WESTOP Conference March 2010 Long Beach, California

1. Gear Up and TRIO: United for Optimum Student Success Cal State Fullerton~Santa Ana College~Santa Ana Unified School District~UC Irvine~ WESTOP Conference March 2010 Long Beach, California

2. The Santa Ana Community • Community Context: • Population: 339,130 • 55% are foreign-born • 76% Hispanic • 70% of the city’s residents speak Spanish • 52% Limited English speakers • Median age of residents: 26.5 years with 46% under 19 • 60% of residents age 25 or older do not have a high school diploma

3. The Santa Ana Unified School District • 36 Elementary Schools • 9 Intermediate Schools • 6 Comprehensive High Schools • Student Population: 54,580 • 80% participate in free/reduced lunch program • 6th Largest School District in California • 92.4% Latino Student Population • 60% English Language Learners • 1st port of entry for English Language Learners new to the U.S. statewide (source: ETS)

4. The Santa Ana Partnership Structure Evaluation Team Evaluators - SAC, SAUSD, & UCI Cabinet: The Partnership’s Leadership Team Administrators from SAC, SAUSD, CSUF, & UCI Achieving College SAUSD, SAC, CSUF & UCI The Santa Ana Partnership Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana College, California State University, Fullerton, the University of California at Irvine, CBO’s and Business Partners Student Promotores & Academic Tutors SAC, CSUF, UCI Padres Promotores Promotores & Partnership Staff Feeder Pattern School Site & Administrative Team School Site Team& Staff • Special Programs & Initiatives • Talent Search-Upward Bound- TRIO Programs • GEAR UP Santa Ana • Middle College High School • The Saturday Academy of Law • The Saturday Academy of Math • The Career Academy Scholars Program Higher Education Centers HEC Counselors and Partnership Staff

5. Barriers to achieving college readiness • Lack of adequate funding • Lack of focus in reform efforts • Low academic expectations • Parent and student limited knowledge about college readiness and college preparation • Lack of coordination among higher education partners at the school site

6. Barrier #1: Lack of Adequate Funding Response: Resource Sharing and Development: Leadership is Embedded in the System • Core State Institutional Resources + • California Community Colleges • Matriculation, EOPS, DSPS • Middle College High School • The University of California & CSU • Private Foundations & Federal Funding • The School District • General fund • Title 1 • School Improvement Funds • 21st Century Funds • In alignment with SAUSD’s academic priorities and policies in support of student success

7. Students will increase knowledge and skills of ELA/Math standards evident by the increase of student CST scores and the increase of the number of A-C letter grades To provide a comprehensive college/career program in grades 6-12 in order to prepare all students to be successful in higher learning beyond high school Identified focus: 1) Impact all students Student Engagement 2) Focus the mind 3) Identify what students should learn Walkthroughs, data chats, & the development of instructional leadership skills Barrier #2: Lack of Focus in Reform Efforts Response: The Development of a Professional Learning Community Aligning Partnership and District Educational Goals & Measures

8. BARRIER #3: Low Academic Expectations STRATEGIES: Pre-Algebra in 7th grade before it became a state standard Rigorous A-G modeled HS graduation requirements and use of data to monitor progress and adapt instruction One Stop Partnership & school-supported Higher Education Centers in all high schools Academic support programs: UCI’s Saturday Academy of Law and the Santa Ana Academy of Math Middle College High School: AA’s for 50% of 2009 graduates The Career Academy Scholars Program that enables 125 SAUSD students to start college training in 4 career areas while still enrolled in high school. SAMPLE RESULTS 5%+ CST growth in Math & ELA proficient students in 1 year Second year in a row for SAUSD students to gain 21 points+ in API SAUSD has doubled the number of students completing required courses for university admission in five years. SAUSD has increased students placing into degree-applicable (non-remedial) English classes by 227% and by 244% into comparable levels of college math classes at SAC since 2000.

9. Middle School Pre-Algebra Now Required in 7th Grade

10. Evidence of Impact In 2004, 64% of GEAR UP cohort 1 were enrolled in Geometry, Algebra II, or Math Analysis in high school (9th thru 11th). Carr McFadden STAR – California Standards Test

11. BARRIER #4: Parent & Student Limited Knowledge of College Preparation Strategies for parents: • Padres Promotores de la Educación • Parent Residential Experience (“Universidad para padres”) at UCI • Camino de Amistad Strategies for students • College & Career Planning starting in the 6th • GEAR UP Ambassadors • One-stop Higher Education Centers at each high school • Summer Residential Program @ UCI

12. Padres Promotores de la Educación

13. Goal of Padres Promotores To reach Spanish-speaking families with the message that college is in their children’s future through non-traditional, grassroots efforts. “Promotores” are trained parent volunteers who take information about: • The U.S. educational system: K-16 • Early college preparation • College options & Financial aid • Community resources to Spanish-speaking parents through non-traditional grassroots efforts: • Home visits • Pláticas (small group dialogues in community settings)

14. Achievements to Date • 700 pláticas (dialogues) in various community locations (soccer field, laundromats, community centers, churches, schools, etc.) • 8,277 visitas domiciliarias (home visits) • Activities within and outside our community: • Serve as trainers during school district’s annual Parent Conference • Conduct trainings for migrant education programs • Training of parents in other communities (i.e., Oxnard, San Juan Capistrano, and through ARCHES/ENLACE Instituto familiar) • Authors of a curriculum called “Padre a Padre” • Authors of the Ten Commandments distributed by the Latino Education Attainment Task Force of the Orange County Business Council • Presenters at regional and national conferences • Camino de Amistad – delivered 20,000 door hangers with information about high school registration, Back to School Night, College Night, and their Higher Education Centers throughout neighborhoods in Santa Ana.

15. UB Parent Academy All parents of UB students attend the Upward Bound Parent Academy throughout the participation of the student. To date, there’s well over 85% attendance rate with over 20 parents receiving perfect attendance certificates at the annual recognition event. UB + GEAR UP Collaboration: • The Padre a Padre manual is used in the UB Parent Academy • UB utilizes the Exito Escolar material to introduce topics. Exito Escolar presents a series of Spanish-based “Telenovelas” (Latin-American soap operas) focused on higher education topics such as: • College entrance exams • Completing the FAFSA • Career exploration • As UB parents are in many cases also GEAR UP parents, they attend the Summer Residential Program for parents (Universidad para padres) at UCI.

16. This future college student received a piggy bank to start saving for college as part of our annual Camino de Amistad, where 300 parents, educators, & students visited 20,000 Santa Ana homes on August 8th with bilingual information on the start of the school year and key resources to help their children succeed. GEAR UP, Talent Search, and Upward Bound parents participate in this Partnership annual activity.

17. BARRIER #5: Lack of Coordination among Higher Education Partners at school sites • The Higher Education Centers are designed to be a one-stop information and service center to: • Advance college-going rates among all students • Serve as a resource hub for all college-related activities for students, parents, and teachers • Centralize contact for all higher education institutions • Create a college-going culture within a school community

18. Achieving College To provide coordination and collaboration of planned activities with SAUSD, SAC, UCI, and CSUF which will assist high school students to successfully apply and gain admittance to college ACTIVITIES PLANNED: • Participation in promotores’ Camino de Amistad (August) • Senior Push (September/October) • Junior Conference @ each high school (December) • Frosh / Soph Night (February) • Family Financial Aid Family Kick Off & Late Nights (Jan-March) • Counselor Professional Development Days (October & February) RESOURCES/PERSONNEL: • Higher Education Coordinators • Counselors • High school administrators • Professional staff from SAC, UCI, CSUF

19. ACHIEVING COLLEGE NETWORK PURPOSE: To coordinate and collaborate in activities aimed at preparing high school students and their families for college. MEMBERS: HS Principals, Higher Education Center Coordinators and/or counselor representative, AP of Guidance, Outreach staff from SAC, CSUF, and UCI CORE ACTIVITIES: ACHIEVING COLLEGE SITE TEAMS PURPOSE: To coordinate and collaborate in case management of students at each school site to ensure all students are advised and guided through high school graduation and college preparation.. CORE ACTIVITIES: Oversight of Transcript Analysis Participate in individual and group college advisement Promote and recruit for Achieving College activities Maintain database of student participation in Achieving College activities

20. Santa Ana Partnership Achieving College INTERSEGMENTAL ACTIVITIES SENIORS IN SEPTEMBER Target: All Seniors and their parents Date: Last Saturday in September @ SAC Program: • FROSH/SOPH NIGHTS • Target: • All 9th graders • 10th Graders enrolled in Geometry with 2.5 GPA • Date: • In the fall @ school site • Program: • High school graduation requirements • A-G requirements • Postsecondary options • Financial Aid overview • AB 540 KNOW HOW 2 GO Kick-off to Financial Aid Late Nights Target: All Seniors and their families Date: Evening in January @ school site Program: JUNIOR NIGHT Target: 11th grade – 2.5 GPA or above, enrolled in Geometry or above Date: First week in February (Daytime: Students / Evenings: Parents) @ school site Program: LATE NIGHTS Target: All seniors & parents Date: Beginning in January, two nights per week until March 2 Program: • Overall presentation about financial aid and AB540 (separate presentations for students and families) • College-bound program fair as parents arrive • One scholarship raffled (made possible by Campaign for College Opportunity) • Student workshop on SAT • College readiness/admission process • Financial Aid overview / AB 540 • Parent meeting with same content • 3 hrs of assistance in filling out and submitting the FAFSA

21. Santa Ana Partnership Achieving College Site Teams

22. SAUSD doubled the number of students completing required college prep courses in 5 years. RESULTS

23. The College-Going Rate in SAUSD is currently 78%, significantly higher than California’s overall rate of 51% (for all students) RESULTS

24. RESULTS

25. SAUSD to UC System

26. English and Math Placement at SAC For students graduating from high school in SAUSD and attending Santa Ana College, academic placement rates have jumped dramatically (1999-2007). • Students placing into remedial English classes dropped by 30% • Placement into university level English rose by 460% over the same period. • Placement into remedial Math classes dropped by 33% • Placement into college level math rose by 57% Remediation is the enemy of AA degree attainment and university transfer

27. Benefits of TRIO and GEAR UP Connection to the Partnership • Access to information • Immediate connection with school personnel (Principles, Higher Ed coordinators, counselors). • Staying informed on all the activities students are involved in at the various schools to help avoid duplication • An incredible support group that helps when there is a need. Any one of us can walk in to any of the three schools and get help to benefit the students. • There is a feeling of belonging to a unique group of people working toward the same goals. • Participating in academic reform initiatives that help the academic achievement of TRIO and GEAR UP students

28. Essentials for Sustaining a Strong Partnership • Deep, common purpose & mutual benefit • An embedded leadership structure • A high functioning data & research team • A portfolio of resources (fiscal & human) • Internal to partner institutions • External, supplemental, competitive • Rotation of fiscal agency for major projects • Enduring and expanding trust among and between members • The ability to get results and scale up • Clear focus on student achievement

29. Contact Lilia M. Tanakeyowma, Ed.D. Dean of Student Affairs Santa Ana College 714-564-6970 Tanakeyowma_lilia@sac.edu Romelia Madrigal UB and SSSP Director Santa Ana College 714-564-6843 Madrigal_romelia@sac.edu Santana Ruiz Assistant Director, Center for Educational Partnerships UC Irvine 949-824-1015 ruiz@uci.edu