capacity-building workshop 2015 - National Council for Community ...

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University Enterprises Corporation at California State University,. San Bernardino ('14) ..... Micaela Vazquez-Hahn, Dir
NCCEP/GEAR UP

CAPACITY-BUILDING WORKSHOP 2015 Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Philadelphia, PA February 8–11, 2015

2015 CBW PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS CBW Sponsors............................2

Welcome to the Workshop!

Important Program Notes & List of Exhibitors......................3

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education and the National

GEAR UP in 2015......................... 4

welcome you to the 2015 NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building

Schedule of Events, Room Locations, General Sessions, and Roundtables........................ 6

Workshop (CBW).

Workshop Descriptions: • The Directors’ Network........... 11 • GEAR UP 101.......................... 13 • Parent Engagement................ 14 • Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming........... 16 • Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success.......... 20 • Grant Management................22 • Evaluation Showcase: Findings & Lessons Learned................................23 • The Coordinators’ Catalyst Network...................25 • Closing Gaps in STEM Learning and Careers.............26

Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), we

We are thrilled to have you and your GEAR UP team members here in historic and vibrant Philadelphia! We hope you have a great Workshop, taking full advantage of the CBW’s in-depth professional development, knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you this week and throughout the year as NCCEP continues to grow and diversify its programs and services in response to the needs of the GEAR UP community. Also, we want to thank you for your personal commitment to making college access and success a reality for all students — you are making a significant positive difference in the lives of young people and our nation’s future.

• Helping GEAR UP Students Earn College Credit in High School..........................27 Speaker Bios............................28

Nathan Monell, CAE / President and CEO National Council for Community and Education Partnerships

Thank You to Our Workshop Sponsors ACT, Inc. Track Sponsor Strategies for First Year Success All Aboard Tours & Travel Break Sponsor Tuesday Afternoon AVID Break Sponsor Monday Afternoon College Board Track Sponsor Advancing College Readiness

ConferenceDirect Break Sponsor – Monday Morning Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Monday Lunch Sponsor Quantum Learning Tuesday Lunch Sponsor Texas Instruments Track Sponsor Directors’ Network The Princeton Review Track Sponsor – GEAR UP 101

NCCEP WORKING FOR YOU The National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization working to increase access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students. Confident that education paves the way to social equity, NCCEP advances college access through advocacy, training, and research. To fulfill this mission, NCCEP establishes community-education partnerships, strengthens research-based college access programs, promotes sound federal public policy, and develops tools and resources to provide educational opportunities for all students. National Council for Community and Education Partnerships 1400 20th Street, NW, Suite G-1 • Washington, DC 20036 (202) 530-1135 • www.edpartnerships.org

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



IMPORTANT PROGRAM NOTES

Thank you for your active participation in discussions and workshops throughout the CBW, and attention to the following important program notes: • Please attend the workshops and roundtable discussions that you registered for as rooms were assigned based on those registration numbers. If you need to make a change to better serve your needs please let NCCEP know at the information booth and wait for those who pre-registered to be seated first to make sure there is space available. • Workshop materials (where available) will be posted online at www.edprograms.org under “Conferences & Trainings/Conference Materials.” • The CBW participant evaluation surveys will be e-mailed to all registrants at the close of the program. • Workshop Registration, Information Booth, and Lost & Found are located in the Salon E Foyer. • All meals take place in the Grand Ballroom; meal tickets are required for all breakfasts and lunches. • Print, copy, and shipping services can be found at the FedEx Office Center located in the lobby.



SOCIAL MEDIA



EXHIBITORS

• ACT, Inc. www.act.org • All Aboard Tours & Travel www.allaboardtours.com/GEARUP • Applerouth Tutoring www.applerouth.com • Arel Moodie’s College Success Program www.collegesuccessprogram.com • AVID www.avid.org • CoBro Consulting www.cobroconsulting.com • College Board www.collegeboard.org • CoolSpeak www.coolspeak.net • EduGuide www.eduguide.org • Explore Colleges www.explorecolleges.org • FOCUS Training www.transition.focustraining.com • Front Porch Press www.frontporchpress.com/TRIO/success

• Tweet at: @edpartnerships Use hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

