SECTION II: Narrative Information

1. The mission of the GEAR UP program is to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Briefly describe how your project is furthering the mission of the GEAR UP program. Specifically, address how your project is: a) improving academic performance of students in the GEAR UP cohort; b) increasing educational expectations of participating students; c) improving student and family knowledge regarding postsecondary education preparation and financing; and d) working to improve high school graduation and college-going rates.

The Chicago GEAR UP (CGUA) Alliance works with schools, teachers, students and their families to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education in three specific ways: teacher professional development, student support, and family involvement. The collaborative and collegial working relationship within these three strands at the network level and across the partners in the CGUA allows this to be accomplished at network-wide and network-specific levels.

Academic support for GEAR UP students is provided through a variety of interconnected supports. Tutors work with students, but also collaborate with classroom teachers on targeted approaches and specific curriculum goals. Teachers work with GEAR UP facilitators to design inquiry-based, standards aligned curriculum during the school year; teachers work with parents to design inquiry-based curriculum to co-present to students during Summer Academies; and teachers work with tutors. Teachers take graduate-level Advanced Placement Courses in math and science as well as programs which provide Middle School Math and Science endorsements; student participation in summer programming like B.L.A.S.T., Prior Knowledge Camp, and Summer Academies enable them to be better prepared to succeed in these courses.

GEAR UP networks have continued to work with teachers in their classrooms, in professional development seminars, and in carefully developed and sequenced professional development opportunities (see our response in Question 2 below). These coordinated, on-going professional development efforts have had a positive effect on teaching and learning in GEAR UP classrooms and schools. According to GEAR UP teacher surveys, more teachers than ever before are embracing the core instructional methods of GEAR UP professional development. Specifically:

• More teachers in 2005 reported that they were very much or quite a bit comfortable analyzing individual or group performances (80.36% in 2005; 70.59% in 2004).
  
  
• More teachers in 2005 reported that they were using visualization techniques very much or quite a bit to aid in their students’ comprehension (74.18% in 2005; 63.91% in 2004).
  
  
• More teachers in 2005 reported they were very much or quite a bit comfortable using state standards in the planning of their lessons (75.62% in 2005; 65.47% in 2004).
  
  
• More math teachers used manipulatives very much or quite a bit to help their students learn about numbers and mathematical ideas and to solve problems (57.98% in 2005; 42.74% in 2004).
  

Some of the measurable indicators that demonstrate the impact of these activities on student achievement include:

• The percentage of 8th grade students at or above national norms is larger by 14.1% in reading and 16.2% in math over sixth grade percentages.
  
  
• For those students who were a member of a GEAR UP 5th grade cohort in 2001, 6% more attained “at or above national norms” in reading and 20% more attained “at or above” in math in the years between 2001 and 2004.
  
  
• Scores for West Town 8th graders have moved steadily upward during the GEAR UP years, making gains that have outpaced CPS increases. In 2004, 57% of West Town 8th graders scored above national norms in math and 54% scored above in reading. In both reading and math, West Town has reduced the number of 8th grade students in the bottom quartile and, over the past five years, has increased the top quartile at a greater rate than CPS neighborhood elementary schools as a whole.
  
  
• GEAR UP high schools have narrowed the gap in dropout rates as compared to neighborhood CPS high schools. In 1999, GEAR UP high schools had a one-year dropout rate of 21% versus 16% of other neighborhood high schools’ students. In 2004, that gap had narrowed to 13% at GEAR UP high schools v. 12% at other neighborhood high schools.
  
  
• GEAR UP freshmen and sophomores have shown an increasing trend in passing honors courses (surpassing the average rate, in general, for CPS).

• This increased academic preparation has not gone unnoticed by the Chicago Public Schools. GEAR UP students have increasingly been accepted into selective (college prep and magnet) high schools upon 8th grade graduation.

• The dropout rate has been variable for GEAR UP freshmen and sophomores, but in 2004 (the year that would show the largest GEAR UP effect thus far), the dropout rates have reached new lows.

Increasing educational expectations of participating students has been accomplished through network and school-level programs (see Question 2 for more on mentoring and after school programs), as well as in network-wide activities like the Student Leadership Conferences and the Who Wants to Win a Scholarship? program. Again this year, we distributed surveys across all networks to determine if our students’ expectations and knowledge regarding postsecondary education were increasing (in the past, this information had been captured via sampling). During November of 2004, we surveyed 4,274 students.

