A Note from Southwestern Region VP Ann Wright
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 VP Ann Wright |
For the third straight year, the University of Texas at San Antonio was the setting for the 2009 Admission and College Counseling Institute, hosted by the College Board and the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling. This weeklong event offered valuable tools, knowledge and insight to the 114 participants from 16 private, public, secondary and
postsecondary institutions throughout the Southwestern Region. Such tools, knowledge and insight will ultimately impact 25,000 students at their institutions. The opportunity for counselors to network with colleagues from seven different states and across the table provided a strong foundation for the week. An interactive curriculum helped prepare the counselors to be leaders in the profession. Elizabeth Hollingsworth, an admission counselor from Stephen F. Austin State University, said, “ACCI is about getting the right information to get you started, and the right contacts to keep you going!”
The key word for the 2009 Fall Counselor Workshops is “green.” Workshop materials were revamped into a smaller, more convenient and environmentally friendly folder, which was met enthusiastically by the participants. The SWRO K–12 staff began the latest season of Fall Counselor Workshops by delivering the first of 35 program updates to counselors on Sept. 8, with additional workshops scheduled in Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas through Oct. 1. Workshop attendees look forward to the opportunity to network with fellow counselors, and presenters enjoy connecting with the dedicated professionals who work with students on behalf of our common mission to connect students to college success and opportunity.
For the first time this year, counselors who cannot attend the Fall Counselor Workshops due to professional responsibilities will have the option of accessing the workshop On Demand via an online version of the face-to-face workshops. The video workshops will be available on the new Fall Counselor Workshop microsite at www.collegeboard.com/fcw2009. In addition to updates on many College Board programs, counselors will hear about initiatives by the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy on behalf of guidance professionals and other advocacy initiatives. These include support of the DREAM Act; focused conferences for educators of Hispanic, African American and Native American students; and the National Chinese Language Conference. Fall Counselor Workshops are a sure sign that the school year has begun.
NMSI Boosts Student Achievement in Arkansas
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| Pictured at the A+ College Ready Alabama announcement are (from left) Paul Dieffenthaller, Mobile Bay Operations superintendent for ExxonMobil Production Company; Alabama Gov. Bob Riley; Alabama State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton; and John Winn, chief program officer of NMSI. |
Two years ago, grants of up to $13.2 million each were awarded to Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science and programs in five other states from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI)to provide training and incentive programs to teachers of AP® courses in their respective states over the next six years. Today, results from the first cohort of 67 program schools confirm dramatic increases in student achievement in rigorous math and science courses. For the 2008-09 school year, there was a 51 percent increase in AP Exams passed in math, science and English — more than nine times higher than the national average.
AP students in math, science and English took more than 13,000 exams in 2008-09, an increase of 80.1 percent over 2007-08. These results suggest that NMSI is helping to close the achievement gap in math and science. The program has demonstrated impressive increases in participation and performance for underrepresented students, especially African American and Hispanic students. The number of AP math, science and English exams taken by African American and Hispanic students in 2008-09 increased 134.3 percent, while the percentage of these exams passed increased 71.2 percent. Female students, who are traditionally underrepresented in math and science, increased their pass rate by 54.7 percent in math, science and English for 2008-09.
In Arkansas, AP math and science enrollment at the 10 NMSI program schools is 1,354, and it is projected in 2009 to account for more than 15 percent of all AP math and science exams taken and more than 20 percent of all the AP math and science exams passed in the state. Also at these 10 schools, AP math and science enrollment for African Americans and Hispanics increased 106 percent, from 132 to 272.
The scores were officially announced by NMSI in conjunction with the A+ College Ready Program, which administers the AP Training and Incentive Program (APTIP)in Alabama, at a press conference held at Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Ala. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and Alabama Superintendent of Education Joe Morton participated in the announcement. Additional announcement events were held in Arkansas and Kentucky.
The increase in student participation in AP college-level course work in the NMSI program schools is changing the culture of expectations. These initial results indicate that enhanced teacher training, teacher incentives, student scholarships, more time on task for students and master teacher mentoring can dramatically increase the number of students succeeding in many areas of college-level work.
"These first-year results demonstrate that more rigorous and effective math and science programs can be replicated successfully nationwide. This program is going to open the doors to college for many more students," said Tom Luce, CEO of NMSI.
The results were achieved by replicating APTIP in six states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia. This successful replication, when expanded across multiple states and school districts, is expected to deliver results in a rapid, cost-effective, efficient and self-sustaining manner. This kind of national effort is essential to improve the capacity of our public education system.
