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Notes From the GEAR UP Director Shelley Davis |
 Another school year is completed. In this 8th edition
of our newsletter California GEAR UP extends congratulations to the
graduates – and their families—across California!
Since 1999, we have served over 200,000 middle school students in
187 schools throughout the state. Our state GEAR UP program is unlike
any in the nation as it focuses on the adults who impact middle school
students to create systemic change and develop a sustainable
college-going culture. Program results highlight the success of our
strategy to provide professional development opportunities for the
adults—teachers, principals, counselors, and including their families –
who affect the development of ALL middle school students.
GEAR UP middle schools are outstanding examples of leadership,
partnership, and best practices, resulting in improved student
performance. In 1999, 250 of their students were selected to receive
Educational Trust Awards, with performance as one criterion for this
honor. Now we celebrate their enrollment in colleges and universities!
The March 2006 Community Conferences brought more to celebrate, as
we heard from powerful featured speakers and GEAR UP students. Their
candid insights about the transitions from middle to high school, and
into college were an inspiration to the audience. In addition to the
excellent presentations by our middle school teams, another highlight
was student entertainment. The conference provided a great introduction
for the 45 new schools now involved in the GEAR UP Planning Phase.
Throughout this grant cycle, you will hear more about the Continuing
Schools Project, the Counselors Institute, the Principals’ Institute,
the Family Initiatives Project and the Student Services Model Project.
These initiatives were created to build upon, and sustain, the good
work that is being done in GEAR UP schools.
Stay tuned for another year of collaborating to ensure “Academic
Excellence and College Access for ALL Students” beginning in Fall 2006!
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Some Thoughts from Principals about Connecting to GEAR UP |
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What does a principal need to do not only to be more effective but
also to integrate the ideas of California GEAR UP into their school?
These are some reflections from principals who are changing their
school culture into a college-going culture.
Jackman Middle School Principal William Del Bonta on “Vision”
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main component in school reform is VISION. What we did to clearly
define the vision of this school and, more importantly, to get staff to
buy into that vision is spend a day exploring the past, identifying
unifying principles, and sharing the principal’s vision with the staff.
The first was done by having the staff develop a timeline that listed
events, programs, and people’s contributions. These were added to a
wall-sized timeline by members of the staff working in groups defined
by the amount of time that they have been on site.
Interestingly
enough, this process becomes very positive—with people ignoring the
negatives of past school history and sometimes previous
administrations—and clearly links the things people consider important
over the previous years with what is important today. It allows the
principal’s vision to make connections to the past and bridge to the
future.
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GEAR UP PRINCIPALS SHARE STRATEGIES AND BELIEFS |
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The Principals’ Institute was hosted for the 2006-08 new GEAR UP
school principals on June 22, 2006, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Oakland.
Twenty-two administrators shared best practices for achieving
collaboration towards the development of a college-going culture. The
session covered topics including leadership style, management
strategies, and coaching with time for reflection.
- The primary objectives of the Institute are:
- To understand the alignment of California GEAR UP with the vision of the school
- To connect philosophical and education beliefs with leadership style
- To leverage GEAR UP resources by using the good in people and programs
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Community Conference March 27, 2006 – Burbank Hilton |
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Featured Speaker
Dr.
Barry Munitz, former Chancellor of the California State Universities
(1991-1998), chair of the California Education Round Table, and current
chair of Superintendent O’Connell’s P-16 Council addressed the GEAR UP
Community Conference in Burbank. His message resonated with the
audience as he shared from personal experiences in education, business
and philanthropy. Dr. Munitz cited current unemployment rates and
educational equity as continuing challenges for K-12 educators. Among
other resources, he recommended these websites for education policy
information and comparative data: www.edsource.org and www.schoolmatters.com
Photo gallery inside
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Community Conference March 13, 2006 – Berkeley Marina Hotel |
Featured Speaker
Dr. Alex
Saragoza, Professor of Latin American History at University of
California, Berkeley, shared his personal educational journey and
inspired the audience in their work of changing school practices to
develop a college-going culture. As a child of immigrant parents who
worked in the agricultural fields, he needed financial aid to attend
Fresno State University. “It was President Dwight Eisenhower who passed
the National Defense Education Act which enabled poor children, like
myself, to get funds to go to college.” Dr. Saragoza went on to achieve
graduate degrees at Harvard University and a Ph.D at University of
California, San Diego. He continues to work with K-12 teachers and
schools and non-profit community groups. The audience was captivated by
his message, which set the tone for the day.
Photo gallery inside
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Summer 2006 8th Edition