California GEAR UP e-Newsletter

Each year, hundreds of middle school students are proud recipients of an Educational Trust Award from California GEAR UP. Since 1999, 3,750 students in grades 6-9 at GEAR UP schools have received these $2,000 awards. A GEAR UP Educational Trust Award is a ScholarShare account that is held in trust for the student by the California Student Aid Commission. The account continues to earn interest until withdrawn for college expenses and does not impact a student’s financial aid package. Students and their families are notified periodically by the Commission as to the status of their account.

The Educational Trust Awards program is a tangible demonstration of the GEAR UP commitment to provide all students and their families information and resources about preparing for college. The selection and awards process is determined by a School’s Leadership Team and can involve the whole school community as described in this story.

THE SELECTION PROCESS AT R. J. FRANK INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

R. J. Frank Intermediate School, located in Oxnard, enrolls about 1300 students in grades 7 and 8. It is a Title I school with 78 percent of the students on Free and Reduced Price Lunch and 43 percent are English Language Learners. This GEAR UP middle school engaged the whole school community in the selection of recipients of Educational Trust Awards.

The School Leadership Team, which includes the principal, a parent, a Language Arts teacher, a Social Studies teachers, and a Mathematics teacher, prepared a flyer for the entire school announcing $2,000 College Scholarships. The flyer, with eye-catching artwork, stated:

• who could apply (Any current R. J. Frank student with 3.0 GPA or higher and a good attendance record)
• how to apply (Complete the application and include a 1-2 page typed essay responding to the essay question: Why do you want to go to college?)
• when and where to turn in the application (Final date and main office)
• who to see for questions (Leadership Team with the name of each)

With 12 scholarships to award, the team decided to have eight for 8th graders and four for 7th graders. Also, half of the scholarships would be reserved for students that are the first generation in their family to go to college.

The student response was overwhelming—almost 100 students completed the application, including the typed essay. To narrow down the number of candidates to interview, the Leadership Team requested each teacher to recommend one student from the list of applicants by circling or highlighting the name. Each teacher could select one best candidate, the student the teacher viewed as most deserving of the scholarship.

R.J. Frank Intermediate School Educational ...R.J. Frank Intermediate School Educational ...

Educational Trust Awardees at R.J. ...Educational Trust Awardees at R.J. ...

Interviews were held on the campus during the day and 12 winning students were selected. Along with the winners, the other 86 students that were motivated to apply were treated to a pizza party at the school. Community leaders and the local newspaper were also invited. The teachers were winners too, as they heard from parents thanking them for providing this opportunity for their child.

The words of the students, taken from the Trust Award applications, say it best:

• “I know who I am and what I want and I am determined to reach my goals.”
• “By going to college, I would accomplish something no one in my family ever thought possible.”
• “I come from a non-wealthy family that believes if you work hard and don’t give up, your heart’s desire will come true.”

At the beginning of this New Year, we are pleased to share with you more GOOD NEWS from California GEAR UP! In early November, Congress agreed to provide the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) almost $309 million for Fiscal Year 2005. These appropriated funds represent an $11 million increase over Fiscal Year 2004 -- a signal of continued bipartisan support for the program. The United States Department of Education will hold annual grant competitions in early Spring 2005 and we are preparing for this opportunity. This is very good news for all of us with GEAR UP! We are making a difference by helping schools, families, and communities become more engaged in, and accountable for, student success.

By the end of this first grant, 3,750 students will have received Educational Trust Awards of $2,000 that will grow to at least $2,500 when they attend college. The awards have been an opportunity both to provide selected students with college resources and to motivate all students at the school to consider college. To further illustrate the importance of these awards, we share the success story of R.J. Frank Intermediate School and the California GEAR UP Trust Awards program on this page.

To date, the California GEAR UP Program has delivered services to 187 middle schools. However, an expansion in the scope and delivery of services is needed to reach more students and families in more communities. To achieve this goal, we have developed special projects that enable us to extend the resources, information, and lessons learned into the community and to engage many more schools in a continued learning process. Three of these projects are featured on the inside pages of this newsletter.

For 2004 - 2005, 63 middle schools are participating in the two-year GEAR UP service model. (see back page) Leading by example, administrators and staff from schools will share their successes and challenges at the GEAR UP Annual Community Conference (see back page). Their commitment to developing a college-going culture is evidenced by high expectations, good teachers, and accountability for results -- the right reforms for every school.

With the past and present as our guide, we look forward to another year of collaborating to build A Bridge To The Future!

The Mathematics Articulation Project was developed to promote greater consistency among middle and elementary school teachers, to improve student skills in mathematics, and to meet California State Standards. Teachers become a professional learning community on strategies to address the achievement gap and improve student test scores. The project is funded by the California Postsecondary Education Commission through the Improving Teacher Quality grant and has served school districts throughout the State.

During the first year of the project, school teams developed an articulation framework in mathematics and a detailed matrix of standards and activities that are used by participating teachers and shared with other schools. This project assists students in the transition from elementary to middle school mathematics curriculum and reinforces high expectations for all students at GEAR UP schools. Middle school mathematics and feeder elementary school teachers will participate in forty hours of articulation in mathematics during summer 2005. Orientation meetings have been scheduled for each school site.

2004-2005 Selected Schools

The Continuing Schools Project was developed to implement long-term strategies to maintain the active participation of middle schools with California GEAR UP and to chart the sustainability of project initiatives towards the development of a college-going culture. Selected schools have completed participation in the two-year direct service model and are invited to attend sustainability workshops in November 2004 and February 2005. The interactive sessions engage two-person teams from each school in constructive dialogue and strategic activities focused on continuation of the leadership team model at the school site and the use of data to impact long-term program planning. GEAR UP also provides information and models for obtaining resources to sustain desired program services with on-site facilitation during the year-long project. The selected schools in this pilot project are creating a middle school sustainability model.

2004-2005 Selected Schools

Developed in collaboration with the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), the Family Initiatives Project is in the second year of operation. This pilot project responds to the need for family programming strategies to enhance the participation of English-speaking families at California GEAR UP schools. The five-week project provides information about the school system and strengthens knowledge about the critical role of the family in the academic life of their children. The curriculum is designed to address broad social and educational issues, with particular attention given to the needs of African American families. Schools have taken the lead in developing community connections to ensure full participation. A training manual and parent guide will be reviewed during the January 2005 facilitator training. Selected schools submitted a letter of agreement to California GEAR UP. Family sessions are scheduled for January through May 2005.

2004-2005 Selected Schools