Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

(GEAR UP)

FY 2006 Project Abstracts for

State Grants

Arizona Board of Regents

Northern Arizona University

Arizona ranks 49^th^ in the nation in high school drop out rates, while
state public education expenditures per pupil are among the lowest (2005
*Kids Count*, Annie E. Casey Foundation). To address this, 1,673
students (81 percent minority; 78 percent qualify for free and reduced
lunch) attending schools in some of the most severely depressed,
economically needy areas within Arizona will become the beneficiaries of
a GEAR UP State project proposed by Northern Arizona University (NAU).
The promise of significant interventions, combined with a scholarship
fund, is in response to identified service gaps and infrastructure
weaknesses. This project, an alliance of multiple public/private sector
partners and 11 originating schools, addresses seven overarching goals:
(1) improve low-academic student achievement; (2) strengthen classroom
instruction; (3) create a college-bound culture; (4) intensify student
aspirations for postsecondary education; (5) institute college and
career counseling services; (6) educate parents and students regarding
college requirements, costs, and benefits; and (7) provide scholarship
funds for students to attend post-secondary institutions.

This project utilizes multiple strategies to ensure adequate breadth and
duration of the following services: tutoring; test preparation
workshops; professional development; academic, career, and personal
counseling; summer college programs; mentoring; college planning
sessions and visits; guest speakers; job shadowing; and admission and
financial aid workshops for parents and students.

Comprehensive evaluation strategies are used to measure increases in:
(1) completion of rigorous courses; (2) standardized test scores; (3)
graduation rates; and (4) educational expectations of students and
parents. Ultimately, based on NAU's prior GEAR UP experience, the
college-going rate of graduating seniors benefiting from the enrichments
and interventions provided through this project is expected to double
the rate for the state.

Project Director: Teena Olszewski

Telephone Number: (602) 776-4616

E-mail Address: [teena.olsewski@nau.edu](mailto:TEENA.OLSEWSKI@NAU.EDU)

Idaho State Board of Education

Idaho is one of the fastest growing states in the country with a
projected growth in population of more than 25 percent over the next ten
years. Idaho ranks among the top fifteen states in rates of
postsecondary attendance. The state has a significant number of
low-income communities both in rural and metropolitan areas. Many of the
low-income communities tend to be areas with lower high school
graduation rates and lower postsecondary attendance rates. GEAR UP Idaho
is designed to increase the number of students in low-income schools who
graduate from high school and go on to attend and succeed in
postsecondary programs. The goal of GEAR UP Idaho is to provide a
comprehensive early intervention program for middle school students,
high school students, and parents that will not only inform the
participants of postsecondary opportunities but will also prepare
students to succeed in secondary school and in postsecondary programs.
GEAR UP will provide regional coordinators and postsecondary
coordinators to help participating school teams implement early
intervention activities such as mentoring, academic help and tutoring,
college preparatory curriculum, study skills programs, goal setting
programs and postsecondary awareness programs. GEAR UP will provide an
element of local control, allowing schools to create teams that will
work with the regional coordinators and postsecondary coordinators to
design a program that will meet the needs of the participating school.
Pilot schools and partner postsecondary institutions have been
identified. These schools have very high poverty levels and have agreed
to work with the state to implement GEAR UP activities this year due to
their high level of need. Participating schools will utilize existing
community and state resources and GEAR UP-funded resources to achieve
the goals of the program. GEAR UP students will be eligible to receive a
renewable scholarship once they have completed the GEAR UP program.

Project Director: Christine Ivie

Telephone Number: (208) 332-1577

E-mail Address:
[christine.ivie@osbe.idaho.gov](mailto:CHRISTINE.IVIE@OSBE.IDAHO.GOV)

State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth

The state of Michigan will provide educational preparedness and college
awareness to 13,267 low-income, underrepresented students in 38 target
school districts and 77 school buildings throughout the state. This GEAR
UP (GU) project will supplement and expand an existing state-funded
initiative, the Martin Luther King-Caesar Chavez-Rosa Parks College Day
Program. Both initiatives share the mission to significantly increase
the number of low-income, underrepresented students who complete high
school and are prepared to enroll and succeed in postsecondary
education. A strong partnership includes all of Michigan's 15 public
universities, Partnership for Learning, the University of Michigan
School of Social Work and the Michigan Department of Treasury Bureau of
Student Financial Assistance.

The Michigan GEAR UP/College Day Program is a statewide, sustained and
collaborative effort that provides early intervention services and a
scholarship component to low-income, underrepresented students and
parents. Professional development opportunities for educators will be
provided to enhance their skills and abilities when working with target
students. The project will produce, support and disseminate college
preparation and planning publications to low-income students and their
families throughout the state. Additional services will include academic
advising, mentoring, financial aid information, career exploration,
college visitations, test preparation, educational transitions
workshops, and an introduction to technology.

Students who are the most at risk for educational failure will benefit
from the Michigan GEAR UP/College Day Program's early intervention and
scholarship opportunities. The partnerships and services will assist
them to be admitted, retained and to graduate from postsecondary
institutions. As a result, the target students will possess the skills
and knowledge required to be competitive in today's workforce.

Project Director: Rudy Redmond

Telephone Number: (517) 335-5950

E-mail Address: [redmondrc@michigan.gov](mailto:REDMONDRC@MICHIGAN.GOV)

New Mexico Higher Education Division

The New Mexico Higher Education Department's State GEAR UP project will
serve 6,000 low-income students who are below state and national
proficiencies in reading, math and science. Residing mostly in rural
regions of the state, these students and their families have
insufficient knowledge of the courses necessary for college readiness
and financial aid tools.

