LearnmoreMN Blog

Minnesota College Knowledge Month provides support to increase college access

By Chris Franken, September guest blogger

College Knowledge Month — a statewide effort to help high school seniors explore, plan and apply for college will occur during the month of October. For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to represent the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC) on the MN College Knowledge Month (CKM) Steering Team. The steering team is comprised of individuals who represent a broad network of Minnesota educational institutions, agencies, organizations and non-profits. First launched in 2011, the initiative evolved in 2012 to include 106 registered high school sites and nearly 200 volunteers impacting approximately 16,000 students.

There are 109 sites registered to participate in CKM events and activities for fall 2013. CKM steering team members helped craft a calendar of exploration, planning and application resources to benefit students throughout the month. Application fees and fee waiver information for Minnesota colleges and universities have also been compiled.

College Knowledge Month aims to:

• Help schools establish and/or build upon a culture of college-readiness.
• Communicate to all students the importance of preparing for and applying to college.
• Engage and inform underrepresented students (first-generation college students, students of color, and low-income students) about postsecondary opportunities, culminating in the application process.
• Provide a statewide message and excitement about exploring and planning for college.
• Increase the number of Minnesota seniors who apply to college.

A month-long effort will allow students to do more than just submit an application. Applying is only one step of the college application process — the result of thoughtful exploration and planning. Within this expanded time frame, students can participate in the application process at their own pace — and find the best college fit for them. Counselors and high school staff will have more time to draft recommendations, secure transcripts and/or application fee waivers and support underrepresented students. Schools can build upon or establish a college-going culture by utilizing the college exploration activities that already take place in the fall of the academic year. October is a natural time for this to occur, since there are already college exploration opportunities taking place across the state (i.e. NACAC National College Fair, local MACAC college fairs, early application deadlines, college visits).

The impetus for improving college access in Minnesota by launching a college application initiative is an effort to address challenges faced by our state. Changing demographics suggest a majority of projected growth among Latino and African-American students. These same students are often first-generation and may come from lower-income families. Rising college costs and financial aid issues, as well as perceptions of students themselves all play a role in creating barriers. Although there is likely no aspiration gap among underrepresented students, without role models or supportive adults to help guide them, many of these students may feel as if college is not a realistic or attainable goal.

College matters. It matters to our nation, our state, and our communities. And, it matters to our students. Through MN College Knowledge Month, representatives from institutions, agencies and organizations will collaborate at a very local level in an effort to remove barriers and increase access — because college matters.

Northfield effort turns to post-college support

By TORCH staff: Kim Horner, Teddy Gelderman and Jojo Schmidt, August guest bloggers

Northfield TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) started with a goal: to increase the graduation rate among Latino students at Northfield High School. Now, eight years later, the Latino graduation rate is consistently over 90%, and the TORCH program has expanded to support all underserved students pursing postsecondary education, including low-income and first generation college-bound students.

TORCH is thrilled that many alumni have now earned AA and BA degrees, as well as acceptance into master’s level programs. Now, TORCH has started addressing new gaps. Postsecondary education is an important step for underserved student populations, however, the ultimate goal is for TORCH students to live meaningful, successful lives after they graduate. Unfortunately, despite on-going support and continued higher education, many TORCH students were falling short of their personal and professional dreams. For example, the TORCH program helped one former graduate find a paid internship — only to have her request an unpaid job shadow because she did not feel she was “qualified enough” to be paid for her work. Though bright and capable, too many students struggle to recognize their own abilities, and accept less than their full potential.

A large factor in students’ struggle to reach their potential is internal barriers, or the restrictions that students place on themselves. These barriers have the power to shape individuals’ lives and prevent them from success because they do not perceive some opportunities as viable options. For many TORCH students, these barriers first stood in the way of high school graduation, then postsecondary education. Now many TORCH students must overcome internal barriers preventing them from seeking opportunities in the workforce. The risk is that students won’t move forward, remaining caught in the cycle of poverty.

To address this trend, TORCH is developing new programming aimed specifically at helping students overcome their own barriers and perceptions about what they are qualified to do in the workforce. Changing perspectives takes time, and requires well-supported programming. TORCH now supports a more extensive mentorship program. By pairing TORCH students with college-aged mentors, students will have role models who are currently exploring and pursuing their own dreams. Again and again, TORCH sees the enormous gains made possible by positive relationships, and we are excited to foster new relationships between TORCH students and the college community in Northfield.