This fall, NMSI will be implementing the program in 142 public high schools, more than twice as many as last year.
To see a more comprehensive summary of NMSI's first-year program results for the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program, click here.
University of Central Oklahoma Helps Students Through Compass Learning
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| Autumn Brinegar, Compass coordinator at UCO |
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Not quite two years ago, the College Board announced one of its boldest advocacy efforts to date, The CollegeKeys Compact™, which invited all member schools, colleges and universities to sign a pledge to help low-income students earn college degrees. The means to this end are numerous: Compact proposals include creating partnerships to provide more mentors for young people; waiving fees for college applications for these target students; educating administrators, counselors and teachers about the reality of financial aid needs; and providing additional tutoring and supplemental instruction. The pledge also calls for culturally relevant programming.
The University of Central Oklahoma, a member of CollegeKeysTM, has launched an initiative called the Compass Learning Community, which offers at-risk students from rural, low-income, first-generation and Latino backgrounds all of the support outlined above and more to help ensure that these students stay in school and earn their degrees.
Each summer, 25 students are invited to participate in this community, which provides them with an incredible opportunity to tap into some of UCO’s best faculty and tutoring resources.
“Many of our students enter college with the deck stacked against them. They work 30+ hours a week, being the first in their family to attend college and are often from very small towns,” said Autumn Brinegar, the UCO Compass coordinator. “We surround them with some of our top faculty, additional tutoring opportunities, a staff member on their floor (me) and whatever else we can do to ensure their success. The program is young but extraordinarily promising.”
Supported by the administration, staff members and a grant from the Inasmuch Foundation, UCO is able to place Compass students together in a residence hall with a counselor on site. Students take five of their classes together, and instructors work to overlap curriculum. The grant also supports peer mentors, supplemental tutoring and instruction, and travel expenses. The first year results have been better than imagined. Students earn higher GPAs than they thought possible, take leadership roles throughout campus and earn scholarships. Most important, these students are now part of a true learning community.
“All throughout my high school years I wanted to attend college but it seemed impossible for me,” says sophomore Olivia Saldana, one of last year’s participants. “My parents didn’t have the money, and I had no idea where to even start. I waited a year after I graduated from high school to go to college. I just remember my mom saying ‘Go to college! Have a better life than we did, we will find a way to pay for it.’ That meant everything to me. So I applied and got accepted!
“Once I was accepted, the idea of going to college started feeling real. I was so lucky to be part of the wonderful Compass program. They helped me with so much — from meeting new people to filling out financial aid papers! I would have struggled so much my first year if it wasn’t for this program. I am a first-generation college student, so I had no idea what to expect, but I got through my first year thanks to this program. If I could do it all over again, I would!”
Now beginning its second year, expectations for Compass have been raised. One of the program’s creators, UCO associate vice president of Enrollment Management Jay Corwin says they set an aggressive goal to graduate at least 50 percent of each cohort, which would be almost five times the current graduation rate for these students. To reach this level, offices from across campus have come together. “Our president gave us the green light and from there, numerous faculty and staff have come together to make this a reality,”
Corwin said.
The CollegeKeys Compact asks colleges and universities to make a pledge to help students from all backgrounds graduate college. The Compass Learning Community at Central is an excellent program to help make that happen, and it can be replicated at campuses of all sizes.
Upcoming Southwestern Region
2009 Fall Counselor Workshops
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Each fall, thousands of educators come together at dozens of workshops across the country for the College Board’s Fall Counselor Workshops. This year, we have a new way for you to participate: |
LIVE – ON DEMAND –
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Check back often, live sessions are updated regularly. |
Attend a free workshop in your region.
Register online at www.collegeboard.com/meetings
| 9/23 | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Fayetteville, Ark. |
| 9/23 | University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M. |
| 9/23 | Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City. Okla. |
| 9/23 | Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas |
| 9/24 | Las Cruces Public Schools, Las Cruces, N.M. |
| 9/25 | University of North Texas, Denton, Texas |
| 9/25 | University of Houston-Main Campus, Houston, Texas |
| 9/29 | Baylor University, Waco, Texas |
| 9/29 | University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas |
| 9/29 | University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas |
| 9/30 | University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas |
| 10/1 | Region 16 ESC, Amarillo, Texas |
| 10/1 | University of Texas at San Antonio (Downtown), San Antonio, Texas |
Events & Workshops
Click here to see events and workshops in the Southwestern Region.
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During this pivotal time in our nation, the College Board invites you to join us for two special opportunities to connect with education professionals dedicated to impacting change and increasing college readiness.
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The College Board |
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