Wendy McCulley

The Fresno Bee explains why the work the A4 Office is doing is vital to Fresno Unified School District and its African American students' academic achievement. The article shares how the A4 Task Force proved, through its intensive research and findings over six months, the academic environment for African American students is in a state of emergency and an urgent call to action needs to take place. The Task Force created a list of recommended areas to take action which include attitudes… Show more

The Fresno Bee explains why the work the A4 Office is doing is vital to Fresno Unified School District and its African American students' academic achievement. The article shares how the A4 Task Force proved, through its intensive research and findings over six months, the academic environment for African American students is in a state of emergency and an urgent call to action needs to take place. The Task Force created a list of recommended areas to take action which include attitudes, beliefs and mindsets of FUSD employees; access to African American teachers; rigorous instruction and high expectations; early learning; family engagement; and pride in and respect for African American cultural heritage. Show less

GV Wire shares how the A4 Office's Task Force was created in October 2018 to change the educational experience for African American students by improving their academic achievement. The A4 Task Force is made up of stakeholders from Fresno Unified School District and the surrounding community who are working to come to a consensus and establish direction for programmatic, policy and practice solutions to accelerate academic improvements for African American students.

In an article published on GV Wire, the President and CEO of Granville Homes names me a "change agent" for the work the A4 Office is doing to serve Fresno Unified School District's African American students. Since the creation of the A4 Office in 2017, we have worked diligently to address the fundamental issues African American students are experiencing to create an environment where they can achieve academic success during their time in the District and beyond.

KSEE 24's Education Matters showcases the A4 Office's 2018 Summer Literacy Program. In partnership with Springboard Collaborative, A4 implemented an intense five-week literacy program for elementary students focused on accelerating those who are below their reading grade level to proficiency and beyond. Studies have shown that parents are the key to closing the achievement gap for students so the Summer Literacy Program used parent engagement to improve student literacy and learning. It was… Show more

KSEE 24's Education Matters showcases the A4 Office's 2018 Summer Literacy Program. In partnership with Springboard Collaborative, A4 implemented an intense five-week literacy program for elementary students focused on accelerating those who are below their reading grade level to proficiency and beyond. Studies have shown that parents are the key to closing the achievement gap for students so the Summer Literacy Program used parent engagement to improve student literacy and learning. It was comprised of daily reading instruction and workshops to coach parents on how to teach reading at home. Show less

KSEE 24's Education Matters highlights the 2018 Father's Day Event the A4 Office and the United Black Men of Fresno hosted at 18 elementary schools throughout Fresno Unified School District. This event was established to highlight fathers and guardians who are actively engaged in the lives of their children and how this support leads to higher academic achievement for students. During this one day event, hundreds of fathers and male role models were celebrated by enjoying activities… Show more

KSEE 24's Education Matters highlights the 2018 Father's Day Event the A4 Office and the United Black Men of Fresno hosted at 18 elementary schools throughout Fresno Unified School District. This event was established to highlight fathers and guardians who are actively engaged in the lives of their children and how this support leads to higher academic achievement for students. During this one day event, hundreds of fathers and male role models were celebrated by enjoying activities, performances, workshops and learning with their children. Show less

KSEE 24 and CBS 47 explain how the A4 Summer Literacy Program supports both African American students and parents. Literacy Program Manager Tonisha Hargrove shares, “The summer program will help parents who are anxious over their increased role as teachers during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandates. Our parents are learning new skills alongside their children. This is an added bonus to the effect we had hoped for with the program.” This article also talks about the overarching goals of the… Show more

KSEE 24 and CBS 47 explain how the A4 Summer Literacy Program supports both African American students and parents. Literacy Program Manager Tonisha Hargrove shares, “The summer program will help parents who are anxious over their increased role as teachers during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandates. Our parents are learning new skills alongside their children. This is an added bonus to the effect we had hoped for with the program.” This article also talks about the overarching goals of the A4 initiative. Show less

GV Wire covers A4's third annual and very first virtual Summer Literacy Program with its largest enrollment number to date of 700+ students by interviewing me, two elementary students enrolled in the program and their father. Fresno Unified parent Marcus Winston says, "The history book highlighting the accomplishments of African American women wouldn’t have been his soon-to-be fourth-grade daughter Branya’s first choice a few years ago as she struggled with reading comprehension and keeping her… Show more

GV Wire covers A4's third annual and very first virtual Summer Literacy Program with its largest enrollment number to date of 700+ students by interviewing me, two elementary students enrolled in the program and their father. Fresno Unified parent Marcus Winston says, "The history book highlighting the accomplishments of African American women wouldn’t have been his soon-to-be fourth-grade daughter Branya’s first choice a few years ago as she struggled with reading comprehension and keeping her grades up. He is justifiably proud of how Branya’s reading abilities- and her grades- have soared since she began participating in the Office of African American Academic Acceleration’s Summer Literacy Program." This article and video talks about A4’s ongoing effort to academically accelerate our children’s ability to learn through the basic building block of reading, how our program addresses education inequality and much more. Show less

In this story, ABC 30 showcases Fresno Unified second grade student Norwood Mccoy who's reading between a third and fourth grade level thanks to the summers he's spent in the A4 Summer Literacy Program. This is why the Office of African American Academic Acceleration does what it does- to create an environment in which all students are positioned to achieve academic success during their time in the District and beyond. This article also talks about how A4 continues to find creative ways to… Show more

In this story, ABC 30 showcases Fresno Unified second grade student Norwood Mccoy who's reading between a third and fourth grade level thanks to the summers he's spent in the A4 Summer Literacy Program. This is why the Office of African American Academic Acceleration does what it does- to create an environment in which all students are positioned to achieve academic success during their time in the District and beyond. This article also talks about how A4 continues to find creative ways to serve their students virtually during the shelter-in-place mandate during COVID-19. Show less

KSEE 24's Education Matters highlights the A4 Office's Summer Literacy Program for the second year. The A4 Office believes that literacy – the ability to read, write and comprehend – is a civil right of every student and is the gateway to a successful academic future, career and livelihood. Literacy is recognized as a fundamental building block of learning and academic growth so it is an integral part of all A4 programs, including the Summer Literacy Program. The Program continues to be… Show more

KSEE 24's Education Matters highlights the A4 Office's Summer Literacy Program for the second year. The A4 Office believes that literacy – the ability to read, write and comprehend – is a civil right of every student and is the gateway to a successful academic future, career and livelihood. Literacy is recognized as a fundamental building block of learning and academic growth so it is an integral part of all A4 programs, including the Summer Literacy Program. The Program continues to be successful because its team of teachers, administrators and staff share this same belief and continue to hold students to high academic expectations with it in mind. Show less