December 5, 2013 | Press Release: Report Finds Black College Achievement in California Stagnant and Worsening

The Campaign for College Opportunity today released a report, the second in a new series of research reports The State of Blacks in Higher Education: The Persistent Opportunity Gap, detailing the lack of significant progress in Black higher education, the need for the state’s higher education system to work better for all students and the recommendations to address this gap. The report finds that young Blacks are less educated than previous generations, the gap between Blacks and Whites in California earning a bachelor’s degree or higher has only narrowed by one percentage point in the past decade, and first time Black freshmen and transfer students have the lowest completion rates at all three higher education systems in California – the CSU, UC and California Community Colleges. The state of educational attainment for Blacks in California raises questions about the way our higher education system is organized and whether it equally serves all groups.

California is home to the fifth largest number of Blacks in the nation. In the latest from its new series on the State of Higher Education in California, The Campaign for College Opportunity has found that gaps between Blacks and other ethnic groups in college-going and attainment have remained virtually unchanged for more than a decade, and in some cases, has worsened.

From the start, Black students have limited chances to enroll in college. With the lowest high school graduation rates, and the second-lowest rates of completing the required college preparatory curriculum for the state’s four-year universities, Black students face steep hurdles to reaching their college and career dreams, even though a recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that more than half of Black respondents believe that a college education is “necessary for a person to be successful in today’s work world.”

The State of Blacks in Higher Education in California: The Persistent Opportunity Gap identifies the following key findings:

• Blacks are slightly overrepresented at California’s community colleges and private for-profit colleges, while being underrepresented at the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems.
• In 2012, more Black students in California were enrolled in private, for-profit colleges than in the CSU and UC combined. This trend is troubling because graduation rates range from very low to very high across for-profit colleges and students often incur significant debt to attend these schools.
• In the last decade, Black enrollment at CSU and UC has remained flat, underscoring the impact the elimination of affirmative action has had on Black students. Today, Black students experience the lowest admission rates to the UC of any racial/ethnic group. In fact, prior to the elimination of affirmative action, 75 percent of Black applicants to the UC were admitted in 1994 compared to 58 percent in 2010.
• Black students are the most likely to gain some college experience without earning a college degree.
• Across all three public sectors of higher education— the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California—Blacks have the lowest completion rates for both first-time freshmen and transfer students.
• A smaller share of today’s California Black young adult population (25 to 34 years of age) holds postsecondary degrees than that of Blacks between the ages of 35 and 64.

Recomendations: 

1. Create a statewide plan for higher education

2. Expand college knowledge

3. Invest in services students need to succeed

4. Fund colleges for both enrollment and success

5. Strengthen financial support options for students

6. Encourage colleges and universities to reach out and re- enroll students who are close to completing a degree

The Campaign for College Opportunity is a broad-based, bipartisan coalition, including business, education and labor leaders that is dedicated to ensuring the next generation of Californians has the opportunity to go to college and succeed. The Campaign works to create an environment of change and lead the state toward effective policy solutions. It is focused upon substantially increasing the number of students attending two- and four-year colleges in California so that we can produce the one million additional college graduates that our state needs.

For more information, visit: www.collegecampaign.org.

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Chet Madison-Board Member, Felicia Bessent-Principal of Harris MS, Yuri Penermon-Principal of Rutter MS, Bill Del Bonta-Principal of Harriet Eddy MS, Richard Wal- Principalof Smedburg MS, Mike Anderson-Prinicpal of Jackman MS, and Tina Penna-Associate Superintendent. Director Shelley Davis and Project Manager Crystal Robinson.

On October 15, 2013 the Elk Grove Unified School District School Board recognized the long time partnership between the district and California GEAR UP with a presentation to Director Shelley Davis and Project Manager Crystal Robinson. Here is part of the text from the board resolution:

We continue to be honored to work with EGUSD in this amazing partnership that has endured since 1999. California GEAR UP looks forward to more success in creating a college-going culture throughout Elk Grove and the entire state of California. With partners like this we have no doubt we will succeed.

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 College Board presenters Douglas Waugh, David Jones, and Ana Galindo Shapiro.

