Students Training for Academic Readiness (STAR): Year One Evaluation Report
Author: Maloney, Catherine
Date: 2007-10-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Educational Opportunities,Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Grants,Educational Research,School Districts,Low Income,Social Support Groups,Community Support,Family Income,College Preparation,Interviews,Institutional Characteristics,Educational Indicators,Educational Assessment,Access to Information,Access to Education,School Counselors,Student Attitudes,College Readiness,Low Income Groups,Parent Surveys,Student Surveys,Program Implementation,Educational Finance,Postsecondary Education,Teacher Education,High School Students,Middle School Students

The federal Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, strives to equalize low-income students' access to higher education by increasing their participation in rigorous coursework, providing expanded opportunities for low-income students and parents to learn about postsecondary educational opportunities and financing options, and forging strong partnerships between school districts, colleges, and community support groups. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) participated in the first implementation of GEAR UP state grants through the Texans Getting Academically Prepared (TGAP) project, which extended from the 1999-00 school year through 2004-05. The Texas Center for Educational Research (TCER) conducted the evaluation of the TGAP project and was included as the TEA's evaluation partner for the Agency's second GEAR UP grant, Students Training for Academic Readiness (STAR). The STAR project began providing services to students in six south Texas school districts in 2006-07, and services will continue through the 2011-12 school year. Each STAR district is eligible to receive funding ranging from $125,000 to $250,000 annually for each year of the grant and must provide matching funds equivalent to at least 101.55% of the federal contribution. This report presents information on the first year of the STAR project. It provides baseline information about STAR districts, campuses, students, and their parents; it describes the processes of first year implementation across districts; and it provides recommendations for implementation in the coming years. Chapters 2 and 6 present data disaggregated by campus in order to illustrate differences across sites; however, chapters that rely on survey data present results aggregated across campuses. Survey results by campus are presented in Appendices A, B, C, and D. Because the data presented in this report represent schools' first year efforts to implement STAR, the authors make no attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of activities or services on student outcomes. Instead, they offer findings drawn from their first year analysis that are designed to support STAR districts, campuses, and partner organizations as they work to implement the program in the coming years. Appended are: (1) Results from the Survey of Teachers, Counselors, and Librarians; (2) Results from the Parent Survey; (3) Results from the Middle School Student Survey; (4) Results from the High School Student Survey; and (5) Instruments and Protocols. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 109 tables and 26 figures.) [For &quot;Students Training for Academic Readiness (STAR): Year One Evaluation Report. Executive Summary,&quot; see ED538134.]