August 4, 2011
Dear Friends, Families, Partners, and Community Members:
ACE Leadership High School is proud to announce that we have had a terrifically successful inaugural year. We have re-defined the role of public schools in Albuquerque by connecting the workforce development needs of the Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) professions with the hopes and desires of local communities. Below are some highlights of a few of our accomplishments:
- In 2010-11, our school served roughly 65 9th grade full-time students during the day and 40 in the evening re-engagement program ranging from 9th to 12th graders. The year culminated with the graduation of 13 of our re-engagement students in June (11 will be attending CNM and 2 have gone straight to work).
- Through a tremendous partnership with the New Mexico Building Branch of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America, our school has identified the skills and knowledge of the ACE professions of the future. Companies have invested their time and energy to work with teachers to create a curriculum that will prepare young people to become valuable assets in the industry. The Construction Leadership Council (CLC), a group of aspiring company executives created by AGC, has spearheaded the consultation to the school. These experts have identified the most cutting edge projects in the state that are the basis for the curriculum and helped the school develop strategies to teach the students through the lens of innovation and problem solving therefore, having a hand in creating their own industry future leaders.
- ACE Leadership High School is improving the 40% high school dropout rate here in New Mexico (this figure is significantly higher for students of color) and we deliberately reach out to their communities to recruit hands-on learners that are not well served by their current schools. Their hidden talents are ideal for the industry and with our “learning by doing” project-based curriculum it is no surprise that they are thriving. Thus far, our school has had terrific success in helping these young people prepare for a future in construction and with “Build Your Reputation” as our ethos, we are succeeding at helping each student realize his or her potential through everyday actions.
- What we are most proud of, however, is that we transitioned every 9th grader who finished the year to 10th grade (80% of those who started the year) and more excitingly is that the data clearly illustrates that they are learning. The improvements in each area is significant:
Proficiency at the start of the year:
Math — 7%
Reading — 34%
Language Usage — 36%
Proficiency at the end of the year:
Math — 81%
Reading — 67%
Language Usage — 64%
These giant leaps could not be possible without the most dedicated and tenacious faculty. In 2010-11 we recruited the most talented combination of young and experienced teachers in the city of Albuquerque and I am proud to say that the coming year is no different. We invest in them and we are committed to their development and we spend six weeks every year in training and planning with our faculty (compared to APS who budgets two days). Our partners from the Buck Institute for Education, Education Resources Consortium, Eagle Rock Professional Development Center, and the New Mexico Forum for Youth in Community make up our stable of consultants and they work with our faculty to provide the best training in the country. Our success is a testament to them.
ACE Leadership High School could also not do this work without support of our community and has benefited significantly from industry and private foundation support. Below are just a couple of examples to name a few:
- From our anchor industry partner – The initial investment for the school project came from AGC. The Association’s vision and generosity has been vital for the opening of the school. It provided $200,000 in seed money to plan the school and at least $100,000 support for the school’s operations. Finally, AGC recently loaned the school $140,000 to remodel its current facility to accommodate the doubling of our daytime student body.
- From foundations – Partners for Developing Futures, a national foundation that funds innovative charter schools that are led by people of color and that serve students from traditionally underserved communities, has committed $290,000 to the school to implement its programs; the Daniels Fund has contributed $70,000 for professional development; and the McCune Foundation gifted the school with $45,000 for general operating support.
- Individual companies – Industry leaders such as Jaynes Corporation, Yearout Mechanical and JB Henderson showed their commitment by contributing roughly $70,000 to the school.
In conclusion, there are many great things happening at ACE Leadership High School and we are ambitious about our future and those of our students. Please take the time to visit our website at www.aceleadership.org to learn more. Or, better yet, we invite you to stop by for a visit and see first-hand how we are helping to develop tomorrow’s leaders and innovators in the ACE professions.
Sincerely,
Tony Monfiletto
Principal, ACE Leadership High School