• Grant MaximizerTM www.grantmaximizer.com

• Share your thoughts on NCCEP’s Discussion Board on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/ GEAR-UP-112979

• Krystal Clear Promotions www.kcpsuppliesinc.com

• NCCEP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCCEP



IMPORTANT GEAR UP DATES

March 9 — GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy (Application Deadline) March 15 — 2015 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference Proposal (Submission Deadline) April 30 — Superintendent Leadership Institute Class of 2015–16 (Application Deadline) May 8 — 2015 GEAR UP Leadership Awards (Nomination Deadline) July 19-22 — 2015 NCCEP/GEAR UP Annual Conference in San Francisco, CA September 21-25 — National GEAR UP Week

• The MAAX Program www.theMAAX.com • National Endowment for Financial Education www.nefe.org • Quantum Learning www.quantumlearning.com • Signal Vine, LLC www.signalvine.com • Student Success Agency www.studentsuccess.co • Study Smart Tutors www.studysmarttutors.com • Texas Instruments www.education.ti.com • The Princeton Review www.princetonreview.com • Xcalibur www.xcalibur.com

Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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GEAR UP in 2015 ROSTER OF CURRENT GEAR UP GRANTEES

With the FY 2014 appropriation of $301.6 million, GEAR UP supports 128 grantees serving an estimated 551,000 students across the nation this year.

STATE GRANTS

PARTNERSHIP GRANTS

Total # of Awards

37

Total # of Awards



# of New FY14 Awards

27

# of New FY14 Awards

31



# of Continuing Awards

10

# of Continuing Awards

60

Total Funding this Year

$136,247,910



Funding for New Awards

$31,264,008

Funding for New Awards

$51,420,120



Avg. New Award (Annual)

$3,126,401

Avg. New Award (Annual)

$1,658,714

Avg. Continuing Award (Annual)

$3,888,293

ALABAMA • Birmingham City Schools (‘14) • The University of Alabama at Birmingham (‘14*)

Total Funding this Year

91

$158,688,686

Avg. Continuing Award (Annual)

$1,787,809

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA • College of Micronesia (‘10)

ALASKA • Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula (‘11)

FLORIDA • Hillsborough County Public Schools (‘14) • Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus (‘11)

ARIZONA • Eastern Arizona College–Graham County Community College (‘14) • Northern Arizona University (‘12*)

GEORGIA • Bibb County School District (‘11) • Savannah State University (‘11)

ARKANSAS • Phillips Community College–University of Arkansas (‘11)

HAWAII • University of Hawaii (‘11*, ‘11, ‘14)

CALIFORNIA • California State University, Dominguez Hills (‘11) • California State University, Fullerton (‘11) • Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation (‘14) • Los Angeles Unified School District (‘11, ‘11, ‘14) • Marymount College (‘11) • MiraCosta Community College District (‘11) • Palomar Community College District (‘11) • Rancho Santiago Comm. College District–Santa Ana College (‘09) • San Diego State University Research Foundation (‘09) • The Regents of the University of California, Davis (‘11) • The Regents of the University of California, Office of the President (‘11*) • The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz (‘11, ‘11, ‘14) • University Corporation at Monterey Bay (CSU-Monterey Bay) (‘14, ‘14) • University Enterprises Corporation at California State University, San Bernardino (‘14) • YPI Charter Schools (‘14)

IDAHO • Idaho State Department of Education (‘11*)

COLORADO • Colorado Department of Higher Education (‘11*) • School District 1, City and Council of Denver (‘11) • Weld County School District, Greeley (‘14) CONNECTICUT • Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education (‘12*) • Yale University (‘11)

ILLINOIS • East St. Louis School District #189 (‘14) • Northeastern Illinois University (‘10, ‘11, ‘14) IOWA • Iowa College Student Aid Commission (‘14*) KANSAS • University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. (‘11, ‘11, ‘14) • Wichita State University (‘09*, ‘14, ‘14) KENTUCKY • Berea College (‘11, ‘11, ‘14) • Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (‘11*) LOUISIANA • Lafayette Parish School System (‘14) MAINE • University of Maine, Farmington (‘14*) MARYLAND • Maryland State Department of Education (‘14*) MASSACHUSETTS • Massachusetts Board of Higher Education System (‘11*) • Mount Wachusett Community College (‘10)

