WIT psac Solutions

Post-Secondary: Solutions 3.1-3.10 Solution Number: 3.1 Athens Community Career Academy Solution Description: A key strategy for preparing students for post-secondary and career success includes a new high school, the Athens Community Career Academy (ACCA), which opened in fall 2011 in the H.T. Edwards Complex in the ACC PN. The ACCA is a collaborative venture among the CCSD,UGA College of Education, Athens Technical College, and OneAthens. It currently enrolls 281 10th-12th graders (with a goal of 430 students by 2012-13) and combines a high school academic curriculum with a career/occupational theme of coursework. Courses are specifically designed to meet the needs of local business, industry and workforce; to change with labor market and local economic needs; and to provide opportunities for students to participate in pre-college and dual/joint enrollment. Any 10th-12th grade high school student in CCSD is eligible. Once students complete their course sequence in their pathway of choice, they have an opportunity to take relevant college courses for credit on-site through Athens Technical College. Students are engaged in a 100-hour applied work or research experience, followed by a project to demonstrate their learning. Students also take the WorkKeys assessment to demonstrate they have mastered the program and are required to have an internship. The school is one of the Professional Development Schools in partnership with the UGA College of Education, which includes a Professor-inResidence who is a workplace ethics expert. Career pathways offered include Health Occupations, Law & Justice, Broadcast/Music Video Production, Business Information Technology, Marketing, and Engineering/Drafting/Design.

Brief Summary of Evidence: Career Academies provide successful school-to-work transitions without compromising academic goals and preparation for college. Evidence also suggests that investments in career-related experiences during high school can produce substantial and sustained improvements in the employment prospects of students during their post-secondary years. A long-term study of career academies conducted by MDRC demonstrates the feasibility of improving labor market preparation and successful school-to-work transitions without compromising academic goals and preparation for college.

Investments in career-related experiences during high school can produce substantial and sustained improvements in the labor market prospects and transitions to adulthood of youth. In fact, Career Academies are one of the few youth-focused interventions that have been found to improve the labor market prospects of young men. At the same time, Career Academies have proven to be challenging to implement on a large scale with high levels of fidelity.

Citations: Kemple, J. & Poglinco, S. (1999). Career academies: building career awareness and work-based learning activities through employer partnerships . New York: MDRC.

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Kemple, J. & Rock, J. (1996). Career academies: early implementation lessons from a 10-site evaluation. New York: MDRC. Kemple, J. & Snipes, J. (2000). Career academies: impacts on students' engagement and performance in high school. New York: MDRC. Solution Number: 3.2 Increase Dual Enrollment Solution Description: One strategy for increasing high school graduation rates and transition into postsecondary is dual enrollment programs that provide high school students the opportunity to enroll in college courses while still in high school. While dual enrollment programs have existed at Clarke Central High School, the goal of this solution is to increase from 20 students to 100 students in years 2012 and 2013 and 10-15% each year thereafter. The Athens Community Career Academy (ACCA), described in Solution 3.1, will support dual enrollment expansion with on-site college courses provided by Athens Technical College (ATC). In addition, the UGA, ATC, and Gainesville CollegeOconee campus will partner to enhance recruitment efforts and the costs of fees and textbooks, which are normally a barrier, will be reduced by 50 percent for students in the ACC PN. Previous research shows that lack of parental/guardian knowledge about dual enrollment opportunities is cited as a major reason for low participation among students who would benefit from these programs. FC-CIS will provide an organizational structure to share information with parents/guardians of students who reside within the ACC PN. Staff at area colleges will develop information packets on the dual enrollment opportunities available at their institutions. These packets will be given to the Neighborhood Leaders “College 101” Specialists to share with residents throughout the community. Staff from the area colleges will also hold dual enrollment information sessions at appropriate times throughout the academic year.

Brief Summary of Evidence: Participation in dual enrollment has been shown to increase a students’ likelihood of earning a high school diploma; as well as enrolling, staying, and performing better in a post-secondary institution. A recent study prepared for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found that in their Early College High School Initiative (ECHS) most schools have successfully created a college-going culture, as nearly every student interviewed reported plans to attend college after finishing at the ECHS. Individuals from various partner groups across the initiative cited examples of students meeting and even exceeding expectations in college classes. Students attending college classes were proud of their accomplishments, citing their successes on challenging exams and assignments and their progress in accumulating credits.