This fall we were honored to have College Board, a California GEAR UP strategic partner, provide demonstration lessons at all of our Principal and Leadership Team events that took place across the state. These events focus on the use of our SSAR (school self assessment rubric) to look at school-wide perceptions and provides opportunities to learn about successes and challenges from other school teams. With the looming implementation of Common Core State Standards, schools have requested additional information and support, to which we responded with the College Board CCSS Demonstration Lesson.

One of the presenters, Ana Galindo Shapiro, was kind enough to sit down with us and talk about why she believes in this work so much.

How did you start working with schools and why are you passionate about it?

I started working with the College Board as an AP US History teacher. I remember attending my first AP Summer Institute, during which we participated in a Socratic Seminar using the Board’s recently revised Equity and Access Statement. I was working with students who broke the mold of what an AP student “looks like” for some. Many were English Learners, read below grade level, or were the first in their families to have their sights set on college- but they were so dedicated to challenging themselves. I knew that I was doing important work by believing in my students and supporting them through really rigorous learning experiences. I’m still passionate about that work today; I just have a different audience!

What do you think the most important thing teachers can be collaborating on right now to prepare for the implementation of common core and associated assessments?

I think teachers have an opportunity through the Common Core to teach students to think critically and creatively, something our state assessments have perhaps geared us away from in the past decade. It is really powerful to think that we’ll have assessments that actually honor students building solid arguments, explaining their reasoning, and focusing on depth over a breadth of topics is really exciting.

What was your experience in middle school like and how were you influenced to go to college?

I was an average student in middle school and high school. My father is an educator, and college was not really optional for me; it was a question of where to go (which was really exciting for both of us to explore). I didn’t really find my thrill of learning until college, when I think I was challenged for the first time. I loved being learning history in a historical place, surrounded by really curious young people.

 What do you think are some of the most important factors that will contribute to preparation for and student success in college?

I know that student peer influence is really strong for student success in college. Just like in middle and high school, it is really important for kids to feel connected to their peers and the adults around them. I’ve been reading a lot about growth mindsets and “grit” and how predictive they are to student success, more so than academic or socio-economic factors. That’s inspiring because these are things schools can help to cultivate in young people.

What are some of the most effective ways to create a college-going culture in our school community?

Young people need to “see” themselves going to college. Experiences like college trips, hosted by students who have similar backgrounds, or having tutors on campus that students can relate to is helpful. Adults need to also “see” their students as college bound. This goes beyond speaking it, it requires teachers to understand that there’s a lot of support and sometimes tough love that kids need to make it into and through college. Parents need to “see” their students heading to college by being exposed to college processes and encouraging their children to stick to it when things get difficult.

Tell us about some of the College Board initiatives you are most proud of.

I am most proud of SpringBoard, because ours is a program explicitly designed to support all teachers and students in getting ready for college.

When did you first start working with GEAR UP and why is the work important?

I first started working with GEAR UP as a high school principal. Two of our graduating cohorts were supported since 6^th grade with additional staff, materials, and experiences. All students should benefit from these additional resources, designed to put them on a solid path to college. Even though two classes had the direct benefit from GEAR UP, the entire school culture was shaped by work.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love being able to work with educators across school, district, and state lines to learn from their challenges and insights.

 Anything else you would like to share with the GEAR UP Community?

I really enjoyed our time together and hope we’ll see each other again soon!

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(this is a repost from Ed Trust-West)

With Governor Brown’s announcement of an unprecedented $1.25 billion dollars to accelerate Common Core implementation, the Education Trust—West releases a new brief, The One Billion Dollar Question: How Can Districts and Schools Equitably Implement the Common Core? The brief is designed to be an easy-to-use primer for district, charter, county, and community leaders to assess local Common Core implementation efforts based on best practices nationally and in California.

The Common Core State Standards are comprised of rigorous academic standards which can, when implemented with sufficient supports, help us close persistent achievement gaps. All students must have access to the deeper learning expectations and experiences called out in the new standards. However, many students—English learners, students with learning disabilities and students struggling academically—require targeted supports to ensure their success.

The brief opens with a basic needs assessment consisting of a series of questions that school, district, charter, and county leaders can use to determine their readiness for and progress toward effective and equitable Common Core implementation. Then it lays out potential investments schools and districts might make in the three areas (professional development, instructional materials and technology) that can be funded with the $1.25 billion dollars to accelerate equitable Common Core implementation.