*Denotes State Grant

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

MICHIGAN • Michigan Strategic Fund (‘11*) MINNESOTA • Hennepin Technical College (‘12) • Minneapolis Public Schools, Special School District #1 (‘14) • Minnesota Office of Higher Education (‘11*) MONTANA • Montana University System, Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (‘11*) NEVADA • Board of Regents, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (‘11, ‘11, ‘11) • Nevada Department of Education (‘12*) NEW JERSEY • New Jersey Commission on Higher Education (‘11*) NEW MEXICO • Chama Valley Independent School District (‘09) • Eastern New Mexico University–Roswell (‘11) • New Mexico Higher Education Department (‘12*) NEW YORK • New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (‘14*) • Mohawk Valley Community College (‘11) • St. John’s University (‘14) NORTH CAROLINA • Appalachian State University (‘14, ‘14) • University of North Carolina General Administration (‘12*) OHIO • Lorain City School District (‘11) • Ohio Board of Regents (‘14*) OKLAHOMA • Eastern Oklahoma State College (‘11) • Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (‘11*) • Seminole State College (‘11) • The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (‘11) • University of Central Oklahoma (‘14) OREGON • Oregon State University (‘14*) • School District 1J Multnomah County (‘11, ‘14) PENNSYLVANIA • Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (‘14*) • School District of Lancaster (‘11) • School District of Philadelphia (‘09, ‘14) RHODE ISLAND • Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education (‘11*)

SOUTH CAROLINA • Charleston County School District (‘11) • Richland School District Two (‘14) • South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (‘11*) • South Carolina State University (‘12) SOUTH DAKOTA • South Dakota Department of Education (‘11*) TENNESSEE • Tennessee Higher Education Commission (‘12*) • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (‘11) TEXAS • Desoto Independent School District (‘14) • Education Service Center Region 12 (‘11) • IDEA Public Schools (‘12) • Region One Education Service Center (‘11) • San Antonio Independent School District (‘11) • Stephen F. Austin State University (‘11) • Sul Ross State University (‘11) • Texas A&M International University (‘11) • Texas A&M University, Kingsville (‘14) • Texas Education Agency (‘12*) • The University of Texas at El Paso (‘11) UTAH • Ogden School District (‘11) • Utah State University (‘12) • Utah Valley University (‘11*) VERMONT • Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (‘11*) VIRGINIA • State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (‘14*) WASHINGTON • Central Washington University (‘11, ‘14) • Highline Public Schools (‘14) • University of Washington (‘11) • Washington Student Achievement Council (‘11*) • Washington State University (‘11, ‘11) WEST VIRGINIA • West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (‘14*) WISCONSIN • Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (‘11*) • Milwaukee Public Schools (‘11) WYOMING • University of Wyoming (‘11*)

ABOUT GEAR UP The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a discretionary grant program of the U.S. Department of Education designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP provides six-year grants to states and partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. GEAR UP grantees serve an entire cohort of students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follow the cohort through high school. GEAR UP funds are also used to provide college scholarships to low-income students. For more information, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html.

Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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CBW Schedule of Events

SUNDAY / FEBRUARY 8

4:00 pm–7:00 pm

Registration & Information Booth Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor)

7:00 pm–8:15 pm

Connecting to the Big Picture: An Orientation to GEAR UP — Salon A & B (5th floor)

Facilitator: Alex Chough, Vice President of Government Relations, NCCEP Are you new to GEAR UP? Do you need a refresher on the program? No matter your role, make the most of the CBW by gaining a grounding of purpose, history, and structure of GEAR UP at the national, state, and local levels. This interactive seminar, with additional time for questions at the end, will help participants connect the dots between all of the diverse programs, roles, and unique partnership structures and models that make GEAR UP such a success. (Please note that there will be content overlap between this orientation and GEAR UP 101.)



MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9

7:00 am–4:00 pm 7:00 am–4:00 pm 7:15 am–8:15 am

Registration & Information Booth Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Exhibits Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Networking Breakfast — Grand Ballroom (5th floor)

8:15 am–9:00 am

GENERAL SESSION A — Grand Ballroom (5th floor) Flag Presentation — South Philadelphia High School Army JROTC National Anthem — Philadelphia Recording Artists “Raw Beauty” The Honorable Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia Nathan Monell, CAE, President & CEO, National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), Washington, DC James Davis, Director, GEAR UP, TRIO Talent Search, and College Access and Challenge Grants, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC The Honorable Chaka Fattah, U.S. House of Representatives (PA-2), Washington, DC

9:15 am–10:45 am

MONDAY WORKSHOP TRACKS

Salon C & D (5th floor) Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Grant Management Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) Salon L & K (5th floor) 6. ACR – A: What Makes for Effective Tutoring? Strategies for Designing and Implementing Effective Tutoring Programs Salon A & B (5th floor) 7. ACR – B: Strategies for Creating a School-Wide College Going Culture 10:45 am–11:00 am

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Break — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Sponsored by ConferenceDirect

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Monday Workshop Tracks (continued)

Salon C & D (5th floor) Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Grant Management Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) Salon A & B (5th floor) 6. ACR – C: When Beliefs Meet Reality: Strategies for Raising College Ready Expectations for Students and Communities Franklin 3 (4th floor) 7. ACR – D: Lessons Learned from College Application Initiatives 12:15 pm–1:00 pm

Networking Lunch — Grand Ballroom (5th floor) Sponsored by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

1:00 pm–1:45 pm

GENERAL SESSION B — Grand Ballroom (5th floor)



Just Say It! Making ANY Conversation Easy No one wants to hear that she isn’t doing a good job. Thus no one wants to tell her. Telling your boss you’re frustrated or aren’t hitting your targets is even more difficult, and thus many of us don’t. Worse, is that most feedback, positive or negative, is useless because it’s vague. Get a simple formula to make even the most difficult conversation easier. Conversations will be short, specific and on point. They won’t be personal. They will be actionable. You’ll be able to say what you want to say, when you want to say it, in a way that the other person can hear you and take action. In this session you will learn how to give clear and specific feedback that employees can act upon immediately; provide feedback to peers, direct supervisors, and others at a higher level in a way that does not elicit defensive responses; and eliminate your blind spots so you can receive more feedback without showing emotion or frustration. Shari Harley, MA, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Founder and President of Candid Culture, Author, How to Say Anything to Anyone, Denver, CO

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Monday Workshop Tracks (continued)

Salon C & D (5th floor) Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Grant Management Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) Salon A & B (5th floor) 6. ACR – E: College Fit: Personalizing the College Search, Application, and Enrollment Process Salon K & L (5th floor) 7. ACR – F: Effectively Utilizing Data for Personalizing Instruction and Interventions 3:30 pm–4:00 pm

Break — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Sponsored by AVID

4:00 pm–5:00 pm

GEAR UP Team Meetings

4:00 pm–6:00 pm

GEAR UP Advisory Commission Meeting

Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10

7:00 am–4:00 pm 7:00 am–4:00 pm 7:15 am–8:15 am

Registration & Information Booth Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Exhibits Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Networking Breakfast — Grand Ballroom (5th floor)

8:15 am–9:00 am

GENERAL SESSION C — Grand Ballroom (5th Floor)



GEAR-UP: Improving Evidence & Innovation to Advance Student Success If the nation will reach the goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, investments in college and career readiness through GEAR UP and similar programs are critical. GEAR UP is a signature program, and an important proving ground for student support activities that promote college access.



Speaker: James T. Minor, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC

9:15 am–10:45 am

TUESDAY WORKSHOP TRACKS

Salon C & D (5th floor) Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th Floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Evaluation Showcase: Findings and Lessons Learned Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Salon A & B (5th floor) Salon I & J (5th floor)

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) 6. ACR – G: Designing and Implementing Effective Near-Peer Mentoring Programs in Secondary School 7. ACR – H: Strategies for Successful FAFSA Completion Initiatives

10:45 am–11:00 am

Break — Salon E Foyer (5th Floor)

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Tuesday Workshop Tracks (continued)