Citations: Lynch, R. & Hill, F. (2008, October). Dual enrollment in Georgia’s high schools and technical colleges. Techniques, 28-31.

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Mechur Karp, M., Calcagno, J. C., Hughes, K. L., Jeong, D. W. & Bailey, T. (2008, February). Dual enrollment students in Florida and New York City: Postsecondary Outcomes. CCRC Brief, 37, 1-6.

Mechur Karp, M. & Hughes, K. L. (2008, October). Study: Dual enrollment can benefit a broad range of students. Techniques, 14-17.

Solution Number: 3.3 College and Career Going Culture: Adopt-A-Class Solution Description: One of the strategies to promote a college and career going culture in Clarke Middle School (CMS) is the Adopt-A-Class is program developed by the CCSD and the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce to connect the Athens area business community to the school classrooms. The goals of the program are to 1) help students recognize that a high school diploma and a plan for beyond high school is vital to their success, 2) help students see the connections between their classwork and the work place and what skills are used in real-world settings, and 3) provide students with a broad knowledge base of employment opportunities in the local area to help them make informed choices for their career paths. The current Adopt-A-Class program reaches all students in 6th-8th grade at CMS through monthly sessions in each classroom and will be strengthened and expanded through the FC-CIS initiative.

Brief Summary of Evidence: Research shows with increased career awareness and vocational knowledge at the elementary and middle school levels, at-risk middle school students will be prepared to make more informed decisions when selecting the high school program most likely to help meet their career goals. School and workplaces should be linked to build partnerships with employers for mentoring programs, job shadowing, and possible internships. This will permit at-risk middle school students the opportunity of comprehending how courses are integrated with potential work experiences.

Citations: Arrington, K. (2000). Middle Grades Career Planning Programs. Journal of Career Development, 27, 103-109.

Legum, H.L. & Hoare, C.H. (Dec. 2004). Impact of a Career Intervention on At-Risk Middle School Students’ Career Maturity Levels, Academic Achievement, and SelfEsteem. Professional School Counseling, 8 (2), 148-155.

Solution Number: 3.4 College and Career Going Culture: Teachers as Advisors Solution Description: One of the key strategies to promote a college and career going culture at Clarke Middle School, Clarke Central High School, and Performance Learning Center is the Teachers-As-Advisors Framework. This new program represents a series of collaborative efforts between the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia educators, 59 Appendix F

Georgia teachers and parents, Georgia post-secondary education system, and representatives from Georgia business and industry. The overarching emphasis is the acquisition and development of 21st Century Skills that will lead students to high-skill, high-demand, and high-wage jobs. All students in grades 9-12 have a 32 minute “advisory period� each day (6th-8th grade is 50 minutes) where teachers guide them in developing individual career and college portfolios with realistic plans for college and career readiness; their plans follow with them from grade to grade and are especially helpful for making the transition from 8th to 9th grade. Teachers support the activities of the Teachers-As-Advisors program by providing classroom speakers, classroom aids, off-campus computer labs, field trips to business, industry, and post-secondary institutions to increase college and career awareness.

Brief Summary of Evidence: According to an ACT Policy Report entitled, College Readiness begins in Middle School, there are four potential policy recommendations that can help facilitate effective early educational and postsecondary planning. First, college readiness should begin in middle school. Second, schools should explain to students and their parents the effects of taking a challenging curriculum on their future educational, career, and income options. Third, schools should use multiple sources of information, including standardized assessments, to help inform students and their parents of the students’ progress toward college readiness. Fourth, schools should work with families to calculate college costs and develop a plan to meet these costs.

Citations: Wimberly, G.L. & Noeth, R.J.;(2005). College Readiness begins in Middle School, an ACT Policy Report. 1-33.

