National School Reform Faculty

Support Programs
Date: June 7-13, 2005
Listserv: Coaches

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 6:47 PM
Dear Everyone,
Does anyone have any leads or any ideas for support programs for C-D students who are traditionally underserved (minority, poor, first in family to graduate from high school, etc.) in order to support them in a college-bound course of study? We want more kids to go to 4-year colleges, and to survive all four years! And, we want more of these students in our advanced classes.

We know about AVID, but it seems awfully spendy. Any ideas that might be after-school support instead of being during the school day would be much appreciated! (But, if you know of a wonderful during the school day support, I'm still interested.)
Thanks and happy summer.
Amy, OR

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 8:17 PM
You might consider looking at some of the Early College/Middle College schools funded by the Gates Foundation. The idea of these schools is to serve the populations you have mentioned.
http://www.earlycolleges.org/

My school is an Early College and we are located on a college campus. We have about 150 out of 400 students taking college classes while in high school. We support the students by having a college seminar class for students enrolled in both high school and college classes. We do time management, strategies for forming study groups, how to write a college paper, and other similar topics.

We also have an extended school day to provide academic assistance and structured study for students. The Salvation Army Boys and Girls clubs provides grant money for such programs.

If you have questions, please contact me.
Karen, SC

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 9:15 PM
Amy,
Karen's suggestion regarding Early College High Schools is a good one. You will find documents describing the specifics of the program at: http://www.earlycolleges.org/Library.html.

I work with several Early College High Schools Affiliated with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) who have had success with the kind of student population you describe. Generally these schools are small, they provide "wrap-around" services for students and families, they work in partnership with a local community-based organization and an institute of higher education--either a two-year or four-year institution, and combine high expectations and personalization. I can get you in touch with several principals if you email me separately.
Best,
Pete, FL

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 8:58 AM
Thanks, Karen and Pete. However, our local community college isn't interested. I broached Early College with them last summer, (And, I'll try again this summer.), but..... Anything else?
Amy, OR

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 8:58 AM
Hi Amy, have you applied for an ASPIRE Americorps Volunteer. Go to aspire.com and see what that could 0ffer you.
David, OR

Monday, June 13, 2005 1:11 PM
Hi! Read with interest your message to Amy about Early College High Schools. In my experience with students at a community college in Ohio and Florida, I have worked with the described student populations.

Please let me know if my experience and expertise can be of assistance to you. I am officially retired and heading home to Florida on Thursday.

Hope to hear from you soon.
Best
Vera, FL

Monday, June 13, 2005 3:24 PM
Hi Amy (and the rest of the list),

We've had some students enrolled in our Youth Options program here in Wisconsin. I'm not sure if Oregon has something similar, but high school students can take classes at a local 2 or 4-year college or tech school. The class is often taken during the regular school day; credits count towards graduation from both schools, and are the responsibility of the local school district to pay for. It's a nice option for some students as they still have the support of the local school, but gain experience-taking classes at the next level. It's really helped them to make the transition to more education, a transition that most likely wouldn't have happened if they hadn't gained the experience.
Martin, WI