Salon C & D (5th floor) Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th Floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Evaluation Showcase: Findings and Lessons Learned Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Salon A & B (5th floor) Salon I & J (5th floor)

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) 6. ACR – I: Designing and Implementing a College Readiness Elective Course in HS 7. ACR – J: Understanding the Role of Student Non-Cognitive Factors in Theory & Practice

12:15 pm–1:00 pm

Networking Lunch — Grand Ballroom Sponsored by Quantum Learning

1:00 pm–1:45 pm

GENERAL SESSION D — Grand Ballroom (5th Floor) College Admissions Panel: Preparing GEAR UP Students for College Access and Success Join a panel of college admissions experts from three diverse institutions to learn about key strategies, trends, and issues in the college admissions process.



Moderator: Nathan Monell, NCCEP



Panelists: Daniel Lugo, Vice President & Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania, Office of Admissions, Philadelphia, PA

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



Brenda Thompson, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Tuesday Workshop Tracks (continued)

Salon C&D (5th floor) Franklin 5&6 (4th floor) Franklin 1 (4th Floor) Franklin 2 (4th floor) Franklin 4 (4th floor)

1. The Directors’ Network 2. GEAR UP 101 3. Parent Engagement Track 4. Evaluation Showcase: Findings and Lessons Learned Track 5. Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success

Salon I & J (5th floor) Salon A & B (5th floor)

Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming (ACR) 6. ACR – K: Understanding the Nuts & Bolts of Federal Financial Aid 7. ACR – L: Utilizing Real-World Data to Improve High School Graduation Rates

3:30 pm–4:00 pm

Break — Salon E Foyer (5th Floor) Sponsored by All Aboard Tours & Travel

4:00 pm–4:45 pm Franklin 8 & 9 (4th Floor)

Peer Networking Session! What is working well in your GEAR UP work? Where are your biggest challenges? What strategies, practices, and resources have been most effective for you? What questions do you have for your colleagues?



Network and share knowledge with people with similar GEAR UP roles: • Directors • Counselors • Coordinators • School Site Coordinators • Evaluators (Coordinating GEAR UP at the School Level) • Finance and Administration • Parent Engagement Coordinators (Grant Management) • Teachers, Tutors, and Coaches • School Administrators • GEAR UP Partners

4:45 pm–5:30 pm



GEAR UP Team Meetings

WEDNESDAY / FEBRUARY 11

7:00 am–1:00 pm 7:15 am–8:15 am

Registration & Information Booth Open — Salon E Foyer (5th floor) Networking Breakfast — Grand Ballroom (5th floor)

8:15 am–9:00 am

GENERAL SESSION E — Grand Ballroom (5th floor) Engaged Families: A Moderated Panel Nothing keeps us grounded in our work like hearing from those who are impacted by GEAR UP services. Four family members of GEAR UP students will share their experience with GEAR UP, their perspectives about how GEAR UP can succeed in recruiting and engaging more family members, and their view of their students’ college aspirations and barriers. Moderator: Nathan Monell, NCCEP Panelists: Vicki Richardson, Foster Parent Trainer, Independent Living Consultant, Great Bend, KS Jesse Hernandez, Brother of 2012 GEAR UP Graduate, Member, SAISD Foundation and the Parent Leadership Academy, San Antonio, TX Karyn Montague, Parent of a GEAR UP student at Wilson High School, Florence, SC Rozona Brown, GEAR UP Philadelphia Parent, Philadelphia, PA

9:15 am–11:45 am

WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS

Franklin 1 (4th floor) Salon I & J (5th floor)

1. The Coordinators’ Catalyst Network 2. Closing Gaps in STEM Learning and Careers

Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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Franklin 5 & 6 (4th floor) 3. Helping GEAR UP Students Earn College Credit in High School 9:15 am–10:20am

ROUNDTABLES SESSION A: NETWORKING, DISCUSSION, RESOURCE SHARING

Salon C (5th floor)

4. (A) Rural Program Issues, Success and Challenges

Discussion Facilitators: Laurie Miller, Ph.D., Statewide Director, Utah GEAR UP Education Program, Orem, UT Stephanie Carnahan, Director, Oregon GEAR UP, Corvallis, OR Franklin 8 & 9 (4th floor)