Solution Number: 3.5 College and Career Going Culture: Internships Solution Description: Another key strategy to promote a college and career going culture includes providing academic and work-based internship opportunities for 55 11th and 12th grade students at Clarke Central High School, Athens Community Career Academy, and the Performance Learning Center. The goal of the internship program is to provide students the opportunity to receive both academic and occupational experiences in the world of work that will increase their knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for employment and further education. UGA provides afterschool and summer internships for Clarke Central High School and Performance Learning Center students through the Young Dawgs program where students work on the UGA campus. Internship opportunities for ACC PN students are increasing due to the internship requirement at the new Athens Community Career Academy High School.

Brief Statement of Evidence: The Truman Presidential Library lists four general benefits of high school internships: experiences working in a professional environment, skill enhancement, resume building, community service opportunities, and references for future school plans or employment.

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Results of studies on the effects of internships are encouraging; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is pushing for internships to be incorporated into high school curriculums. Research shows that creating multiple pathways to graduation, through a variety of learning opportunities, provides students with a meaningful high school structure that links subject areas and encompasses both personal experiences and connections to the world of adult work. High schools should provide relevant learning opportunities and a rigorous college- and work-ready curriculum. Relevant learning opportunities may include in-depth projects that take place both in the classroom and the work place and internships or community partnerships that provide students with a vision of their future and an understanding of how their school work is linked to what they will do after graduation.

Citations: Cullen, Lisa Takeuchi (2006), The New World of Internships, Time, September 26, 2006.

Kristin, Sunny (2005). Effective High School Reform: Research and Policy That Works, National Conference of State Legislators, Washington, D.C., 12 pp.

Solution Number: 3.6 Career Based Learning Opportunities Solution Description: One strategy for increasing the high school graduation rate is providing relevant applied learning opportunities for students within the structure of the school day. The School-toCareer Program activities for Clarke Central High School, Athens Community Career Academy, and the Performance Learning Center for 10th-12th graders includes providing off-campus learning opportunities for students, classroom speakers, job-shadowing, offcampus computer labs, and field trips to business, industry, and post-secondary institutions. The existing Work-Based Learning (WBL) program allows students to attend regular classes in the morning hours, including one related instruction period of WBL, followed by community-based on the job training in the afternoon. Students work an average of 7 hours per week for 15 weeks and receive hourly pay commensurate with other employees of similar experience. The existing Youth Apprenticeship Program (YAP) is a structured partnership of school-based learning in combination with one-on-one training with a skilled mentor, serving 25 11th and 12th graders. The Junior Youth Apprenticeship serves 50 8th-10th graders during spring break. CCSD and Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services operate the program, which trains students on the 7-Habits of Highly Effective Teens and helps them prepare resumes and job applications. In addition to supporting the programs described above, FC-CIS proposes to expand School-to-Career opportunities by adding Job Shadowing experiences for 8th graders at Clarke Middle School. Managed by the Communities in Schools (CIS) Site Coordinator, the pilot project for 25 students includes short day off-campus visits to shadow individuals in career fields they are interested in. The group of students involved in this program will be involved in other career exploration activities in order to bolster what they learn during their job shadowing experiences. Activities will include a

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CIS “Teen Maze” where students will learn about career and educational choices, as well as group sessions to discuss career plans.

Brief Summary of Evidence: Many middle school students may have some ideas of potential career choices but most do not know what it takes to succeed in particular careers. For 8th grade students, it is increasingly more important that they have a wider knowledge of a range of career opportunities. According to one study, implementation of a six-year student plan, curriculum infusion, and job shadowing are just a few of the critical elements that need to take place in the career exploration phase. These elements, along with others found in a comprehensive career guidance program, can help assure students are cognizant of the many educational and career opportunities available to them and how to capitalize on these opportunities. Another study recommends job shadowing opportunities should be provided to permit at-risk students workplace exposure, along with career fairs and opportunities to participate in group counseling sessions to assist them in developing their career exploration skills.

Citations: Arrington, K. (2000). Middle Grades Career Planning Programs. Journal of Career Development, 27, 103-109.

Hammond, C., Linton, D., Smink, J. & Drew, S. (2007). Dropout Risk Factors and Exemplary Programs: A Technical Report.