• A dramatically high number of GEAR UP students report that they plan to go to college. In 2004, 89.49% report planning to attend some kind of postsecondary institution, up from 31.07% in 2002.
  
  
• When asked how GEAR UP students were doing in school when compared to last year, 82.95% responded that they were doing better or about the same.
  

Improving student and family knowledge regarding postsecondary education programs and financing is accomplished through CGUA-wide events (e.g., Parent Leadership Conferences, Student Leadership Conferences, Who Wants to Win a Scholarship?) and school level programs (parent advocate activities, book clubs, mentoring, workshops and summer programs). Although the 2004 student survey was collected early in the school year, it confirmed that more work was still necessary if all students were to access financial aid and college planning information.

• The cumulative impact of GEAR UP activities shows up in the steady increase in percentages of students who have spoken to someone about college entrance. For this year’s 9th graders, the figure is 46%; for this year’s 12th graders, the figure is 81%.
  
  
• Similarly, in the case of students who have spoken to someone about financial aid, GEAR UP’s cumulative impact shows up in steady percentage increase by grade among this year’s students, reaching just under 70% for 12th graders.
  

Parent surveys were administered on a network-wide basis with over 2,421 collected. Survey results indicate that GEAR UP parents are aware of more avenues to pay for college. The number of parents who cited the “cost of college is too high” as the main reason their child would not continue after high school declined by 11% in 2004. (In the 2003 survey, 75% felt this was the principal reason; in 2004, 64% cited cost as the principle reason.)

• During 2004, we saw a dramatic increase in the percentage of parents who report they will definitely or probably find a way to pay for a four-year public college (37% in 2003 to 52% in 2004).
  
  
• The percentage of parents who said they were familiar with college entrance requirements for four-year institutions increased by 10%, from 52% in 2003 to 62% in 2004.
  
  
• 46% percent of parents surveyed indicated they were familiar with vocational school entrance requirements (compared to 40% in 2003).
  
  
• 2004 saw an increase of 7% in the number of parents who reported speaking to someone specifically about what is needed to get into college (47% in 2003 to 54% in 2004).
  
  
• The percentage of parents who reported having a conversation with someone about financial aid increased slightly in 2004 (33% in 2003 to 36% in 2004).
  

Improving high school graduation and college-going rates is accomplished through the three major focal areas of the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance: parent activities, student activities and teacher professional development. We continue to put considerable effort in terms of time, staff, and resources into programs that focus on increasing urban high school students’ awareness and preparation for postsecondary education. Advanced Placement seminars are offered to teachers to increase the rigor and amount of honors and AP courses offered at GEAR UP high schools. Summer programs (Summer Inquiry Institute, Summer Academies, B.L.A.S.T., Prior Knowledge Camp, college visits, internships, etc.) help students stay motivated and focused on increasing academic achievement and preparing for postsecondary education. Winter intercession programming is offered in the DePaul network which works with year-round schools. In 2004, these programs served 63 students.

• Graduation rates at GEAR UP high schools show a strong positive trend in graduation rates (59% in 1999 to 69% in 2004).
  
  
• Chronic truancy rates indicate a strong downward trend in GEAR UP schools (9% in 1999 decreased to 6% in 2004) while CPS rates have increased slightly in this period, rising from 3% in 1999 to 4% in 2004.
  
  
• Several GEAR UP high schools surpassed citywide measures on the Senior Survey implemented for the first time in the 2004-05 school year.
  
  • Collins (91%), Noble Street Charter (94%), and Hyde Park (84%) all posted higher percentages of students who intend to continue their education than CPS generally (at 78%).
    
    
  • GEAR UP generally (1%) and six GEAR UP high schools (Austin, Collins, Hyde Park, Manley, Noble Street and Orr) posted lower percentages of students who were “not sure” about plans after high school than CPS generally (at 7%).
    
    
  • Collins (97%), Manley (91%), Hyde Park (84%), Senn (85%) and Westinghouse (91%) posted higher percentages of seniors (from those who plan to continue their education) who completed at least one college application than CPS generally (at 84%).
    
    
  • Austin (51%), Hyde Park (52%), Manley (72%), Noble Street (62%) and Westinghouse (72%) posted higher percentages of seniors (from those who plan to continue their education) who completed at least three college applications, compared to than CPS generally (at 50%).

   

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