5. (A) Urban Programs – Successes and Challenges

Discussion Facilitators: Alexandrea Robinson-Rogers, Director, GEAR UP School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Micaela Vazquez-Hahn, Director, GEAR UP 4 LA, Los Angeles, CA Franklin 2 (4th floor)

6. A) Year 1 GEAR UP Grant Success: Getting Off to a Great Start

Discussion Facilitators: Linda Shiller, Director, Vermont State GEAR UP; Director, Career & Education Outreach Development, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Winooski, VT Wendy M. Stack, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, Access, Innovation and Research, Director, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Executive Director, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL

Franklin 401 (4th floor) 7. Workshop/Discussion: Preparing Students to Understand the Challenges of Sexual Harassment on College Campuses Workshop Leader: Martha Cantu, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Texas–Pan American, Edinburg, TX 10:40 am–11:45 am

ROUNDTABLES SESSION B: NETWORKING, DISCUSSION, RESOURCE SHARING

Salon C (5th floor)

4. (B) State Programs – Successes and Challenges Discussion Facilitators: Robert E. Dais, Director, GEAR UP Massachusetts, Revere, MA Shelley Davis, Director, California State GEAR UP, Sacramento, CA

Salon D (5th floor)

5. (B) Partnership Programs – Successes and Challenges

Franklin 3 (4th floor)

Discussion Facilitators: Julie Johnson, Mira Costa Community College District, Oceanside, CA Nadia L. Ward, M.Ed., Ph.D., Assistant Professor Psychiatry and Director Urban Education, Prevention & Policy Research at Yale University, Project Director, Yale-Bridgeport GEAR UP Partnership Project, New Haven, CT

6. (B) Undocumented Students: Challenges and Promise

Discussion Facilitators: Tina Atkins, Director, Region One ESC GEAR UP, Edinburg, TX Roxanne Rosales, Ph.D., Sr. Executive Director, Academic Support, San Antonio Independent School District, San Antonio, TX

Franklin 412 (4th floor) 7. (B) Is There a GUALA In Your Community in 2015? Everything You Need to Know about the GEAR UP Leadership Alumni Academy Discussion Facilitator: Amy Falk Sheldon, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, NCCEP, Washington, DC 12:00 pm–1:00 pm

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Lunch and Adjournment — Grand Ballroom (5th Floor)

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



Department of Education Post-Workshop Sessions Open to All Attendees

1:15 pm–2:15 pm

Final Performance Report — Salon A & B (5th floor)



The U.S. Department of Education will provide information to grantees regarding the close-out of their grants. This session will include information about how to request a no-cost extension period and detailed information about the Final Performance Report that each grantee is required to file at the end of the grant performance period.

2:15 pm–4:15 pm

Documenting the Match — Salon A & B (5th floor)



This session is designed for GEAR UP project directors and budget representatives who want to learn about the rules and regulations associated with matching GEAR UP funds. The session will explore allowable, allocable, and reasonable matching purchases as well as unallowable costs that grantees should avoid.

4:15 pm–5:15 pm

Annual Performance Report — Salon A & B (5th floor)



The U.S. Department of Education will provide technical assistance designed to assist grantees in completing an Annual Performance Report (APR). Each grantee’s annual and cumulative result has a direct impact on the future of the GEAR UP program as appropriations are connected to program results aggregated from individual project data. This session will review the process for completing the web-based APR.

Workshop Track Descriptions

The Directors’ Network Sponsored by Texas Instruments

Duration

Monday, 4.25 hours / Tuesday, 4.25 hours

Audience

For GEAR UP Directors only. To support a climate of high trust and transparency with peers, only lead directors, or their designee, will be admitted.

Overview

This track is designed for GEAR UP Directors whose leadership impacts the success of their programs. Directors will learn about and discuss key policy issues, enhance their self-understanding and leadership skills in managing the human dynamics of staffing and community partnerships, and engage in peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and discussion.

