FUNDING SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
FROM HERE TO THERE.
College Spark Washington Helping Washington students get on track in middle school and guiding them through high school to success in college.
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College Spark Washington has been supporting
reach their goals? How schools and communities
access to higher education since 1978, when we
prepare students to handle those challenges
were founded to manage the state’s student loan
often determines whether they succeed later.
programs. In 2004, the loan operations were
College Spark Washington supports programs
sold and we became a grant-making foundation.
that help middle school students navigate during
Since then, we have invested more than $37
these crucial years.
million through our grant programs to help low-income students become college-ready
As students move through high school, new
and earn their degrees.
choices arise. Is it better to take harder courses or to do better in easier courses? How can
We do this in a variety of ways: through our
they prepare for Advanced Placement courses?
Community Grants Program, which supports
Should they apply for college, and if so, how?
innovative programs in our schools and
Students from low-income backgrounds,
communities; through the College Readiness
students from families with no history of college
Initiative, which supports proven statewide
attendance, and new immigrants can struggle
programs that help guide low-income students
with the challenging curriculum needed to make
through middle school and high school to
the jump to college or vocational education.
college; through Achieving the Dream, an
Too often, they miss the fast train to success in
ambitious program to improve student success
college and beyond. College Spark Washington
at community colleges; through theWashBoard,
supports programs that help these students
an online clearinghouse that matches students
become successful high school students and
to scholarships; and through our new Advocacy
stay on track.
Grants Program, which supports advocacy for meaningful change in state education policy.
The jump from the familiarity of high school to the new demands of college can seem an
We think of education as a long, multi-stage
insurmountable chasm for low-income students.
train journey. At various points during that trip,
Often, nobody in their family has gone before
students face difficulties and an often confusing
them. Choosing a college can be daunting.
set of options, much like at a busy train station
Admissions processes can be intimidating.
in a foreign country. College Spark Washington
And the price can be more than the family
supports programs to help low-income students
makes in a year. College Spark Washington
at key junctures along the way.
supports programs that help low-income students and families smoothly switch trains
As early as middle school, students face
from high school to college or vocational
questions that can have lifelong repercussions.
education and finish their educational journey
Does taking algebra by eighth grade matter?
without being left behind.
What, if any, language should they study to
AMOUNT OF DOLLARS COMMITTED TOWARDS HELPING STUDENTS SINCE 2004
$37 MILLION
GETTING ON TRACK
STUDENTS WHO TAKE 8TH GRADE ALGEBRA are twice as likely to go to college as students who don’t.
2X
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MANY DECISIONS THAT lead to long-term academic success are made in middle school. For example, students who take algebra by the 8th grade are twice as likely to go to college, and students who miss even five days of school per semester by the 9th grade are in more danger of dropping out. College Spark Washington funds programs that help align middle-school students for future achievement.
Bremerton instills college-going mindset early on
understanding of the importance of
Supported by College Spark Washington’s
college and career. These strategies have
College Readiness Initiative, the Bremerton
helped put Bremerton’s students – along
School District is instilling a college-going
with thousands of their peers in similar
mindset in its middle school students.
programs around the state – on track for
Using a comprehensive blend of guidance
success in the future.
and counseling, the district’s students attend regular advisory classes and go through a personal and social development curriculum in sixth grade; focus on strategies for academic success in seventh
taking rigorous classes and preparing for
The middle school programs are aligned with programs at Bremerton High School that keep the students on track as they move forward.
grade; and begin career exploration in
In Bremerton and elsewhere, these
eighth grade.
changes have led to improved graduation
More than half of the 5,000-student Bremerton School District qualifies for free or reduced lunch at school, a key measurement of poverty. More than 40 percent of the student body is of color. And many of the students in a community with two major Navy bases deal with challenges that come with being part of a military family, including frequent moves and long periods of deployment abroad for one or more parents. Using strategies such as student-led conferences and culminating projects for each year, students gain a deeper
rates and increased demand for Advanced Placement classes and testing.
KEEPING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON Board
LOW-INCOME STUDENTS often drift through high school or drop out, even as their higher-income peers prepare for college. College Spark Washington’s grant programs help low-income students understand the value of college and work toward getting there. ONLY
1 in 5
low-income students are prepared for college level work.
Rural Alliance raises expectations, uses distance learning to offer AP classes The Rural Alliance is a coalition of small school districts spread across a vast swath of Eastern Washington. The districts often have very limited resources, and too few students to support a broad variety of course offerings.
Instead, the Rural Alliance, with College Spark Washington’s help, is meeting these challenges head-on. Using support from the College Readiness Initiative, Rural Alliance districts are implementing AVID, a program designed to increase student’s academic skills and prepare them for college-level course work.