Legum, H.L., Hoare, C.H. (2004). Impact of a Career Intervention on At-Risk Middle School Students’ Career Maturity Levels, Academic Achievement, and Self-Esteem.

Professional School Counseling, 8 (2), 148-155.

Solution Number: 3.7 College & Career Success Office Solution Description: The most promising of the “new” post-secondary solutions is the College and Career Success Office (modelled largely on Harlem Children Zone’s College Success Office). It will consist of a College Success Unit, focused on helping more students enter and successfully complete college and transition to successful careers, as well as a Career Education Unit to help students enter and complete training programs that result in successful jobs and careers. Beginning at elementary school level, the College Success Unit would “talk up” and raise public awareness activities to promote going-tocollege, particularly among under-represented groups. Staff and volunteers will encourage more students to pursue college and assist them along the way, with a wide range of challenges they might face – from the financial aid and admission processes to time management and navigating the social and cultural environment. Key components will include: outreach, academic support, admissions and financial aid, workshops and training, scholarships information, internships/jobs, and data collection and tracking.

While the College Success Unit cannot implement policy changes for higher education institutions, it will develop services and programs to fill the gaps identified in the FC-CIS 62 Appendix F

Community Assessment. Guidance counselors and Family Engagement Specialists in the CCSD are simply stretched too thin and cannot give each child the one-on-one attention he or she needs in the college-going process. The College Success Unit will be a hub of such information and support. The FC-CIS Post-Secondary and Career Director will oversee the program and the College and Career Success Office Coordinator will be a CCSD employee who will report to both the FC-CIS PostSecondary Director and the CEO of the Athens Community Career Academy, where the program will be housed. The UGA Office of Service Learning will contribute 2,250 student volunteer hours to support the College and Career Success Office. The Georgia Department of Labor will support the Career Success Unit.

Students and families in the ACC PN will also receive targeted support through “College 101” workshops. Admissions and financial aid professionals from higher education institutions, including UGA, Athens Technical College, and Gainesville College-Oconee campus, have committed to preparing and delivering workshops to neighborhood families, middle and high school counselors, and student support staff on topics including post-secondary programs in the area, admissions processes, financial aid, scholarship opportunities, etc. These workshops will also provide neighborhood residents the opportunity to develop a resource network with the staff of the area colleges. This network will be their point of contacts when they need additional information to answer questions posed to them. Subsequent workshops will focus on any changes that are taking place at area colleges. Follow-up from the workshops will take place through FC-CIS Neighborhood Leader “College 101” Specialists who will be dedicated to working with individual students and families to assist them with various aspects of post-secondary entrance.

Brief Summary of Evidence: College Success Unit: The Harlem Children Zone’s CSO has about 600 students in college and the 2009-10 freshman class received more than $6.3 million in scholarships. While academic preparation has been identified as a predictor of academic success in college, it is of little use to a student who does not have the appropriate information about how to get to college. In a study involving first-generation college students, knowledge of the college system was identified as an important factor for success in college. Participants felt particularly unaware of financial aid information.

The study also supports the notion that “good advising may be the most underestimated characteristic of a successful college experience” and it may be even more so for firstgeneration students. Another study acknowledges that the information needed to first apply for college and appropriate funding and then to secondly succeed once on campus is privileged information that is distributed inequitably in our society. Research on effectiveness of interventions for at-risk students recommends the following to systems of higher education: rethink remedial education, enhance student support services, and make financial aid more effective. Unfortunately, a mere 56% of youths who enroll in college complete their four-year degree within six years. This number falls to 42% for African Americans. More generally, randomized controlled trials have shown that non-traditional college students that have regularly contact with college “coach” are more likely to stay in college and still be enrolled one year after the coaching had 63 Appendix F

ended. Coaching also has been shown to be more cost effective on retention and completion than other interventions such as financial aid.

Career Education Unit: Of the 47 million American jobs expected to be created between now and 2018, according to a Harvard Graduate School of Education report, about 14 million (such as dental hygienist and electrician jobs) will require only a post-secondary certificate or associate’s degree.

