GEAR UP
Gaining Early Awareness and
Readiness for Undergraduate
Programs
GEAR UP Council
Leadership Institute
Year Five
What is GEAR UP?
• Program funded by U. S. Department of
Education for six years
• In 2005, only 98 grants in US (only 10 in
Texas
• Services to one cohort of 1548 students as
they move from grade 7-12
• All students in grade level are GEAR UP
students
Purpose
• Designed to increase the number of low
income students who are prepared for
college
• Services available to all students, not
designed as a minority or at-risk program
School District Partners
• 9 Independent School Districts
Central
Lufkin
Center
West Sabine
Diboll
Woodville
Hemphill
Zavalla
Hudson
Partners
• Post-secondary Partners
Angelina College
Stephen F. Austin State University
• Community Partners
Lufkin/Angelina Chamber of Commerce
Top Ladies of Distinction, Lufkin
Chapter
Fiscal Agent
Stephen F. Austin
State University
Advisory Board
District Supt. & Community
and Business Partners
10 School Districts
Coordinator
Principal
District Council
Community Partners
Lufkin/Angelina
Chamber of Commerce
Top Ladies of Distinction
Secondary Education
Partner
Angelina College
GEAR UP
• PROMOTES a college going culture
• PREPARES students by taking more
rigorous courses
• PROMOTES Possibilities……..offers
students opportunity to achieve future
dreams
Definition of College
• Any education past high school (postsecondary)
• Technical training or certification
• Associates degree (2 years)
• Bachelor’s degree
• Military service
Why Prepare?
• 90.1% of secondary students say they will go to
college
• 80% of students say they will complete college
• 40% of students in the top income quartile
graduate from college
• 6% of students in the lowest income quartile
graduate from college
(National Commission on the High School Senior Year, 2001)
Why Rigor?
“The academic intensity of the student’s high
school curriculum still counts more than
anything else (grade point average or
class rank) in pre-collegiate history in
providing momentum toward completing a
bachelor’s degree”.
Adelman,2006
Focus on Changing Access
• “To improve their college readiness
outcomes for students, school districts
need to approach “Advanced Placement”
not as a special set of courses for their
already well-prepared students, but as a
comprehensive program to prepare large
numbers of students…to be able to do
college level work before they leave high
school. (Dougherty, Mellor, Jian, 2005)
Goals
• Increase the academic performance and
preparation of students
• Increase the rate of high school
graduation and participation in
postsecondary education
• Increase student and family knowledge of
post-secondary options, preparation, and
financing
Best Practices
•
•
•
•
•
Curriculum changes
Professional development
Student recruitment for advanced classes
Student support while in advanced classes
Parent/Community outreach
Results
Advanced Courses Offered
300
250
Number of 200
Advanced 150
Courses 100
290
254
244
198
50
0
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Grant Year
Increased by 46% from Year One to Year Four
Results
Students Enrolled in Advanced Courses
12,000
10,000
Number of
Students
Enrolled
11,004
8,000
6,000
4,000
8,970
8,762
6,799
2,000
0
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Grant Year
Increased by 61% from Year One to Year Four
Results
Minority Students Enrolled in Advanced Courses
5,000
Number of
Minority
Students
Enrolled
4,000
4,019
3,000
2,000
1,000
2,082
2,704
2,886
0
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Grant Year
Increased by 93% from Year One to Year Four
Results
Low SES Students Enrolled in Advanced Courses
5,000
Number of
Low SES
Students
Enrolled
4,000
4,117
3,000
2,000
1,000
2,149
2,694
Year 1
Year 2
2,916
0
Year 3
Year 4
Grant Year
Increased by 91% from Year One to Year Four
GEAR UP Program Activities and
Expenses
• Students (only cohort grade level)
• Parents (target grade level, but could
include parents of all grade levels)
• Teachers for Professional Development
(from cohort grade to High School)
GEAR UP Responsibilities
• Program
Evidence that you are providing the
services planned to meet the goals
• Financial
Evidence that you are spending the
money to meet the goals
Principal’s Role
• Communicate GEAR UP philosophy &
goals
• Align curriculum to accomplish GEAR UP
goals
• Administration of district GEAR UP plan
• Supervise the documentation of GEAR UP
services
• Supervise Campus GEAR UP Coordinator
• Chair of District Council
Coordinator’s Role
• Liaison for district to GEAR UP Project
Director
• Work with Council to develop and monitor
district plan
• Plan and record activities
• Submit monthly reports
• Collect data for Evaluation
• Submit Annual Performance Report data
District Council’s Role
• Promote GEAR UP and create a college
going culture for district
• Develop district plan of activities to
accomplish GEAR UP goals
• Evaluate student data and make
recommendations for curriculum and
program changes
• Attend Leadership Institutes
Financial Leader Role
• Should serve on District Council
• Verify that expenditures are allowable
• Verify that expenditures are tied to GEAR
UP plan and cohort
• Secure accurate documentation for
payment
• Assist in recording matching funds
Payment of Stipends
• Addition to base salary
• For specific work as detailed in a formal
agreement
• Addition to regularly assigned duties
• Does not require a Time and Effort report
for stipend activities
Formal Agreement
•
•
•
•
•
Beginning and Ending Date
Stated Amount
Specific Duties or attendance
Confirmed completion of agreement
Must be signed by both parties
WHAT exactly is time and effort?
• The amount of time per month spent on
various work activities, including GEAR
UP activities
• A reasonable estimate of you grant effort
Time and Effort Reports
• If paid by GEAR UP funds, employee
must sign statement that they provided
that % of time to GEAR UP activities
• If salary used as match, must sign that
the % of time used as match was used to
provide GEAR UP activities
WHEN and HOW to report effort
• Each week, estimate the number of hours
devoted to GEAR UP
• Record on Time and Effort form
• At end of month, sign and send form to
district financial contact
Matching Funds
• Required dollar for dollar match
• In-kind represents contributions of either
services or products used to accomplish
GEAR UP goals
• Any item that would be an allowable
charge can be counted as matching
Documentation of Services
•
•
•
•
Record date
Type of service
Amount of time service is delivered
Names (signatures) of people receiving
the services
• Maintain documentation in district file for
each month
What does GEAR UP mean to
students?
• “a program that prepares and encourages
students to attend college”
• “a program that opens up your eyes and
allows you to see that there is no obstacle
you can’t defeat in order to go to college”
• “GEAR UP is like an open door of
opportunity guiding students to a better
way of life”
Why is College Important to
Students?
• “If you go to college, there are more jobs
available to you.”
• “I will be the first in my family to do so.”
• “I want to get my dad out of his dirty job
and make money to help them with
everything they need.”
GEAR UP Program Contact
Information
• Barbara “Bobbie” Davis, Project Director
• Phone #: 936-468-1813
• Betty Alford, Principal Investigator
Phone #: 936-468-1865
• Donnya Stephens, Mentoring and Tutoring Coordinator
Phone #: 936-468-1899
• Heather Roten, Administrative Assistant
Phone #: 936-468-1899