Last Friday, the first cohort of the StepUP READY grantees convened at the USHE offices to share their grant project accomplishments after the first year of implementation.
The primary focus of the StepUP READY Grant is to increase the number of Utah students who graduate college-ready and enroll in a post-secondary institution. Each grant project includes a partnership between a K-12 district or school and a higher education institution to ensure intentional efforts surrounding college preparation, enrollment, and first-year transition.
Eight grantees detailed their project accomplishments, outcomes, and lessons learned:
University of Utah & Canyons, Granite, Washington County, & Iron County School Districts: Advancing Utah’s College Readiness Agenda Through Professional Development, and Cultivating Partnerships.
Objectives:
To increase school counselor professional development by expanding the Southern Regional Education Board’s College and Career Counselor Training Initiative throughout these districts and build parent-student college readiness support workshops targeting at-risk and underrepresented students.
Outcomes:
Using the College and Career Counseling Training Initiative (CCTI) model, 38 school counselors completed the online professional development course. Each counselor then implemented their action plan in their respective schools with an intentional focus on underrepresented students and families.
University of Utah & Granite School District: Utah College Advising Corps Expansion.
Objectives:
To improve college enrollment through expanding the existing Utah College Advising Corps to place a member at Olympus High School, which has an increasingly high number of underserved students.
Outcomes:
With their StepUp READY Grant the Utah College Advising Corps was able to expand its reach to Olympus High School by placing a full-time college access advisor in their counseling center. Approximately 172 students were served through various college preparation, enrollment, financial aid events, and received individual assistance.
Utah State University & Box Elder, Cache, Jordan, and Salt Lake School Districts: USU School Counselor Professional Development Partnership.
Objectives:
To increase school counselor professional development by expanding the Southern Regional Education Board’s College and Career Counselor Training Initiative throughout these districts and build parent-student college readiness support workshops targeting at-risk and underrepresented students.
Outcomes:
Using the College and Career Counseling Training Initiative (CCTI) model, 71 school counselors completed the online professional development course. Each counselor then implemented their action plan in their respective schools with an intentional focus on underrepresented students and families.
Utah State University Eastern & San Juan School District: STEM Infusion & FAFSA StepUP Initiatives.
Objectives:
To improve college readiness by increasing the number of students taking four years of STEM-related courses through targeted hands-on after-school activities and professional development for teachers. They will also hold FAFSA completion workshops in order to help increase high school senior FAFSA completion.
Outcomes:
USU Eastern provided training, equipment, and a completion venue called the STEAM Maker Expo, to San Juan County students in an effort to increase enthusiasm for STEM education and careers. Students had an opportunity to build, program, and compete with their LEGO and VEX robots, and electric skateboards at the expo.
Weber State University & Syracuse High School: Titan University (Davis School District).
Objectives:
Improve college readiness by introducing ACT workshops to remediate students who score below benchmarks on the junior-year ACT test. Increase the number of students taking Advanced Placement/Concurrent Enrollment courses in grades 11 & 12, and implement FAFSA workshops to increase the number of seniors who complete the FAFSA.
Outcomes:
Syracuse High School introduced ACT preparation classes and workshops for students who scored below benchmarks on their Explore, Plan, or ACT test. Participating high school juniors increased their scores on average by 1.15 points and participating high school seniors increased their score on average by 1.25 points.
Weber State University & Weber School District: College Knowledge in 10th Grade.
Objectives:
Increase college awareness and attainment by providing professional development for 10th grade teachers to improve their knowledge of the college-going process and increase the number of students taking concurrent enrollment.
Outcomes:
Weber State’s Concurrent Enrollment (CE) office provided professional development to 54 10th grade teachers with information on how to best prepare their students to be college ready. Additionally, the program helped bring awareness to the Concurrent Enrollment Edge Scholarships in an effort to increase enrollment in CE courses in Weber School District.
Dixie State University & Washington County School District: Improving College Math Preparedness in Washington County.
Objectives:
To increase college preparation in Washington County by increasing the number of 9th graders enrolling in Secondary Math III; increase the passing rates of Secondary Math III; and increase the number of students taking a fourth year of high school math.
Outcomes:
In an effort to increase the number of students in Washington County School District enrolling in a fourth year of math, Dixie State University created a marketing campaign highlighting the importance of taking four years of math. In addition, math tutors were brought in to local high schools which resulted in a .32 GPA increase from the previous year.
Utah Valley University: UVU/Mountain View High School Enroll Now Partnership (Alpine School District).
Objectives:
Impact the enrollment of underserved students by increasing the number of first-generation high school students who apply to one or more colleges/universities and increase the number of high school senior FAFSA completion.
Outcomes:
Utah Valley University hired part-time, college mentors to work at each of the local high schools to work individually with students on their higher education goals. High school students attended college campus visits and workshops, which in part, resulted in a 35% increase in UVU’s admissions applications from the previous year.
