Teach for America-Connecticut Receives $1 Million Grant from the Hartford Financial Services Group to Expand into Hartford Public Schools

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) today awarded $1 million to Teach For America’s Connecticut region. Teach For America is the national corps of top college graduates who commit two years to teach in under-resourced public schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of educational equity. The grant, to be distributed over five years, will support Teach For America’s expansion to bring some of our nation’s most outstanding future leaders to teach in Hartford Public Schools. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is Teach For America’s charter corporate partner in Connecticut and has committed $100,000 to support the organization’s impact in Hartford schools in the 2007-08 school year. The remaining grant money will be distributed annually in $225,000 sums through the 2012 school year. The Hartford’s support for Teach For America is positioned as a challenge grant to encourage additional corporations, foundations and individuals to help underwrite the total cost of supporting Teach For America in Hartford, estimated at more than $400,000 in its first year and more than $800,000 in subsequent years. "Teach For America believes that when students in low-income communities are given the educational opportunities they deserve, they excel, and we are honored that The Hartford has chosen to support us as we join those working to close the academic achievement gap in Hartford,” said Emily Barton, executive director of Teach For America-Connecticut. "With The Hartford’s generous contribution, we will be able to expand our efforts in recruiting, training, and supporting our corps members, as they provide new opportunities for Hartford students to achieve success.” Ramani Ayer, The Hartford’s chairman and CEO, said, "Teach For America has a proven track record of recruiting the nation’s top college graduates and harnessing their talent, brains and determination to close the achievement gap that plagues so many of our cities and rural communities. We know that the classroom is the crucible for change and that teachers can make permanent and positive differences in the lives of our young people. That’s why The Hartford is proud to be the charter sponsor of Teach For America in Hartford as part of our support for Hartford Public Schools." For more than a decade, The Hartford has focused much of its philanthropic efforts on public education in Hartford. The company invests more than $1.5 million annually to improve educational opportunities through college scholarships, internships for high school and college students, grants to nonprofits that provide programs to city schools, partnerships with three public schools and volunteer programs where several hundred employees tutor and mentor city students regularly. This fall, Teach For America’s Connecticut region will expand to Hartford and Bridgeport and bring approximately 30 and 20 teachers, respectively, to some of the state’s highest-need schools. The Hartford and Bridgeport districts join New Haven Public Schools, where Teach For America-Connecticut has placed 46 corps members since the fall of 2006. In the 2007-08 school year, 120 Teach For America corps members will impact more than 9,000 students in these three districts, which are among the state’s largest. Connecticut’s achievement gap is the largest in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress. On average, low-income eighth grade students in the state are nearly three grade levels behind their wealthier peers in reading and more than three grade levels behind in math. Sixty-one percent of Connecticut’s African-American students and just 51 percent of its Latino students graduate from high school, compared with 85 percent of the state’s white students who graduate. Together with its school and district partners, Teach For America is committed to reducing this gap by fostering high expectations and educational equity for Connecticut’s students. A recent independent study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research found that students of Teach For America corps members produced greater gains than would typically be expected in both math and reading. In math, corps members' students on average make 10 percent more progress in a year than is typically expected. A survey released by Kane, Parsons & Associates found that principals report overwhelmingly that Teach For America teachers are well prepared and have a significant and positive impact on their schools and on student achievement. "Our overall goal is to accelerate performance in order to close the achievement gap between Hartford students and other students in Connecticut,” said Steven J. Adamowski, Superintendent of Schools. "These outstanding young educators will be placed in schools where they are needed most, and given the support they need to succeed. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.” Members of the Connecticut teacher corps will be officially welcomed today by elected officials, community members, and education advocates in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. Corps members will go on to attend an intensive summer training institute in Philadelphia before returning to Connecticut in August for an orientation with local Teach For America staff and administrators at the individual schools where they will begin teaching in the fall. Throughout the school year, Connecticut corps members will participate in professional development conducted by Teach For America, consulting specialists in specific subject areas and grade levels. CREC (Capitol Region Education Council) will ensure that corps members meet all state teaching requirements. Teach For America opened its Connecticut site and placed its charter corps in New Haven Public Schools in September 2006. The expansion from New Haven to Hartford and Bridgeport schools is part of Teach For America’s plan to increase its current corps of 4,400 members to 7,500 teaching nationally in more than 30 regions by 2010. Under this growth plan, some 250 corps members will impact more than 21,000 Connecticut students in the 2010-11 school year. After completing their two-year commitments, Teach For America corps members join a force of alumni working from all sectors to expand educational opportunity. Some 66 percent of alumni remain in the field of education, starting schools, becoming principals and district administrators, and winning accolades as teachers, including the 2005 National Teacher of the Year Award. Currently 100 Teach For America alumni live and work in Connecticut, including several school leaders. By 2010, Teach For America aims to have nearly 200 alumni in Connecticut effecting the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence for all of the state’s children. About Teach For America Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Currently, 4,400 corps members are teaching in over 1,000 schools in 25 regions across the country; more than 12,000 Teach For America alumni continue working from inside and outside the field of education for the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity. About The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest financial services and insurance companies, with 2006 revenues of $26.5 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.