New Mexico GEAR UP students will enroll in the New Mexico college
preparation curriculum. Academic and career planning will begin in
seventh grade with the completion of Next Step Plans to define and track
student progress toward goals. The New Mexico Math, Engineering and
Science Academy (MESA) model will be extended to provide services to
improve students' math and science proficiency levels using proven MESA
interventions such as tutoring, mentoring, hands-on projects, field
trips and individualized student support. Summer enrichment camps will
supplement these intensive academic interventions. Families will be
assisted with college planning through workshops, state conferences and
publications. Teachers will participate in professional development to
teach New Mexico standards of instruction.

Intended outcomes are improved academic achievement as evidenced by
increased student levels of proficiency in reading, math and science,
and readiness for success in postsecondary education as demonstrated by
performance on the ACT. Increased family knowledge of postsecondary
options, requirements, and financing will result in higher levels of
educational attainment for students and their families. New Mexico GEAR
UP will support and advance New Mexico P-20 policy and practice reforms
for long-term effectiveness.

Project Director: Elizabeth Gutierrez

Telephone Number: (505) 476-6543

E-mail Address:
[elizabeth.gutierrez@state.nm.us](mailto:ELIZABETH.GUTIERREZ@STATE.NM.US)

Nevada Department of Education

Changing the Culture by Raising Expectations

Nevada's GEAR UP application is a collaborative effort between the
Nevada Governor's office, Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the
Nevada Department of Education (NDE) and stakeholders, including
parents, students, business and agency representatives. NDE, as lead
agency and fiscal agent, will direct project implementation with the
other partners.

Nevada's vision is to change the culture of low academically achieving
schools located in economically disadvantaged communities to ensure that
students are academically prepared and have the resources to attend and
succeed in college. Nevada has a tremendous education need due to its
very transient population.

Nevada's program has four goals \-- (1) Competency: To increase basic
academic skills to enable students to succeed in postsecondary
education. (2) Systemic Change: To raise expectations of middle school
personnel to help provide all students with the tools necessary to apply
for and succeed in postsecondary education. (3) System Building: To
increase a common understanding of P-16 articulation issues among Nevada
middle schools. (4) Access: To increase GEAR UP student access to
postsecondary education options and financing. The service delivery
model will be based upon a combination "cohort group" to directly
provide services to students and, of equal importance, strategic staff
development to make systematic transformation of the involved middle
schools. The federal government and Nevada will each invest over \$18
million over six years. This combination is designed to make sustainable
improvements in teaching and learning for as many under-served students
in Nevada as possible.

Project Director: Charlotte Curtis

Telephone Number: (775) 687-9243

E-mail Address: [ccurtis@doe.nv.gov](mailto:CCURTIS@DOE.NV.GOV)

Texas Education Agency

For many minority and low-income students and their families in Texas,
the pathway to higher education presents a number of complex challenges.
At present, the proportion of Texans enrolled in higher education is
declining. The participation in higher education is even lower in areas
of the state that serve primarily low-income minority students.

The Texas GEAR UP Project, Students Training for Academic Readiness
(STAR), is designed to provide services and support to reach low-income
minority school districts to ensure that students are academically
prepared for higher education, graduate from high school, and have
access to higher education opportunities. In addition, the project
focuses on increasing the family's knowledge of postsecondary education
options, preparation and financing. The Texas Education Agency will
partner with the College Board, P-16 Partnerships for Student Success
with the College of Education at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi,
the National Hispanic Institute, and Fathers Active in Communities &
Education to implement project activities and ensure that project
objectives and performance targets are successfully accomplished.

The STAR Project builds upon the GEAR UP performance targets and focuses
on the underserved student population most at risk in Texas in
disadvantaged areas and where a college education seems almost
impossible. STAR meets not only the goals of the GEAR UP Program, but
assures that students of Texas have the educational capabilities to
bring themselves, and their future, out of poverty and into the economic
mainstream of this nation.

Project Director: Patricia Hayes

Telephone Number: (512) 463-3070

E-mail Address:
[patrica.hayes@tea.state.tx.us](mailto:PATRICA.HAYES@TEA.STATE.TX.US)

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

The school divisions selected for participation in the 2006-2012 GEAR UP
program meet the following criteria: (i) high percentage of students who
qualify for federal free and reduced lunch programs; (ii) significant
achievement gaps between minority students (African American and
Hispanic) and white students; (iii) lower retention rates for students
who enroll in ninth grade and fail to remain in school for their senior
year (roughly 12 percent below the state average of 78 percent); and
(iv) substantial percentage of students whose postsecondary plans do not
include college. Of the target schools, 37 are rural and ten (10) are
located in urban settings.

GEAR UP/ACCESS Virginia will work collaboratively with the Virginia
Department of Education (VDOE) and its college and business partners to
close achievement gaps among all student groups and increase math,
history, science, English, and computer technology scores among students
from low-income families. Hispanic students who are hindered by language
barriers will receive materials in both English and Spanish. Further,
GEAR UP and its college and business partners will educate students and
parents about the value of completing high school, and of enrolling in
postsecondary school as a means of acquiring the skills necessary for
success in a changing world economy. College field trips, career
awareness activities, tutoring, mentoring, and summer enrichment
programs will be coordinated with input from public and private partners
to insure that maximum resources are utilized to send the message that
each student is worthy, capable, and expected to succeed in school and
beyond.

Project Director: Gary Krapf

Telephone Number: (804) 786-1448

E-mail Address: <garykrapf@schev.edu>