FACT SHEET. The University of Texas-Pan American GEAR UP Project

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1 The University of Texas-Pan American GEAR UP Project FACT SHEET The University of Texas-Pan American Grant II was awarded in 2005 and will run through This grant serves 8,950 7th grade students in 28 Rio Grande Valley middle schools and will follow them in a cohort design model through their 12th grade year. The UTPA GEAR UP Project Mission: The mission of GEAR UP is to significantly increase the number of students that are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. General Demographics of Service Area: 96% are Hispanic, 80% speak a language other than English, 17% of students are considered to be LEP, Limited English Proficient Over 25% are foreign born, primarily from Mexico, 38 % live in extreme poverty, Less than 53% of adults have high school diplomas, and 10% are college graduates. UTPA GEAR UP Goals: (1) Increase the academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education for GEAR UP students; (2) Increase the rate of high school graduation and participation in post-secondary education for GEAR UP students; and (3) Increase GEAR UP student and family knowledge of post-secondary education options, preparation, and financing. GEAR UP has inspired me and has helped me to set my goals. Before GEAR UP, my plans were to continue field work as a migrant. When I started getting involved with GEAR UP, my whole life was changed. I decided to start applying for scholarships and admission to different universities to continue my education. Javier, Grant I student GEAR UP has been the most significant program in my life. It helped me realize that there is a whole world out there Being in a place where drugs, child abuse, and various other family problems existed, I was never given the proper explanation of the importance of school, and specially college Thanks to the support of the GEAR UP Program, I am prepared to pursue a higher education and will be ready to start my college career. Carmen, Grant I student-

2 Five Major Grant Components and Services Offered By GEAR UP: Component 1: Academic Preparation Services provided in this area include: ACT/SAT Exam Preparation Concurrent Enrollment and Dual Credit Courses Credit Recovery and Accelerated Courses AP Course Preparation Math and Science Summer Camps College Tutors AVID Program implementation State Exam Preparation GEAR UP has reduced drop out rates, increased the number of students taking college preparatory curriculum, and engage parents on a level we have not seen before. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa Component 3: Family and Community Outreach Services provided in this area include: College Visits Las Platicas Academy College and Financial Counseling Parent College Summits ESL Classes GED Classes Parent Volunteer Program Component 2: Academic Preparation Support Services Services provided in this area include: Guidance and Counseling College Visits Career Fairs Character Development and Leadership Series FAFSA Advisement Culturally Responsive Teaching Mentoring Educational Exhibits What I appreciate most about the GEAR UP Program is the fact that they got my parents involved in meetings and field trips about the importance of their child attending college. My mom was very happy because she learned so much information that really helped me. Jose, Grant I student -

3 Five Major Grant Components and Services Offered By GEAR UP: Component 4: Professional Development Services provided in this area include: Advanced Placement Institutes Technology Integration for Instruction and Learning AVID Path Training Master s Degree Tuition Assistance Program Content Area specialized training Ford Partnerships for Advanced Studies Texas Instruments Component 5: Higher Education Collaborative Services provided in this area include: College for Texans Campaign: Go Centers Adopt-a-School Mentoring College Visits Concurrent Enrollment Community Outreach Teacher Preparation College Enrichment Camps Financial Aid Counseling Many of these students, without membership within GEAR UP, may not have had the opportunity to become highly competitive students academically, with regard to the pursuit of post-secondary educational options. Doug Erickson, Grant I teacher-

4 SureScore SureScore is committed to providing and facilitating schools with comprehensive college preparation programs. Such college preparation programs include the SAT and ACT in which approximately seven districts participated in the training. SureScore has provided training for teachers in order to facilitate students with skills and strategies for higher performance. Each school, based on their needs, was able to choose from one out of the three following programs: STAR (Strategies to Advance Reading) a Vocabulary and Reading Development program; MARS (Math Applications and Resources for Success) a Math Foundations and Strategies Program; SASP (SureScore Academic Success Program) a tutoring program. UTPA Excellence Program GEAR UP will address the need for professional development and low academic achievement by implementing the UTPA Excellence Program, a partnership with the UTPA content area faculty in the Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering and Health Sciences, the GEAR UP campuses and corporate partners to create a framework for K-16 alignment. Comprehensive training is an ongoing process to continuously align what is taught in public schools and what is expected at the university level. This process was achieved by having facilitated, approximately, forty English teachers from the twenty-eight participating GEAR UP middle schools with three days of professional development in the areas of Expository Writing, Textual Writing and Creative Writing.