Meanwhile, many of the students come from
A separate College Spark Washington
low-income backgrounds and from families
community grant is funding an ambitious
employed in agriculture and the timber
Rural Alliance program to provide Advanced
industry, fields that historically did not require
Placement classes online so students who may
a college degree
live hundreds of miles from a school where such
The result could be a combination of low academic expectations and poor academic offerings, with students unaware of the
courses are offered in person can nonetheless tackle the kind of rigorous courses required for college success in the future.
demands of higher education and 21st century employment, and schools ill-equipped to prepare them for those challenges.
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SWITCHING TRAINS FOR COLLEGE THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS process can be intimidating and baffling for low-income families, especially new immigrants. College Spark Washington funds programs that help guide students and families through the steep curve of applications, placement testing and financial aid.
UW DREAM project lets Huskies from low-income backgrounds help peers in high school
The UW students then take that knowledge
An integral part of College Spark Washington’s
households are less likely to attend or succeed
work is supporting programs that prepare
in college. Through a structured mentoring
students for the college selection and application
program, the UW students guide the high
process as they approach and move through
school students, helping them choose courses
their final years in high school. Aligning the work
and extracurricular activities, coaching them
of those two years with the goal of attending and
on taking the SAT and ACT exams, and
succeeding in college helps low-income students
counseling them through applying for college
overcome obstacles that can keep them out
and financial aid.
of college.
students of color and students from low-income
Projects like these around the state are helping
College Spark Washington provided early
transform students’ lives by informing them of
funding for the UW DREAM project at the
the benefits of college and the steps that must
University of Washington, a program that helps
be taken to become college-ready while also
UW students from low-income backgrounds
making sure they have access to the rigorous
examine questions of poverty and inequality,
courses they need.
class disparity, and solution-focused and strength-based perspectives for upward mobility.
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back to King County high schools where
JOBS IN WASHINGTON STATE THAT WILL REQUIRE COLLEGE EDUCATION BY 2018:
NEARLY
70%
TheWashBoard.ORG: Washington’s best source for scholarship information Paying for college is an intimidating prospect for anyone. For students from families with little or no history of college attendance, the sticker price can seem insurmountable. Luckily, many scholarships are available to help. College Spark Washington supports the best online resource for scholarships in Washington state at www.theWashBoard.org. The unique site lets students create a confidential profile that helps connect them with scholarships that match their backgrounds, interests and chosen school.
For too long, too many of our young people have been shut out of the transformational opportunities that a college education provides. College Spark Washington’s unwavering support for programs that promote college readiness, college attendance and college success among students of color and from disadvantaged backgrounds is changing many lives for the better. – Ed Taylor, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington and College Spark Washington Trustee
College Spark Washington’s investments are reducing the number of students who come to college needing remedial classes in basics such as English and math. That’s crucial, because students in remedial classes get discouraged and leave school without a degree. If we are to meet our state’s need for a skilled and educated workforce it is essential that we raise educational attainment and increase degree completion among young and older adults. – Jan Yoshiwara, Director of Education Services at the Washington State Board of Community & Technical Colleges. Many of College Spark Washington’s investments are aimed at improving community colleges and the alignment between high schools and community and technical colleges.
Unfortunately, many students lack parents or guardians who know how to navigate the educational system and launch them toward educational success. College Spark Washington’s College Readiness Initiative assists teachers in mentoring and guiding students to succeed in high school and in the next stage of their education. – Trevor Greene, College Spark Washington Trustee and 2013 National Principal of the Year at Toppenish High School, where Navigation 101, a program co-sposored by College Spark Washington, has helped students overcome overwhelming obstacles to academic success.
COLLEGE SPARK WASHINGTON GRANTS SINCE 2005, College Spark Washington has committed more than $37 million to college readiness and degree completion programs helping low-income students throughout Washington state.
$12.5 MILLION $11.1 MILLION
Community Grants
Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count
$1.7 MILLION theWashBoard.org
$2.3 MILLION Other Grants
$9.5 MILLION College Readiness Initiative
Students from low-income backgrounds need what College Spark Washington is nurturing: systems that help them make the choices in middle school and high school that will lead them on to success in college or postsecondary education. – Mary Jean Ryan, Leader of the Road Map Project supported by the Community Center for Education Results, a College Spark Washington grantee dedicated to improving education in South Seattle and south King County.
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MAKING A SMOOTH TRANSFER TO COLLEGE
AS THEY ENTER college, many students derail, discouraged by remedial coursework, overwhelmed by the rigor of college courses or unsure of how to ask for help from instructors and peers. College Spark Washington’s investments help students survive their first year in college and thrive thereafter.