Objectives

In this workshop you will: • • • • •

Gain updated knowledge of policy and advocacy issues from experts on a federal public policy panel and analyze and discuss implications relevant to your GEAR UP program. Obtain understanding about how to manage challenging partnerships. Practice skills to communicate clearly in high-conflict situations. Participate in small-group discussions with your peers to help you address your most pressing, practical challenges. Experience an outcomes-based, open space-type knowledge sharing environment designed to maximize participant-centered learning and problem solving.

Facilitator

Nathan Monell, CAE, President and CEO, NCCEP, Washington, DC

Key Questions

• • •

What are the trends in federal policy that may affect GEAR UP? What works well for you in building and sustaining effective relationships? Where are your biggest challenges? What are the most pressing issues in directing GEAR UP that you would like to discuss with your peers?

Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9 9:15 am–10:45 am

Federal Public Policy for 2015–2016 Greg Darnieder, Senior Advisor to the Secretary on the College Access Initiative, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC Alex Chough, Vice President for Government Relations, NCCEP, Washington, DC



Moderator: Nathan Monell, NCCEP

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Identifying and Managing the Sharks in Your Waters Managing large teams and extended community partnerships is not for the faint of heart. This session identifies some of the common “change agents” who may try to derail your program’s direction. Join this informative and completely candid discussion and walk away with tactics, interpersonal strategies, and solutions to managing the sharks in your waters.



Erin M. Fuller, FASAE, MPA, CAE, President, Coulter, McLean, VA

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

How to Say Anything to Anyone: Setting Expectations for Powerful Working Relationships You have a request for one of your co-workers but don’t know how to say it, so you don’t say anything. A project you worked on for six months has become a black hole. There is no information about the status. You’re frustrated, but you don’t say anything. Two employees aren’t working well together. It’s impacting the atmosphere in the office. You don’t know what to say, so you don’t say anything. Speaking up when we are frustrated is hard and, as a result, most of us don’t. Instead, either we tell other people (aka gossip) or we say nothing, and relationships become strained. You can say anything to anyone and have it be easy. You just need to lay the ground work to do so, and most of us don’t. In this session you will learn how to: • Build trust in all of your business relationships, making it easier to say hard things. • Find out what the people you work with need from you, so you don’t have to guess. • Tell others what you need, making it more likely that your needs are met. Shari Harley, MA, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), Founder and President of Candid Culture, Author, How to Say Anything to Anyone, Denver, CO

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

The Catalyst Network The Catalyst Network workshop will utilize a modified Open Space Format developed by Harrison Owen to engage the competence and diversity within the GEAR UP Directors to resolve pressing problems that their peers are facing. Each Director is asked to present three challenges they are facing in their GEAR UP program. Individuals will self-select which topic has saliency with them and join those discussions. Networking is always one of the most highly-rated aspects of GEAR UP conferences and this structured process will harness that value. Participants will have a chance share their insights, ideas, resources, questions, challenges, strategies, and suggestions with colleagues in a confidential setting. Nathan Monell, President and CEO, National Council for Community and Education Partnerships, Washington, DC

11:00 am–12:15 pm

The Catalyst Network (continued)

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

The Catalyst Network (continued)

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



GEAR UP 101 Sponsored by The Princeton Review

Duration

Monday, 4.25 hours / Tuesday, 4.25 hours

Audience

Personnel from campuses, districts, and GEAR UP staff in years 1 or 2 of their grant, or who are new to an existing GEAR UP grant and need a broad overview of the program are encouraged to attend in teams.

Overview

This track is designed for GEAR UP education and community leaders in years 1 or 2 of their project, or who are new to an existing GEAR UP grant. The curriculum focuses on helping project staff and partners learn more about GEAR UP on a national scale and then translate that knowledge into effective local initiatives. GEAR UP 101 participants will have an opportunity to engage in dialogue and planning with their grant team, with other new grantees, and with partners who have valuable experience in GEAR UP projects. This track will include an overview of federal requirements and a presentation of ideas and information about resources, useful forms, grant management strategies, partner relationships, and successful activities that have been implemented in other projects. On Wednesday, participants will have the opportunity to attend additional workshops or roundtable discussions.

Objectives

In this workshop you will:



• • •



Engage in a variety of activities that further your understanding of GEAR UP grants, their structure, and organization. Interact with other new grantees, as well as experienced GEAR UP professionals, and have opportunities to network within groups. Determine ways your grant can customize the ideas and strategies provided, and adapt them to your grant’s specific needs and available resources.

