Notes From the GEAR UP Director Shelley Davis

There’s always a certain degree of excitement with the beginning of spring. All around are reminders of “coming attractions” as Mother Nature prepares for her annual display of beauty and bounty. Then too, there is the uncertainty of just how soon to shed extra layers of clothing, to plan the outdoor dinner party or the weekend camping trip with the kids. Springtime requires that we plan, prepare and adapt for Change.

This is a season of great expectations of real Change, as featured in the 2008 presidential campaign. And closer to home Change must come to meet the challenges of closing the achievement gap.

In education today, what exactly does Change mean? How are we preparing for it? How do we contribute to it? And how do we know if we’ve achieved it? These are the types of questions the GEAR UP team is constantly asking to guide our work in support of the middle school community; specifically, the administration, faculty, families and all students. Our measure of progress is systemic Change and whole school reform as defined by the conditions for developing a college-going culture.

We believe we have an excellent framework to articulate the vision of a college-going culture as evidenced by GEAR UP School Leadership Teams. Our Forums provide a collaborative, active learning process with schools sharing experiences and focusing on elements of Change. Strategies are developed to increase the level of engagement between GEAR UP staff, partners and the leadership teams. Their resulting plans for sustainability reflect a team effort and will ensure more effective and efficient service for our schools. (Inside story)

How are we contributing to middle school reform and policy decisions on a statewide level? How do we value our teachers and share what we know about their lived experiences? The feature story is the result of a grant from the California Postsecondary Education Commission that has allowed us to share lessons learned with the higher education community.

Whole school Change is truly a collaborative effort that requires constant review to improve our services. We make Change based on our understanding of individual school needs and how they fit within the State GEAR UP model. On pages 1 and 2 we share good news about three projects designed specifically to better serve the middle school community: Community-Based Project, Counseling Institute, and Family Initiatives Project.

Just as we expect school staff to build capacity, GEAR UP staff and partners are equally committed to build capacity and learn from each other. Our conversations and engagement with educators across the State help to determine the training, development and standards for our team. (See Facilitation story) We are also excited to share the success of our partnership with TEAM GEAR UP on page 4.

And finally, we celebrate the achievements of our collaborative approach to whole school improvement. In this edition we acknowledge the accomplishments of whole schools, departments within schools, families, service providers, individuals and our students! With your support, we will continue to adapt to Change as we welcome the coming of spring!

“Handle the challenge of change well, and you can prosper greatly. Handle it poorly, and you put yourself and others at risk.” ~Kotter & Rathgeber