Citations: Amundson, N.E., Harris-Bowlsbe, J. & Niles, S.G. (2005). Essential elements of career counseling: Processes and techniques. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Bettinger, E., & Baker, R. (2011). The effects of student coaching in college: an evaluation of a randomized experiment in student mentoring. National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, 34 pp.

Brock, T. (2010). Young adults and higher education: Barriers and breakthroughs to success. The Future of Children, 20(1), pp. 109-132.

Byrd, K. L. & MacDonald, G. (2005). Defining college readiness from the inside out: First-generation college student perspectives. Community College Review, 33(1), 22– 37.

College Success Office, Harlem Children's Zone: A Look Inside, Spring 2008, 8 pp.

Conley, D. T. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. The New England Journal of Higher Education, 22(5), 24–26.

Goldrick-Rab, S. (2010). Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Community College Student Success. Review of Educational Research, 80(3), 437.

Solution Number: 3.8 Achieving the Dream Network Solution Description: A strategy to improve post-secondary completion rates is to reduce the number of students taking remedial courses and implement institutional changes to address diverse student populations. Athens Technical College (ATC), the post-secondary institution that currently serves 98 students from the ACC PN, is one of just 30 colleges nationwide to receive an invitation to join the 2011 cohort of Achieving the Dream.

Benefits of participation in the Network include reducing achievement gaps, improving persistence rates, enhancing a culture of evidence in which data is used to identify and overcome barriers to student success, and adapting proven strategies to enhance student outcomes. Launched in 2004 by the Lumina Foundation for Education, Achieving the Dream is built on the belief that broad institutional change, informed by student achievement data, is critical to significantly improving student success rates.

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The goal of the national initiative is to create more community college graduates who earn higher wages as part of a highly skilled national and state workforce. Prior to March 1, Achieving the Dream’s network consisted of 130 institutions—10.8 percent of the nation’s two-year colleges—in 24 states and the District of Columbia. ATC is the first institution in Georgia to participate in this initiative.

Brief Summary of Evidence: The Community College Survey of Student Engagement notes that the number of students who are academically unprepared for college-level work and have to take at least one developmental course serves as one predictor of student attrition. Information submitted by the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to Complete College America underscores the fact that students who must complete remedial coursework are not achieving success in the traditional lock-step course sequence current in place at these institutions. State data show that 23,987 students entered the public two-year institutions in Georgia during fall 2006 as first-time entry students. Furthermore, 46.2% or 11,080 of these students placed into at least one developmental studies course.

Citations: Bailey, T. (2009). Rethinking developmental education in community college. CCRC Brief, 40, 1-4.

Bailey, T., Jeong, D. W. & Cho, S.-W. (2010). Student progression through development sequences in community colleges. New York: Community College Research Center.

Bettinger, E. & Long, B.T. (2005). Help or hender? Adjunct professors and student outcomes.

Collins, M. L. (2009). Setting up success in developmental education: How state policy can help community colleges improve student outcomes. Raleigh, NC: Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count.

Solution Number: 3.9 Expand Scholarship Opportunities Solution Description: To address financial barriers to post-secondary access, FC-CIS proposes to expand scholarship opportunities through two strategies: 1) strengthening collaboration among existing local scholarship programs and 2) increasing opportunities for donors to fund local youth scholarships. The Athens Area Community Foundation (AACF), in partnership with FC-CIS, area partners, and foundations, will coordinate a Local Scholarship Programs Roundtable to bring local scholarship providers together to identify areas for collaboration, gaps in services, and best practices. Local scholarship providers include organizations providing funds or offering reduced fees to help ACC youth attend enrichment activities or post-secondary training. The Roundtable will also conduct an inventory of local scholarships to assess resources and needs, market local 65 Appendix F

scholarship opportunities, and explore value-added programs that support students through financial literacy, leadership, and community building training as well as educational savings programs (examples include The Posse Foundation, Jump Start, AFI IDA programs, etc.). AACF will also develop a scholarship program to increase opportunities for donors to establish local scholarships for youth.