In addition to these suggestions, the brief identifies potential pitfalls schools and districts should avoid. For some Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) such as Sacramento City, the extra funding will boost thoughtful implementation efforts already underway. For others, it will jumpstart activity that has yet—but urgently needs—to begin. In either case, the brief is an accessible way for local education and community leaders to determine the strength of their efforts to implement the instructional, technological, and curricular changes necessary to effectively and equitably implement the new Common Core standards and the statewide assessments scheduled for 2014-2015.

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A theme of several studies in the last year has been that there are plenty of academically talented low-income students who for some combination of reasons are not applying to competitive colleges to which they would probably be admitted.

A new study along those lines — this time documenting the impact of intense college counseling — was released Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study (abstract available here) found that a nonprofit group that focuses on college counseling in Minneapolis-St. Paul had a significant impact in increasing the rate at which low-income students enrolled in four-year colleges, including competitive institutions.

The study was conducted by Christopher Avery of Harvard University — co-author (with Caroline Hoxby of Stanford University) of a study released in December that found that most highly talented, low-income students never apply to a single competitive college. That work has set off widespread discussions about what sort of interventions might make a difference.

Avery’s new study looks at College Possible, a program that provides in-depth college counseling as well as tutoring on the ACT or SAT. Avery was able to study the impact of the program by comparing results on College Possible participants with those who applied to (and were not admitted to) the program despite having slightly better academic preparation.

The study found no statistically significant gains in ACT scores for those who participated in the program. Avery writes, however, that this may understate the impact of the program, because he suspects that some of those who didn’t get into College Possible found test-prep services elsewhere.

But the study found a significant impact on College Possible participants in applying to and enrolling in four-year colleges, and especially to competitive colleges. More than 45 percent of the students in the College Possible program enrolled at a four-year college, while the figure in the control group was 34 percent. And the most popular college among those in the program was Augsburg College, a competitive liberal arts college that did not enroll a single student from the control group (though some would appear to have been academically qualified had they applied).

The findings could be significant in that the earlier Avery-Hoxby study noted that low-income students who enroll in more competitive colleges are more likely to land at institutions with better graduation rates, more financial aid, and more resources to promote their academic success.

Blogged from Inside Higher Ed. Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/29/study-tracks-impact-counseling-low-income-students#ixzz2jhjXWEo1
Inside Higher Ed

UC president Janet Napolitano indicated she would allocate $5 million in university funds to help the system’s estimated 900 students who entered the country illegally.

Napolitano also singled out undocumented students at UC as deserving of special help.

“These Dreamers, as they are often called, are students who would have benefited from a federal DREAM Act,” Napolitano said. “They are students who deserve the opportunity to succeed and to thrive at UC.”

There are an estimated 900 undocumented students currently enrolled on UC campuses, about 95 percent of them as undergraduates. Because they face many bureaucratic and economic issues that other students do not – and often need help navigating the system – Napolitano said she would set aside $5 million for resources such as trained advisers, student service centers and financial assistance.

“Consider this a down payment – one more piece of evidence of our commitment to all Californians,” Napolitano said. “UC will continue to be a vehicle for social mobility. We teach for California; we research for the world.”

The initiatives will be funded through one-time reserves that the president may allocate at her discretion. No tuition dollars or state funds will be used. “Some of my ideas are even larger in their reach, and will take more time in the greenhouse,” Napolitano said near the end of her remarks. “You’ll hear more about them at the regents meeting in November, and in the months after that.”

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After two months of hard work we are excited to announce all 48 California GEAR UP Middle Schools completed two day institutes across the state. These facilitated strategic planning sessions are the core of California GEAR UP work, involving all School Leadership Team members, Whole School Services Coaches, GEAR UP staff, and our statewide partnership organizations.

Some of the highlights of the institutes were the Common Core State Standards demonstration lesson from the College Board and the premier of our Ideas in Action rotation that included presentations from our school leadership teams. Ideas in Action looked everything from technology in the classroom to the implementation of Instructional Rounds school-wide to placing students in classes for success.

The two-day Institute uses our SSAR (school self assessment rubric) to look at school-wide perceptions  and offers strategies and techniques for focusing on the school-determined needs. It provides opportunities to learn about successes and challenges from other school teams. The institutes also provide additional opportunity for the School Leadership Team to work on the SSAR conditions and plan for implementation of their PDAP (professional development action plan)goals. Trained facilitators provide direction through a guided discussion and reflection promotes the beginning of a shared vision, the identification and coordination of resources, and the use of student data to develop and implement a unified schoolwide plan.