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New partnerships help students avoid remedial courses in community college An innovative partnership between Bellevue College and the Bellevue School District is helping keep new college students out of remedial classes. Instead, high school students who take college placement exams and don’t test into college-level work take a special miniclass to build their content knowledge and test-
courses using high school transcripts instead of placement tests. By aligning high school curriculum with college coursework, and smoothing the transition to college in core subjects such as English and math, College Spark Washington partners are removing one of the biggest obstacles to college success – getting bogged down in discouraging remedial coursework.
taking ability before they retake the exam. A similar program is under way in Spokane, where the school district and the community college system are also working together to better align their math curriculum so students arrive at college better prepared to tackle math.
MORE THAN
50%
A related program at Clover Park Technical College in Pierce County is aimed at helping
LOW-INCOME, COMMUNITY
students returning to math after some time off.
COLLEGE STUDENTS THAT HAVE
Placement tests are often a poor measurement
TO TAKE REMEDIAL COURSES.
of rusty but fundamentally sound math skills. So a College Spark Washington grant is helping pilot a system to match incoming students to math
GETTING ALL THE WAY TO THE DESTINATION GETTING INTO COLLEGE is a laudable achievement, but completing the long journey and earning a degree is the real goal. College Spark Washington funds programs that support low-income students to persist in college and help colleges better serve those students.
Highline Community College provides support system for Latino students
That’s just one of several programs aimed
At Highline Community College in south
students and new immigrants face in college.
King County, Latino students were struggling
Many students enter school without a support
to succeed and complete school. With College
network of friends or family members familiar
Spark Washington’s support, the college is
with college life. That leaves them with nowhere
setting up a resource center to increase
to turn when they struggle with the transition
access and achievement for Latino students
to the challenges of college coursework and the
at the college.
distractions of college life.
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at overcoming the obstacles low-income
STATEWIDE IMPACT College Spark Washington’s investments benefit college readiness, attendance and completion across Washington state. Although much of our investment is clustered like the population around Puget Sound, we have individual grantees from Bellingham to Walla Walla and from Kettle Falls to Aberdeen. Meanwhile, our College Readiness Initiative invests in AVID and Navigation 101 programs throughout the state.
Whatcom
Okanogan
San Juan
Skagit
Clallam
Snohomish
Chelan
Jefferson
Kitsap King Grays Harbor
Mason
Kittitas Pierce Thurston
Lewis
Pacific
Yakima
Wahkiakum Cowlitz
Skamania Klickitat Clark
COLLEGE SPARK OUTREACH
Pend Oreille
Ferry Stevens
ACHIEVING THE DREAM College Spark Washington supports a national initiative focused on helping more community college students succeed, particularly low-income students and students of color. Recognizing that Washington has a strong community college system that is worth investing in, College Spark Washington committed more than $11 million to enable 16 Washington Colleges to participate in Achieving the Dream.
Douglas
Lincoln Spokane
Grant
Adams
Whitman
Franklin
Garfield
Columbia Walla Walla Benton
COMMUNITY GRANTS Community grants support innovative programs at local school districts, colleges, and non-profit organizations that are based on best practices and research. We help organizations and agencies build capacity and support programs that help low-income students overcome obstacles to being ready for college level work.
Asotin
STATE-WIDE PROGRAMS: COLLEGE READINESS INITIATIVE Through the College Readiness Initiative, College Spark Washington supports AVID and Navigation 101, two programs used in middle and high schools across Washington to help students get on track for college early and finish high school prepared for the next step into higher education.
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MOVING FORWARD AT COLLEGE SPARK WASHINGTON, our goal
practices from around Washington state, the
is to help our partners permanently increase
country and the world. If we build our partners’
the percentage of low-income students who
capacity to effectively use information, develop
graduate from high school ready to go to college
and implement programs, and share their
and succeed there. From the accomplishment
knowledge, their success will influence other
of that goal will spring great benefits for both
organizations and institutions to implement
students and society. Students will enjoy the
successful college readiness and retention
transformative opportunity that a college
programs that can be sustained permanently.
education can bring; society will benefit from an increase in educated and accomplished young people ready to solve problems and contribute to the greater good.
low-income students is a complex problem that requires complex and multifaceted solutions. Finding and implementing those solutions will
But we don’t teach. We don’t run schools.
take many years, perhaps many decades. The
We don’t design curricula or invent innovative
obstacles are many and formidable, and public
mentoring programs that reach kids from the
resources for solutions are scarce.
toughest backgrounds. We don’t formulate the policies that govern school districts around the state. We need strong partners who formulate good policy, design great programs and do the vitally important work directly with students. What we can do is invest in proven and promising solutions, and help our partners improve their performance and share best
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Improving college readiness and success among
We are prepared for the long haul and armed with the expertise to help our partners unravel the complexities of this problem. We know that many people and organizations share our goals, and we look forward to working together to reach them.
FUNDING SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
www.collegespark.org
190 Queen Anne Avenue N Suite 260 Seattle, WA 98109-4926
P: 206.461.7248 F: 206.461.7208