Additionally, a job and internship program for juniors and seniors will begin this fall. With support from Workforce Development, this program will equip students with job skills such as resume writing and interviewing. In addition, in collaboration with the Northfield community, the program will place students in internship positions, allowing them to explore careers in their fields of interest. By engaging students in potential career paths, we hope to make those paths tangible and more viable for students. Students will develop their workplace skills, but also gain an understanding of their own talents and interests.

Despite the many successes of the TORCH program, there is still much to be done. We cannot break down internal barriers overnight, but with supportive relationships, experience with job skills, and exposure to workplace opportunities, TORCH students will have a better chance at personal and professional success. TORCH depends on collaboration with community partners and we look forward to your advice and suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or ideas!

Northfield succeeds in student support

By Kim Horner, August guest blogger

Ten years ago, there was a rumor circulating that no Latino male had ever graduated from Northfield High School. Though inaccurate, this rumor was a little too close to reality. From 2001-2004, only 15 Latino students graduated from Northfield Public Schools while 27 dropped out — a graduation rate of 36%. During that time, fewer than five of Northfield’s Latino graduates pursued post-secondary education.

In response to these alarming facts, a group of Northfield educators and community members gathered together and decided to make a change. With funding from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, the group launched a program called TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) in 2005. The original goal of TORCH was to improve the graduation rate of Latino students in Northfield; and it worked. Within three years, the Latino graduation rate had risen above 90%. Because of this success, TORCH has expanded programming to all low-income students, students of color, and students who would be the first in their family to attend college.

Broadly, TORCH focuses on providing students with academic and social support, career and post-secondary exploration, as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities. But the foundation of TORCH’s success is relationships with students and their families. TORCH started small, with just a handful of students, and the staff invested time into getting to know the students’ abilities, challenges and aspirations. Rather than creating blanket programming to act as a Band-Aid, TORCH staff was and is committed to providing support specific to individual student needs and opportunities specific to individual student interests.

Take Yovany and Erick for example: Yovany, a rising senior, used the support of TORCH to complete two PSEO courses through Riverland Community College this past year, served on the TORCH Youth Advisory Board and Latino Students for School Policy Change team and is attending Itasca Community College Engineering Camp this summer. Erick, a rising junior, was encouraged by TORCH staff to apply and serve on RALIE, a school leadership board, plays varsity soccer, and is serving with other TORCH students as an elementary school mentor through the Northfield PLUS program this summer. With the support of TORCH, both students have grown over the past year, and are continuing to develop an understanding of their interests and talents. Perhaps most importantly, providing Erick, Yovany and all students with opportunities specific to their interests, fosters engagement; and that is critical to student success in the classroom and beyond.

Next year, TORCH will be serving more than 450 students in grades 6-12 as well as more than 150 alumni. While TORCH is excited to be serving a greater number of students, we know it will be a busy year as one-on-one relationships and interventions remains of critical importance to the program and to student’s success. Ultimately, it is also our hope that one day TORCH will be unnecessary, because the type of support we provide has become systemic, and students from all backgrounds are successful.

What are other examples of programs that have helped students succeed? Please share them in a comment to this post.

It takes a village

By Sarah Dixon, December guest blogger

Two weeks ago I shared a model called Response to Intervention (RTI) as a way to eliminate what educators sometimes call a "wait to fail" culture. This culture, where students take one high-stakes test each year to determine their progress, often leaves students too far behind to catch up. RTI uses constant monitoring, instead of that one annual test, and provides struggling students with help (interventions) that have been demonstrated in studies to work. The challenge for schools is to provide extra staff to implement RTI effectively.

"It takes a village to raise a child" is a quote widely attributed to an African proverb. While a child's immediate family members are their first and most important teachers, too many children struggle in school because their family support system is unable to help. This is where community comes in. Go to any school in America and you will find community volunteers. They read to children, provide tutoring, chaperone field trips and much, much more.

Wouldn't it be great to combine the power of RTI with the passion of community volunteers? The Minnesota Alliance With Youth is making this a reality.

The Alliance provides AmeriCorps Promise Fellows to schools. They work with school staff to use data to target the right support to the right youth at the right time. Promise Fellows serve as a bridge between the school district and community organizations to work with students in grades 6-10 who are at risk of dropping out. Teachers use RTI interventions during school hours and community members continue those interventions after school through mentoring, service learning, academic support and family engagement.

