African American Academic Acceleration (A4)

Our Purpose

The Office of African American Academic Acceleration (A4) serves pre-K through 12th grade students throughout Fresno Unified School District.

During the 2023/24 academic year, A4 proudly served 1,212 single-race African American and Black students, representing 23% of Fresno Unified's total enrollment of 5,200 single-race African American and Black students. In total, in the 2023/2024 academic year, A4 has served 7,950 students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. 

With over 12 innovative programs and initiatives, A4 is dedicated to equipping students, parents, and families with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to excel and reach their highest potential. 

In 2017, Fresno Unified took a bold step to create lasting change by launching A4, a transformative initiative to address the disparities in academic outcomes faced by African American students and other demographic groups. While our district has made progress in graduation rates, Advanced Placement enrollment, and college applications, African American students — who make up 8.2% of our student body — were not experiencing these gains equally. Additionally, disproportionately high suspension rates have led to significant lost instructional time, highlighting the urgent need for an equity-driven approach to ensure meaningful support for students across all schools. 

Since 2017, a dedicated coalition of staff, educators, community allies, and students have worked passionately to close the achievement gap. Our mission is to ensure students not only meet academic goals but thrive in a nurturing and empowering environment. Together, we are creating a future where every student is equipped to succeed, excel, and make their mark far beyond the classroom. 

A4 Summer Intersession Programs

Kinder Readiness

A4’s Kinder Readiness summer program is a 3-week literacy program designed for PK-TK students without any formal educational experience in preschool or other structured environments. It empowers students with the necessary academic and social-emotional skills to enter kindergarten ready for success.

Math Camp

The A4 Math Camp summer program is a 3-week coding boot camp created to support 5th and 6th grade students with improving their fractions (math) computational skills in a fun, interactive, and hands-on way. Students learn how to computer block coding with robots and are taught African American history in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and beyond through a culturally infused curriculum.

Summer Reading

The A4 Summer Reading program in partnership with Springboard Collaborative is a 3-week literacy program for K through 4th grade students. It was established to replace the typical 3-month reading loss during summer months and accelerate our students that are below grade level to proficiency and above. It is comprised of daily independent reading with a teacher, targeted small group lessons, writing, and family workshops to coach parents and guardians how to teach reading at home.

Figures

A4 Figures, piloted in 2024, is a 2-week summer, project-based coding and robotics enrichment program designed to provide academic support and mentoring to girls in grades 5th through 11th, empowering them to confidently pursue college majors and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM.)