an offer returned to Alma for the 2023-24 school year.
GROWTH IN READING
RECORD DEMAND Alma received 822 applications for the 2023-24 school year. This included
Alma scholars experienced significant reading and ELA growth this year: •
24% more scholars passed their Q3 ELA interim as compared to Q1.
•
Additionally, 24% more scholars grew one reading level in Q3 as compared to Q1.
162 applications for just 50 sixth grade seats. A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 12
JOHANNY SURIEL, Class of 2031 Bishop Stang I am so proud of the people we’ve become and the growth that we have shown, even though it was a difficult and long journey for many of us. The thing I loved most about Alma is that your classmates and the other people around you become your family. It all started in Kindergarten, where most of us met and we found our first friends. Little did we know those friendships we created in Kindergarten would influence the people we are today.
IVERSON ARGUETA-ASENCIO, Class of 2031 GNB Voc-Tech We have grown as people because we have learned to grow a special type of respect for each other, we have learned how to love and feel emotions for each other, and we have supported each other time and time again keeping our bonds strong. We have experienced change after change, but the one thing that remained constant was that we always had one another…none of this would be possible without our teachers. My teachers have pushed us to become better students by requiring critical thinking, encouraging students to practice, demanding academic success, and setting immense support for every single one of us.
LILA EMKEN, Class of 2031 GNB Voc-Tech Graduating from Alma not only represents the end of this chapter in our lives, it is also the start of a new one. We should never forget that who we become was influenced and shaped by the experiences we have had within these four walls. If I can give one piece of advice it would be to challenge yourself, set the bar high and to never accept anything less than your best effort. This was the message told to me throughout my time at Alma and it has reinforced the idea that I am in control of my future. I hope that we all continue to strive for greatness and remember that to become a great student we first had to understand what it meant to be a great scholar and our time at Alma has done.
1 3 • ALMA DEL MAR
FINANCIALS Fiscal Year 2023
ELENA MONTEIRO, Class of 2031 New Bedford High School As we move on to the next chapter in our stories, I want you all to remember the lessons that you have learned at Alma. Scholars were taught to take ownership of their learning and think boldly while addressing complex academic and community issues. We are the leaders of the future and we must continue to advocate for ourselves. And this is sometimes scary or even uncomfortable for us. However, this is a part of growing up and becoming the unique and one of a kind individuals that we know we are. If someone would have told my 6th grade self, that I would be here today speaking at the 8th grade graduation, I would have told them, they were crazy! The Frederick Douglass speech competition is an annual event that commemorates the life and work of Frederick Douglass and celebrates scholarship, leadership, and service at Alma. After participating in this event, I learned the power of public speaking and finally found my voice. I gained a passion for spoken word. To my fellow graduates, I encourage you to find your passion and embrace it. Remember to always be kind, persevere, take risks, and most importantly, don’t let fear overcome you. Speak your truth, even if your voice trembles.
REVENUE State Funding
$
17,691,419
Private Funding
$
358,037
Federal Funding Other Total
$ $
3,284,679 270,927
$
21,605,062
Personnel
$
11,522,752
Other
$
5,212,330
EXPENSES Facilities Total
$
2,971,398
$
19,706,480
Net Income
$
1,898,582
Net Income
$
4,776,865
OPERATING Non-Operating Gain (one-time)
$
2,878,283
State Funding continues to increase due to the enrollment growth at the School’s additional campus but is offset with personnel and other expenses related to growth. Overall, Alma del Mar had a fiscally responsible surplus that met its required debt service covenants.
A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 14
Our Supporters
Every donation of every amount made a difference for our school community during the 2022-2023 school year. We wish to recognize all of our supporters below, equally. FOUNDATIONS & CORPORATIONS
INDIVIDUALS
Gail Fortes
Acushnet Foundation Fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation
Oscar Afre Isabel Almeida
Edward & Barbara Haddad
Chase & Nicole Arnold
Amazon
Chris & Trish Arnold
Boston Foundation
Jan Baptist
Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
Christina Bascom
CEC Entertainment LLC
Eric Braitmayer
Eastern Charitable Foundation
Nan & Bill Braucher
George H. & Jane A. Mifflin Memorial Fund Henry H. Crapo Foundation Fund with the SouthCoast Community Foundation Ludes Family Foundation Move the World Foundation Network for Good One8 Foundation Seth & Beth Klarman Fund with the Jewish Philanthropy Network
Mary Jean & Bill Blasdale
Melissa & James Bride Richard & Jayne Burkhardt Laura Burnett-Kurie Elizabeth Chapin James & Ann Conway Elizabeth Cook Alicia Cortez Loretto & Dwight Crane Doug Crocker David & Vicki Croll Yolanda Dennis
St. Aidan’s Chapel
Allan & Priscilla Ditchfield
The Ladera Foundation
Matt & Dee Downey
Wellington Management Foundation
Roy Enoksen
15 • ALM A DE L MAR
Mary & Jim Faughnan
Ernest M. Haddad Janet Haring Lucile & Bill Hicks Prentiss & Polly Higgins Nelson Hockert-Lotz Charles Holley Christopher Bator & Colleen Hovey James & Bess Hughes Maryellen & James Hughes Peter Huidekoper Martha Kay Mike & Martha Keating
Alexander McFerran
Anna Sikorsky
Dennis Keefe
Elizabeth McKay
Larry Spang
Lucy Keefe Rusty & Betsy Kellogg
Christopher Finn & Colleen Patterson
Jonas Peter Akins & Sarah B. Stapleton
Robert & Diane Kramer
Elke Pierre
Ted & Nancy Kurtz
Barbara Poznysz
Robert & Bonnie Stapleton
Barry & Sherry Leiwant
Patrick & Ute Prevost
Fran Levin
Cynthia Redel
Layng Martine Jr.
Maria Rosario
Joseph & Holly McDonough
Cecilia & Chris Ross Sandy & Emmy See
Fredi & Howard Stevenson Paul & Ulla Sullivan
BOARD of TRUSTEES Isabel Almeida Jan Baptist, Chair Christopher Bator Mel Bride Alicia Cortez Yolanda Dennis Gail Fortes Lucile Hicks Charles Holley John Korn David Prentiss Maria Rosario
ADVISORY COUNCIL “I BELIEVE IN ALMA’S MISSION. I LOVE HOW ALMA HELPS INSTILL THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ALL CHILDREN. I ALSO LOVE HOW ALMA CHALLENGES ALL SCHOLARS ACADEMICALLY AND GUIDES THEM TO BECOME A LEADER.” - Isabel Almeida, Alma Trustee
Mary Jean Blasdale* David Cabral^ Roger Cabral John Camera Karyn Campbell^ Priscilla Ditchfield Ed Haddad Jim Hughes Joseph McDonough Carolyn Nunez David Prentiss^ Mark Rasmussen^ Kris Tomlinson* Sandy See Bob Unger* ^Founding Trustee *Former Trustee
A N N UA L R E P O RT 2023 • 16
515 Belleville Ave. New Bedford, MA 02746 www.almadelmar.org 774.206.6827 info@almadelmar.org /almadelmarcharterschool @AlmaCharter