5 Texas Instruments Teacher Cadre Training The Gear Up Project teachers have had opportunities to increase their mathematical pedagogy through the use of technology to teach mathematical concepts that will lead to academic achievement for students and facilitate the transition to enrollment in college. Through a partnership with Texas Instruments, we have focused on the following objectives: To raise test scores and academic achievement in mathematics. To implement a sustainable plan that will benefit not only the GEAR UP students, but all students, including future students. To implement a systemic plan that begins in middle school and spans all the way up to high school. To collaborate with GEAR UP and UTPA as well as the teacher community and respond to ongoing teacher and student needs. These objectives along with the TI partnership helped create the Teacher Leader Cadre program, which is based on principles of effective professional development for research and best practices. The program is designed to specifically give teacher leaders an opportunity to become more active in the district and improve their leadership skills. The TLC program offers systemic professional development for 12 days in order to keep our educators at the forefront of teaching innovation as well as help to meet mandated professional development requirements. The teachers have been trained and received 30 TI 73 or 30 TI-84 Plus Silver Edition ViewScrean Calculators, one ViewScreen panel, and the one TI Smart-View emulator software and two TI Navigator 3.0 system that can be used in a classroom of 32 students. These 80 plus 7th grade math teachers in 28 middle schools received the listed equipment plus received the latest TI software to be implemented in the classroom this year as well as in the years to come.

6 Advanced Placement (AP and Pre-AP) UTPA GEAR UP teachers have been registered and will be attending the Advanced Placement Summer Institutes at The University of Texas Pan American for the summer of This week long training will prepare teachers to help students explore academic excellence and reach higher levels of academic achievement. The GEAR UP program has not only provided the information on the AP Summer Institutes but will be funding three core teachers to attend this week long training from 28 middle schools so that we can assist them to meet the instructional needs of the students. The students will be provided with the opportunity at their respective middle and high schools to enroll in rigorous academic courses, such as: Honors, College Prep, and Advanced Placement (AP and Pre-AP) courses in each of the content areas. Teachers trained through the Advanced Placement Institute will provide the instruction to the students enrolled in AP and Pre AP courses. If offered, GEAR UP students will have the opportunity to take Pre-AP classes in the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades to prepare for the actual AP classes offered in 11th and 12th grades. GO Center A GO Center institutionalizes a college-going culture within the middle school environment conducive to career orientation/exploration, and to accessing college applications, information and scholarships. The GO Center provides students with information to help them explore college searches, research college entrance requirements, register for college entrance exams, and complete the FAFSA online and explore career options. The Go Centers are designated places on campus that are accessible to students, parents, and staff. To start a Go Center you need to select a sponsor, assemble a campus G-Force, locate a physical site on-campus, contact your local collegiate G-Force to partner with your Go Center, and finally set a launch date! A campus G-Force is comprised of middle school students recruited by the Go Center Sponsor to serve as peer educators to help raise awareness about the value of higher education. A Collegiate G-Force is a network of student organizations located in public and private colleges, universities and technical schools across Texas. The role of the Collegiate G-Force members is to present college information, mentor students, train campus G-Force members, help set up, launch, and run the GO Center. This year seventeen middle schools were trained on how to operate a GO Center and three of them have already launched! The future looks even brighter with fourteen schools ready to launch in August 2006!

7 Adopt-A-School Program The Adopt-a-School Mentoring Program was developed to provide sustained support and technical assistance to the participating schools in the University of Texas- Pan American GEAR UP Project. In order to continue building college pathways for 7th and 8th grade students in the middle schools, UTPA GEAR UP developed a partnership with the UTPA Division of Enrollment and Student Services (ESS). Dr. John Edwards, Vice President of ESS, and his staff (mentors) volunteered to adopt the participating middle schools and provide college awareness information to over 14,000 students. UTPA GEAR UP Academic Advisors and GEAR UP Coordinators will assist the mentors in scheduling campus visits. The Adopt-A-School Mentor will make periodic visits throughout the academic year to their adopted middle school. The mentor will speak to 7th and 8th grade classes about the importance and accessibility of a college education. The 8th grade students from the adopted middle schools will also enjoy UTPA campus university tours. The Adopt-A-School Program s infrastructure will ensure sustainability of the mentoring and college preparation components of the UTPA GEAR UP grant. Academic Summer Camps In order to support our cohort students academically, one of our services will be to offer Saturday, After-School, and Summer Enrichment Camps. These camps will be in the areas of Credit Recovery, College Exam Preparation, TAKS support, and Math, English and Science Enrichment. The camps intent is to provide the necessary support for our students to pass their classes, prepare for college entrance exams, and to pass their standardized test. This summer we will be bringing over 300 middle school students to Academic Summer Camps! These camps are in the areas of Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Creative Writing, Global, Drama, Clinical Lab, Physics, Math, and the STARS Leadership camp. Tuition Reimbursement Assistance The purpose of the UTPA GEAR UP Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Component is to assist participating cohort teachers in completing their teaching certification or masters in current teaching area by providing tuition reimbursement assistance. Tuition assistance is on a reimbursement basis, and the applicant must be seeking teacher certification, or a master s degree in their current teaching (core content) area. In addition, applicant may enroll in approved technology courses for instruction and teaching graduate courses.

