The Administration recommends that the Board of Education ratify the acceptance of a Grant, by The School District of Philadelphia, through the Superintendent or his designee, as follows:
From: United States Department of Education
Purpose: To support postsecondary readiness, college awareness and preparation services
Grant Start Date: 10/1/2021
Grant End Date: 9/30/2028
Amount up to: $29,556,000
Location(s):
Edison, Thomas A. High School; Fels, Samuel High School; Frankford High School; Franklin, Benjamin High School; ; King, Martin Luther High School; Strawberry Mansion High School; South Philadelphia High School; Bartram, John High School; Furness, Horace High School; Motivation High School; Parkway Northwest High School; Randolph, A. Philip Career and Technical High School; Kenderton Elementary School; Spring Garden School; Waring, Laura W. School; Harding, Warren G. Middle School; Hopkinson, Francis School; Juniata Park Academy; Stearne, Allen M. School; Day, Anna B. School; Roosevelt Elementary School; Allen, Dr. Ethel SchFinletter, Thomas K. School; Franklin, Benjamin Elementary School; Washington, Grover Jr. Middle School; Ziegler, William H. School; ool; Fell, D. Newlin School; McDaniel, Delaplaine School; Childs, George W. School; Clemente, Roberto Middle School; De Burgos, Julia School; Munoz-Marin, Honorable Luis School; Potter-Thomas School; Comegys, Benjamin B. School; Mitchell, S. Weir Elementary School; Taggart, John H. School; Kirkbride, Eliza B. School; Sharswood, George W. School; Southwark School; Penrose School; Tilden, William T. Middle School; Wagner, General Louis Middle School; Bethune, Mary M. School; Rhodes, E. Washington Elementary School
Description:
This action item seeks to ratify the acceptance of funds awarded to the School District by the U.S. Department of Education via the GEAR UP Grant to provide academic preparation and college awareness and preparation services to a cohort of middle grades students who attend schools that feed into the 12 designated GEAR UP high schools. This is a ratifying action item because notification of the award was not aligned with the Board’s action item schedule in time for the October Board action meeting.
GEAR UP will follow these students through their senior year of high school and first year of college. GEAR UP will provide services such as mentoring, advising, enhanced college visits, and professional development to improve instruction in the core academic subjects. GEAR UP aims to increase parental involvement and to increase the number of students who are knowledgeable about and pursue post-secondary educational opportunities.
This action item supports the Board goal that every student graduates ready for college and careers. The School District of Philadelphia Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a seven-year matching grant designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. This new iteration will continue to support students with their pursuits of postsecondary education and build on the success of the previous grant.
The GEAR UP staff will work closely with an external evaluator and the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) to implement a comprehensive data collection and evaluation framework; administer a survey of students; conduct interviews with program stakeholders; maintain the program database and dashboard; track targets for all program and GPRA measures; and provide support for the Interim and Final Performance Reports. The proposed evaluation plan will include formative and summative components and use multiple sources of quantitative and qualitative data and methods of analysis. In Spring 2021, Metis conducted a rigorous quasi-experimental design study for 3 groups of GEAR UP students: 1) Any exposure to GEAR UP programming; 2) Medium exposure to GEAR UP programming (enrolled for at least 2 years and 40 hours of programming); 3) High exposure to GEAR UP programming (3+ years and 50 hours of programming). Outcomes for these three groups were compared to those of students who were rigorously matched using propensity score matching based on a number of important baseline demographic, attendance and academic characteristics. Results show that GEAR UP students with medium and high program dosage had significantly higher fall college enrollment rates than students in a rigorously-matched comparison group. Students with high dosage also had significantly higher high school graduation rates than comparison group students. This new grant will work to replicate and improve upon past successes.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal program aimed at equalizing access to higher education for low-income students. GEAR UP was created in 1998 as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Across the nation, compared with other low-income students, GEAR UP participants generally have more positive outcomes on virtually all measures of enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment.
GEAR UP will strategically support a cohort of 35 middle schools and 12 high schools. The District recognizes that families can play a key role in developing their children's postsecondary aspirations, encouraging their academic preparation, providing financial resources, and accessing postsecondary supports, all of which have been proven to influence college enrollment. Students, families, and school-based staff members, and the school community at large will continue to be included and engaged in GEAR UP activities and initiatives in support of postsecondary readiness.