Brief Summary of Evidence: Scholarships are needed for college as well as for the enrichment opportunities (camps, conferences, tutoring, etc.) that prepare students for post-secondary success. With college costs continuing to increase faster than family incomes, it is increasingly important that individuals and organizations establish new scholarships, and that existing scholarship sponsors increase the number and amount of their awards. Only 6.9% of undergraduate students receive private sector scholarships, and the average amount of such awards is about $2,000. Georgia ranks 41 in the nation for four-year degree holders by income. Even with HOPE scholarships, the average college graduate’s debt is $16,628 and 49.2% of college graduates have debt. A model national scholarship program is the Bill & Melinda Gates Millennium Scholars Program which provides students with “last-dollar” funding to cover tuition, fees, books, and living expenses not covered by other grants or scholarships awardees might receive. This program targets students of color with a 3.3 GPA, demonstrated leadership and Service, and eligibility for a federal Pell Grant. The scholarships are available for up to 5 years of full-time undergraduate study with an average annual award of $10,000. The effects of these scholarships have been that awardees have been able to defer taking on student loans or working; they have enrolled in highly selective colleges; they exhibit engagement and leadership in college; they persist in and complete college; and enroll in graduate school.

Citations: CFED, 2009-2010 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard – State Profile: Georgia.

Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2006, Expanding Access and Opportunity- The Impact of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.

Solution Number: 3.10 Junior Achievement Solution Description: The Junior Achievement (JA) curriculum is designed to develop financial competencies in students at all grade levels. Through private support from AT&T and Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc., in 2012 the program will be implemented at each grade level in Alps Road Elementary School, Clarke Middle School, Clarke Central High School, and the Athens Area Career Academy in 2012. Elementary programs focus on introducing the roles of individuals and families in the local economy. In the middle grades students begin to think critically about entrepreneurship and their career aspirations while studying how business and entrepreneurship altered the economic development of the U.S. during the 19th century. In high school students learn the concepts of budgeting, investing, credit, identity theft, and insurance.

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Brief Summary of Evidence: Internal subjective evaluations have shown that former Junior Achievement (JA) students feel very strongly about the positive effect JA has had in their life. They believe that JA strengthened their teamwork skills, problem-solving skills and decision-making skills (90%); that JA strengthened their interpersonal and critical thinking skills (80%), that JA prepared them for the world of work (80%); and that JA connected what they learned in the classroom with real life(80%). Assessments of financial literacy showed that teachers and volunteers agreed that students who participated in JA’s elementary programs were more likely than their peers to have confidence in managing their money (80%), and that middle school students who participated in the JA Finance Park curriculum reported more confidence in managing their personal finances (90%). In a 2009 survey of Georgia teachers who participated in JA again showed the dedication to the program with 91 percent rating Junior Achievement as “good” or “excellent” in its relevant to school curriculum; 95 percent rating their students’ experience with Junior Achievement as “good” or “excellent;” and 96 percent agreeing or strongly agreeing that Junior Achievement helps prepare students for the real world.

Citations: Executive Summary, Work-readiness Impact of JA Program Participation, Junior Achievement Worldwide, 2009.

Executive Summary, Financial Literacy Impact of JA Program Participation, Junior Achievement Worldwide, 2009.

Junior Achievement Evaluation Key Findings, Junior Achievement of Georgia, 2009.

Junior Achievement USA: A Solution to Increasing Graduation Rates, Junior Achievement Worldwide, April 2011.

Health and Wellness: Solutions 4.1-4.14 Solution Number: 4.1 Incorporate Physically Active Lessons in Elementary Classrooms Solution Description: As part of the FC-CIS obesity reduction strategy, faculty at the UGA Department of Kinesiology propose to assist Alps Road Elementary School with implementing daily classroom based, teacher-led, 10-minute movement activities that are linked to gradespecific academic learning objectives in math, reading, language arts, science, social studies, and general health. The TAKE 10!® solution is a research-based program developed to incorporate physical activity into the curriculum that has been disseminated to more than 40,000 U.S. elementary school classes from 1999-2010.

Each TAKE 10!® kit contains 35 activity cards with clearly defined physical activities and learning objectives, 50 worksheets to reinforce learning objectives, three tracking posters, stickers to track activities and rewards, teacher resources to enhance

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