Case study
Clare Dudzinski is one of four AmeriCorps Promise Fellows working in the Northfield school district this year. Clare provides tutoring in the core academic subjects (English, math, science, and social studies) to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Northfield Middle School, and helps to coordinate the Middle School Youth Center (MSYC), a free, after school drop-in program aimed at strengthening academic and social skills. Clare frequently partners with the TORCH (Tackling Obstacles, Raising College Hopes) coordinator, who works with students who are low-income, minority, or first-generation college students. These students are already demonstrating improvements this year in attendance, engagement, organizational skills and assignment completion.

Clare is continuing the tradition of AmeriCorps members who are making a difference in Northfield. In 2006, the graduation rate for Latino students in Northfield was 36 percent. By 2010 the percentage rose to more than 90 percent. According to the ServeMinnesota 2010 Annual Report, "the individualized support provided by AmeriCorps members was an essential ingredient of this success."

Community Partners
So, individuals are volunteering at schools nationwide; so too are community organizations. Partnership is at the heart of the Minnesota Alliance With Youth. Collaboration is the key to ensuring young people have the resources they need to be successful.

In Northfield, it's the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative and Northfield Union of Youth/The Key. Dozens of other organizations are partnering with the Alliance, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girl Scouts, Wilder Foundation, the 4-H program, and many more. We partner with organizations within the communities we serve and we partner with larger organizations regionally or statewide. These organizations represent the nonprofit, for-profit and public sectors. It is a powerful list of passionate, giving people.

With Youth
We also partner with youth, one of our most precious untapped resources — all of us will benefit from meaningfully engaging young people in our lives. At the Alliance, youth and adults are equal contributors in our work. A diverse group of youth serves on our Minnesota Youth Council to provide their perspective in dialogues with legislators and local officials.

We encourage organizations, adults and youth interested in helping youth reach their full potential to contact us at www.mnyouth.net.

Eliminating a "wait to fail" culture

By Sarah Dixon, December guest blogger

Say what you will about No Child Left Behind, it has shown us two things: a stubborn achievement gap between students of color and white students and the value of data in helping students achieve. It has also taught us that one assessment at the end of the year is too little, too late — a "wait to fail" culture that often leaves students too far behind to catch up. I am convinced the next great step in education is a model that meets the needs of struggling and at-risk learners proactively, long before students take that spring high-stakes test.

This model is Response to Intervention (RTI), and it's been around for a few years. According to a 2008 study by the University of Colorado-Boulder, every state in the U.S. and the District of Columbia "indicated some emphasis on RTI either in current practice or in development." In Minnesota school districts, some are in year one, two or three of implementation and are just starting to see results.

What is RTI?
Put simply, the RTI model is an educational approach that provides a standards-based curriculum to all students and additional, progressive help (interventions) to students that are falling behind. While this sounds a lot like the way education has been delivered for generations, it differs in two ways:

1. It's about constant monitoring. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, parents and school staff agree that RTI's student progress monitoring techniques provide more instructionally relevant information than traditional assessments.
2. It's about effective help. The interventions used in RTI have been demonstrated to work in randomized controlled trials.

How does RTI work?
RTI has three basic components: school-wide screening, progress monitoring and tiered service delivery, and fidelity of implementation.

Every student is tested at the beginning of the school year to find out where they are at in relation to the curricula. Additional monitoring of student progress on assignments, quizzes and exams occurs constantly. When students show signs of lagging behind, teachers and other staff provide extra help. If progress isn't made, more frequent, more intense help is provided, sometimes including special education services. Critical to student success is the fidelity of implementation — or the commitment to having the RTI program in place and the teachers' ability to use the process in his or her instruction.

But it's hard. Implementing RTI in a way that becomes ingrained in the culture of a school, where teachers understand how to read the data and then apply a menu of interventions with individual students takes training, coaching and time. In addition, cash-strapped schools face major hurdles when proper implementation means hiring extra staff.

Some organizations, including the one I lead, Minnesota Alliance With Youth, are offering schools assistance in implementing RTI. The Alliance facilitates an innovative community approach to provide support to students falling behind that complements what the school is doing. We place AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in schools that meet a number of criteria in a competitive grant process. The AmeriCorps members build capacity by involving community members — something schools don't have time to coordinate. This partnership encourages student achievement through service learning and civic engagement opportunities, stressing high quality in- and out-of-school activities. The essence of our approach is this: providing the right support to the right youth at the right time, with the right scale, intensity and duration.

Later this month I'll post another blog that delves deeper into the benefits of community engagement in the lives of our youth. If you are interested in helping youth reach their full potential, please let us know at www.mnyouth.net.