A+ Schools

What it reported doing in 2024

4a. City-wide: we work at a city-wide level to convene partners to end chronic absenteeism through the pittsburgh learning collaborative (plc), stand up initiatives that are co-designed with plc members to address key issues, and provide coordinated supports for funding, communications, and data. This work looks at systemic barriers to success and allows us to bring over 70 organizations and individuals together to advocate for change.a. Pittsburgh learning collaborative (plc): the plc is made up of over 125 organizations across multiple sectors (education, out of school time, health, transportation, housing, and development) that convene every other month as a whole to share resources, identify challenges, and find solutions to issues that are impeding getting children to school. A+ schools provides coordinated supports for funding, communications, and data: these supports include strategic relationships with foundations, corporations, and patrons to provide the on-going financial support needed to support equitable learning outcomes; communications campaigns and materials to raise awareness about learning needs and opportunities; data gathering and reporting around learning needs and outcomes including a+ schools' annual report to the community on public school progress in pittsburgh.i. Annual summit: for the past 2 years, the plc has held an annual summit, bringing in keynote speakers and providing workshops on topics ranging from continuous quality improvement to advocacy for out of school time.ii. Learning cohorts: as part of the plc, 3 smaller learning cohorts are convened monthly. These groups are working to help expand our impact on attendance through shared knowledge, resource sharing, and methodologies that work.b. Research and data: our main research project, the annual report to the community on public school progress in pittsburgh, is supplemented throughout the year by blog posts, data stories, and community presentations that help the community understand the root causes of chronic absenteeism to address them.i. Everyday labs: a+ schools partners with everyday labs and pittsburgh public schools to deliver nudge letters and texts to every student at risk of chronic absence at multiple times throughout the school year. At the circle, our schools partner schools, a+ schools works closely with administrators and staff to codesign attendance interventions using everyday pro, a data tool from everyday labs.ii. Report to the community: our annual report provides information on every pittsburgh public school (district and charter) as well as analysis of trends (the executive summary) and stories about what works (rising up). This report is mailed to nearly 15,000 households, magisterial district court judge offices, legislative offices, libraries, and pediatric offices.iii. Best practice research: the a+ schools team creates public presentations that use data from the report to the community as well as research on best practices from around the nation to help community organizations and leaders understand the role they can play in reducing chronic absence.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 91.9%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -183.1%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.9%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings