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Making Your Community “College-Ready”

Louise Myrland Director of Scholarship and Evaluation, Denver Scholarship Foundation

Michele Scott TaylorChief Program Officer, College Now Greater Cleveland

Steve Thorndill Director of Scholarship Services, College Success Foundation

Roslynne Wilson Director of Specialized Programs, Community College of Allegheny County

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Session Overview

Discussion and exchange of ideas about:• College-going Culture

• Community Resources

• Supporting College Success

Activity to apply ideas to your community

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College-going Culture

• What is a college-going culture?

• What does it look like?

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College-going Culture

A college-going culture is an environment in which:• All students are expected and prepared to

pursue and succeed in postsecondary education• Students are inspired to achieve• Educators and community members believe and

reinforce the idea that all students are capable • Information about and support throughout the

college process are readily available for students and their families

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Cultivating College-going Culture

• What steps can your school system and your community take to develop a college-going culture (CGC)?

• What are you already doing that other communities may want to try?

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Ideas for Cultivating CGC

• Offer intensive college advising• Engage parents in college planning

and preparation• Offer professional development to

involve all school staff in encouraging and supporting students on the path to college

• Focus on academic preparation

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CGC Tools and Resources

• What tools are available to help develop a college-going culture?

• What tools have you found most effective?• Suggestions:

– CollegeBoard, CollegeEd Creating a College-going Culture Guide: http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/collegeed/collegeEd-create-college-going-culture.pdf

– Pathways to College Network, College Readiness for All Toolbox: http://toolbox.pathwaystocollege.net/

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CGC Framework

Source: Pathways to College Network http://toolbox.pathwaystocollege.net

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Community Resources

• Where does your community stand on college readiness resources?

• What additional resources may be needed?

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Community Resources – Resources Needed

• How do you identify the resources needed?– Get together interested stakeholders

(players) to discuss the situation, what types of resources are now available and what resources may be needed, including

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Community Resources – The Players

• Who might be the players interested in college readiness in your community?– Schools (representing students, parents,

teachers and other staff)– Community organizations– Governments (city, county, state)– Businesses and foundations– Colleges, universities & postsecondary

institutions

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Community Resources - Leveraging

• Can bringing the players together help leverage resources?

• If yes, what might the players do better together than working alone?– Identifying the needs and numbers of students

needing additional college readiness support– Developing a system to help all students

succeed– Learning from one another college readiness

skills – Identifying and/or applying for funding sources

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Identifying Issues and Developing Initiatives

• What is an example of identifying a college readiness issue?– Information from the school district that

shows that x% of graduating seniors have met district college readiness standards

• What is an example of college ready initiative?– Increase by 10% per year the % of graduating

seniors who are college ready (e.g. increase from 50% in 2013 to 90% in 2016.)

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Community Resources – Developing Systems

Where should the “home” to such systems be kept and maintained?

• For most, probably in the public school district central administration office so that:– Students, parents and teachers can then be

regularly informed of status and progress needed

– Other players can be informed by the district

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Community Resources – Measuring Results

• Why is it important to measure the results?– Keep the players informed so they feel their

time and commitment is worthwhile– Make sure any “cracks in the system” that

are found are filled as soon as possible– May help with case presentations to

businesses, foundations etc. who may be willing to provided additional resources (money, employee time, space, event sponsoring etc)

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Community Resources – Maintaining Momentum

• What things may help your community to maintain momentum on college readiness efforts?– Feedback on progress, including problems

encountered and possible solutions– Periodic or annual events that everyone

expects and looks forward to occurring– Student success stories– Review expected outcomes/initiatives each

year and have the community recommit to next year

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What are the key elements of college readiness?

• Higher education partners should share college readiness elements with high schools and community groups to ensure first year college students’ success

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Elements of College Readiness

• Key Cognitive Strategies• Key Content Knowledge• Academic Behaviors• Contextual Skills and Awareness

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Key Cognitive Strategies

• Developed through planned and practiced behaviors

• Evaluative thinking, synthesizing, problem solving

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Key Content Knowledge

• It is dependent on developing and using cognitive strategies

• Knowledge of skills that are a part of specific school subjects; math, language and science

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Academic Behavior

• Meta-Cognitive skills and study skills

• Self awareness

• Self monitoring

• Self control

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Contextual Skills and Awareness

• Being able to adapt and understand the context or climate of the institution

• Knowledge of the norms, values, conventions, of interactions

• Human relation skills necessary to cope and adapt to the system

• College knowledge as to knowing how to apply, enroll and study

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Contact Info• Louise Myrland – lmyrland@denverscholarship.org

Director of Scholarship and Evaluation Denver Scholarship Foundation

• Michele Scott Taylor – mscotttaylor@collegenowgc.orgChief Program Officer College Now Greater Cleveland

• Steve Thorndill – sthorndill@collegesuccessfoundation.org Director of Scholarship Services College Success Foundation

• Roslynne Wilson – rwilson@ccac.edu Director of Specialized Programs Community College of Allegheny County