African American Academic Acceleration (A4)

Our Purpose

​​In September 2017, Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) launched the Office of African American Academic Acceleration (A4) in order to identify and address the fundamental causes for the discrepancy in academic outcomes between African American students and other demographic groups.

While experiencing overall increases in student graduation rates, Advanced Placement course enrollment and the number of college and university applications completed, FUSD recognized our African American students—who make up 8.2% of the District’s student body—were not experiencing these positive trends at the same rate. Furthermore, African American students represent a disproportionately high number of suspensions which equates to an equally disproportionate number of days missing school. Having made these observations, FUSD identified an underlying need to accelerate its efforts and invest further in an aggressive approach to justly serve kindergarten through 12th grade African American students throughout each school in the District.

Over the past two years, our team of staff, teachers and community members have worked diligently to begin closing the achievement gap for the African American students throughout the District and create an environment where they can achieve academic success during their time here and beyond.