8 Family and Community Outreach The UTPA GEAR UP Project understands that a well informed parent is an active and engaged parent. With that premise, our Project strives to provide parents with up to date information on the needs of their children. Each GEAR UP campus has both a GEAR UP Coordinator and Family Liaison that plan monthly parent meetings to provide parents with GEAR UP awareness and information on testing, study skills, college awareness, school policies, educational opportunities, financial aid, and opportunities for their own personal and educational growth through G.E.D. and E.S.L class offerings. Furthermore, parents are also engaged in the same type of educational experiences as their children with sessions on how to use Texas Instruments graphing calculators and the Navigator System, participation in experiments on the UTPA Regional Biotech Mobile Lab, college tours to UTPA and other local community colleges, and online research in the UTPA Mobile Go Center that brings a wealth of college access information right to their doorstep! Las Platicas Academy Each campus also identifies parents that are very involved at school and in the community and recruits those parents to complete an intensive training called the Las Platicas Academy. The Academy is a 15 clockhour course that includes topics such as NCLB, growth and development, graduation plans, TAKS tests, study habits, organizational skills, college admissions, and financial aid information. The intent is to continue to increase parents knowledge about college requirements and build capacity to support their children with the goal of college made tangible through empowerment. Once parents complete the training, they will be certified and known as Platicadores or parent volunteers. They will share acquired knowledge to empower and train other parents by conducting home visits, neighborhood walks and community outreach, spreading the message that every student will have access to college with GEAR UP Project support.

9 Fatherhood Initiative The purpose of the Fatherhood Initiative is to increase the participation of fathers of GEAR UP students by actively engaging them in meaningful activities that promote a whole family approach to help support their children. The Family Liaison will receive a series of trainings that they will provide to fathers on their individual campuses throughout the year. The ultimate goal is that fathers will participate in school activities and support their children in their pursuit of a post-secondary education. Career Exploration Students will receive continuous career advising and guidance in areas such as course selection academic support and tutoring for academic achievement. At the beginning of the eighth grade, all students will participate in the EXPLORE, the first of three educational assessments (EXPLORE- 8th grade, PLAN 10th grade, and ACT in 11/12th grade). Through EXPLORE, students strengths and weaknesses can be identified early in their educational development, when they have the greatest opportunity to establish a four-year program of studies that will help them achieve their career and educational goals. The program is designed to help 8th and 9th grade students to explore a broad range of options for their future. EXPLORE prepares students not only for their high school coursework, but for their post-high school choices as well. It marks an important beginning for a student s future academic and career success and is an entry point into the PLAN (taken in 10th grade) and the ACT (taken in 11/12th grade). Students will also have an additional interest inventory available through Career Cruising at the campus career center known as the Go Center. During academic year, a career fair at the University will take place and reach more than 840 GEAR UP students in a one-day event. The event will serve as a model to the twenty-eight middle school counselors who will be responsible to coordinate a career fair at their individual campus. The campus career fair will provide opportunities to the entire GEAR UP student body, to participate and explore the various career options as well.

10 Cultural/Character Development Exposure to various character and cultural opportunities allows students to develop leadership skills, culture awareness and self confidence. Cultural/character development activities include participation in events such as the Valley Symphony Orchestra, UTPA (The University of Texas Pan American) Mariachi Competitions, exhibits to local museums, literary exhibits and much more. College Visits Coordinators at each of the campuses provide students with the opportunity to participate in general and specific college tours for university exposure including campus facilities, campus grounds, entrance requirements and programs. Tours will include local community colleges and universities and out-of-town college and universities. All students will participate in at least one college tour per year. Community Service GEAR UP students will have the opportunity to participate in multiple community service projects. Students will demonstrate their willingness and dedication to their community by volunteering on an annual basis. After developing an awareness of the needs of the community, students will then demonstrate leadership skills by developing action-plans to improve current conditions/ situations.

11 AVID- Advancement Via Individual Determination The UTPA GEAR UP Project has been the catalyst for implementing the AVID program in almost 25 middle and high schools in the Rio Grande Valley. Furthermore, to sustain the program over time, UTPA GEAR UP has sought private grant funding in excess of 2 Million dollars in the last three years. AVID is a program that prepares students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. It has a proven track record in bringing out the best in students, and in closing the achievement gap. AVID targets students in the academic middle B, C, and even D students who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. These are students who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum but are falling short of their potential. Typically, they will be the first in their families to attend college, and many are from low-income or minority families. AVID pulls these students out of their unchallenging courses and puts them on the college track: acceleration instead of remediation. Not only are students enrolled in their school's toughest classes, such as honors and Advanced Placement, but also in the AVID elective. For one period a day, they learn organizational and study skills, work on critical thinking and asking probing questions, get academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make college seem attainable. Their self-images improve, and they become academically successful leaders and role models for other students. AVID is at work in nearly 2,300 middle and high schools in 36 states and 15 countries. AVID came to Texas in 1997 when San Antonio Independent School District implemented the program after seeing the success it had realized elsewhere. In 2005, just eight years after its inauguration into a few schools in one school district, the AVID program was in 175 school sites in Texas, spanning 46 school districts. This makes Texas AVID program the second largest in the nation. A well-developed AVID program improves school wide standardized test scores, advanced rigorous course enrollments, and the number of students attending college. Since 1990, nearly 40,000 AVID students have graduated from high school and gone on to college. 94.3% of AVID students report enrolling in college, 77.1% in four-year institutions and 17.2% in community colleges. The national average for four-year college enrollment is 35 percent.