Schools teams will now return to their sites with a better understanding of creating a transformative community-wide college going culture while being better equipped to leverage GEAR UP resources. Being a California GEAR UP school is a 6 year process, of which schools are embarking upon their second year. California GEAR UP School Services Coaches will meeting with schools across the state to facilitate use of GEAR UP tools, work on implementing Professional Development Action Plans, and scheduling Partnership and Statewide Services.

The purpose of California GEAR UP is to develop and sustain the organizational capacity of middle schools to prepare all students for high school and higher education through a statewide network of support for adults who influence middle school students, specifically their counselors, faculty, school leaders and families. As a result of this expanded capacity, a higher proportion of students, particularly from backgrounds and communities that have not historically pursued a college education, will enroll and succeed in higher education.

For more information on California GEAR UP, please visit our website.

To see pictures of California GEAR UP Schools in action, check out our Facebook page and let us know what you think.

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Join thousands of students, parents, teachers, partners and college access professionals from across the nation to celebrate GEAR UP and the successes of your hard work and dedication! GEAR UP programs across the country celebrated many different ways, including videos, proclamationa, letters of support, student photo booths, Governor support, field trips, and of course many many dream walls.

National GEAR UP Week is an opportunity for to raise awareness in our community about the positive impact GEAR UP is having locally.  It’s a time to engage all your stakeholders – local, state and federal elected officials, funders, partners, as well as local, state and regional media – to share your program’s accomplishments and to get them more involved with your services to students and families.

Congressman Fattah, the architect of the successful national college readiness and access program GEAR UP celebrates GEAR UP Week and thanks students, program staff, families and partner organizations for their hard work! Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) as he kicked off this national celebration to raise awareness about GEAR UP in our communities.

California GEAR UP received a letter of support from Elk Grove Superintendent Ladd. Since 1999 GEAR UP and Elk Grove have collaborated on student success and creating college-going culture. Thank you, Dr. Ladd for helping us celebrate National GEAR UP Week.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan honored GEAR UP with a letter of recognition for all the hard work of GEAR UP programs across the country.

In addition, we successfully launched our ‘I HEART GU’ campaign during NGUW in order to let supporters know how they feel simply by sharing a photo. Download the pdf file I love GEAR UP and you can participate just by Tweeting us or posting a photo of anyone holding the ‘I HEART GU’ on our Facebook page.. #GEARUPworks. More photos on our Facebook page.

California GEAR UP schools across the state celebrated in a number of ways, including Shasta Lake School  who did an activity at lunch with K-8th grade student with the event/activity consisting of the banners being made out of post-it notes and the students were to write there name, dream, goal, college or what they wanted to be when they graduate on one of the post it notes. This activity will continue in classrooms to make sure that at least all 6-8th grade students get to write something. Then the banners will be laminated and hung in the cafeteria as daily reminders for the students.

Frisbee Middle School in Rialto, CA had all grades participate in creating a DREAM WALL and it was great to see students really start thinking about their dreams and routes to get there. Many went from “I want to have money” to “I want to be a vet”. They started connecting totheir intrinsic side, which is always fun to see.

The California GEAR UP Bridge Project celebrated during their homecoming parade by chanting “A through G, I can see me with a college degree.”  The excitement and engagement is evident with their GEAR UP flags and energy. Students also celebrated all across the Valley High School campus with the ‘I HEART GU’ campaign.

How did you celebrate National GEAR UP Week?

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SACRAMENTO—Warning that poor children are among those most likely to be hurt by a federal government shutdown, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged the House of Representatives to approve a measure already approved by the Senate to keep the government operating.

“The American people know a partisan stunt when they see one, and that’s what a shutdown of the federal government is,” Torlakson said. “Sadly, the first people affected will likely be some of the people who can least afford it—young children, students, and low-income families.”

Because many federally funded programs have already received this year’s appropriation (such as California GEAR UP), immediate impacts to California’s education system will be limited in the short term. However, some funding, including support for the Child Development Block Grant, which provides child care services for poor families, and Impact Aid Grants, which benefit the children of military families, could both be affected within days.

Also, payments may be delayed for U.S. Department of Agriculture funded school lunch and breakfast programs, although most programs are expected to continue to serve meals to children in the short run.

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