Schools on the Move
In addition to the quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of the California GEAR UP Program, reports from individual schools present the most compelling examples of whole school change—the primary unit of analysis—and the effectiveness of the program. These profiles from school presentations show the Development of a College-Going Culture by focusing on:
- Family – Neighborhood – School Supports
- Intensive Academic and College-Going Support
- Rigorous Academic Curriculum
- High Quality Teaching
- Multicultural College-Going Identity
Each article briefly describes the school demographics and strategies used by the school staff as part of the middle school reform movement supported by California GEAR UP.
Discover California GEAR UP, Pasadena Pacoima Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District
Tuesday, 07 October 2008 21:25
Presentation: “Using the SSAR & PDAP as the focus for college-going activities”
Marcy Hamm, Principal / Lorraine Armelin, Title I Coordinator/Site Contact
Demographics: Located in the eastern part of the San Fernando Valley, Pacoima Middle School enrolls over 2200 students in grades 6-8, including a magnet school. The main student ethnicities are 93% Hispanic and 4% white. Per District policy, 100% of the students participate in the Free or Reduced Price lunch program. 36% are English Learners. API scores increased from 2007 base of 643 to 663 in 2008, meeting all subgroup growth targets.
Discover California GEAR UP, Pasadena - Shadow Hills Intermediate, Palmdale Elementary School District
Tuesday, 07 October 2008 21:20
Presentation: “Using California GEAR UP Resources”“Shadow Hills Falcons”
Suresh Bajnath, Principal / Pam Williams, Assistant Principal/Site Contact
Demographics: Located in the high desert city of Palmdale, Shadow Hills Intermediate School enrolls 1055 students in grades 7- 8. Student ethnicities are 69% Hispanic, 17% African-American, 9% White, and 2% Filipino; 62% participate in Free or Reduced Price Lunch. API scores increased from 2007 base of 701 to 711 in 2008.
Discover California GEAR UP, Walnut Creek - Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy, Sausalito-Marin City School District
Wednesday, 01 October 2008 21:28
Presentation: “The Role of the GEAR UP Leadership Team”Cherisse Baatin, Principal Email:
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Julius Holtzclaw, FIP Facilitator/Site Contact
Demographics: Located in Marin City, Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy is a small school that currently enrolls 30 students in grades 7-8.The predominant ethnicities are 89% African American, 4% Hispanic/Latino, and 7% Asian. 93% participate in the Free/Reduced Price Lunch program. API scores went up from a 2007 base of 638 to 681 in 2008, almost 50 points showing the progress the students are striving towards.
GEAR UP Institute, Pasadena – White Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District
Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:39
Presentation: “The Academics, the Activities and the Ardor”WhiteMiddle School, Los Angeles Unified School District
James Noble, Principal Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / Jesus Nunez, Assistant Principal/Site Contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Demographics: Located in Carson, WhiteMiddle School enrolls 1950 students in grades 6-8 on a traditional schedule. The student ethnicities are 10% African American, 62 % Hispanic, 17% Filipino, 4% White, and 4% Pacific Islander. 67% of the students are in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program. The school also has a federal GEAR UP partnership grant providing direct services to a cohort of students through high school graduation.
GEAR UP Institute, Pasadena – San Pasqual Middle School, San Pasqual Valley Unified School District
Tuesday, 23 October 2007 21:36
Presentation: “Creating a Culture for Academic Rigor”San Pasqual Valley Middle School, San Pasqual Valley Unified School District
Rauna Fox, Principal Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / Suzy Sanchez, 6th grade teacher/site contact Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tom Thompson, 7th grade teacher Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / Carson Bench, Counselor Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Demographics: Located in Winterhaven in ImperialCounty next to the border of Arizona, San Pasqual Valley Middle School enrolls 177 students in grades 6-8 from a large geographic area. The student ethnicities are 48% Native American Indian, 42% Hispanic, 9% Caucasian, and 1% other. 100% of the students are in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program. The school is surrounded by an Indian reservation and is also part of a federal GEAR UP partnership grant.
From a 1999 API of 383, the school moved to a 2006 API of 638.
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