Facilitators

Doris Teague, M.Ed., Consultant, Region One ESC GEAR UP Partnership, McKinney, TX Lilia Tanakeyowma, Ed.D., Dean of Student Affairs and GEAR UP Director, Office of School and Community Partnerships, Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA

Key Questions

• • •



Prerequisite

What is the structure of GEAR UP grants? What are the required components? How is my grant organized? What types of practices and partnerships have proven successful for experienced (and new) grantees? Using what we know and have learned, how can our GEAR UP team develop short and long-term goals that maximize our strengths, and those of our partnerships, to develop a successful, sustainable postsecondary pathway for every student?

In order to maximize the time spent at this capacity-building workshop, please review your specific grant description, partnerships, personnel structure, and planned activities. You are encouraged to bring a copy of your GEAR UP grant proposal and other material to use as a resource during the various activities planned.

MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9 9:15 am–10:45 am

This session will include the following:

• • • • • •

Introduction and overview. Review of the agenda and expectations. Ice breaker activity: Find a Thinking Partner. Collect questions & post them in the room to be answered as the workshop progresses. Overview of GEAR UP from a national perspective. Polling/interaction to get to know the types of projects represented in the room and participants’ roles in their GEAR UP projects.

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11:00 am–12:15 pm

This session will include the following:

• What makes a partnership project a “partnership” project? Structures that support engagement. The role of data for both compliance and for guiding the work. • Review of materials and activity—creating a visual rendition of your partnership. 2:00 pm–3:30 pm

This session will include the following:

• • • •

Several groups will share their visual product. GEAR UP resources available and ready to use right now. State and national sources featuring effective resources for GEAR UP programs, including videos, media examples, events, etc. that have been collected from several state and partnership grants. Several project directors will be invited to speak about what their projects did the first two years of the grant and what they have learned along the way. Recap, discussion, and a preview of Tuesday’s training.

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

This session will include the following:

• • • • •

Review of Day 1 and Q/A. Engaging parents and community members. Example of a successful model: Padres Promotores de la Educación. Videos and media resources related to parent and community programs. Attendees create a video (using iPads) to take back to their project related to the components of a parent/community program that promotes postsecondary education.

11:00 am–12:15 pm

This session will include the following:



• • • •

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

This session will include the following:

Working with partners and meeting GEAR UP goals/objectives. Activity: Invite selected partners to engage in a panel discussion with participants. Time for completion of group activities. Recap and discussion.

• Communicating your GEAR UP vision with partners and community members; assessing needs; creating an action plan; cultivating resources; imbedding GEAR UP into campus plans. • Activity: Complete a graphic organizer that details a possible timeline for GEAR UP activities for upcoming months and the summer. • Telling your GEAR UP story—Participants tell their stories about getting a college education. • Includes activities for motivating and celebrating students’ GEAR UP stories. • Recap, discussion, and closure.



Parent Engagement

Audience

This workshop is for any CBW attendee at any level who is interested in developing or improving on a high-quality approach to and program for parent engagement.

Overview

Effective partnerships with parents are essential to creating and sustaining high-quality GEAR UP Programs. Research establishes that when parents are actively involved in supporting their children’s learning, no matter their income level, social status, language, culture, or race, students have more positive attitudes, better attendance, higher test scores, higher graduation rates, and greater enrollment rates in postsecondary education (Henderson & Berla, 1994; Henderson & Mapp, 2002). In this workshop, the presenters will lay the foundation for parent engagement drawing upon research from both adult

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

educators and parent involvement experts, and engage the group in discussions and activities about best practices for further involving parents in their children’s education. Participants will also learn about successful strategies and activities to involve, recruit, and engage parents whether parents are from urban, rural, or suburban areas. Participants will also experience Practice-in-Action sessions and hear from parent program practitioners across the country who will share their best practices. Objectives

In this workshop you will: • • • •

Review the research and best practices that support family engagement and its relationship to student achievement. Develop strategies that improve communication between, GEAR UP teams, families, and schools. Enhance the participation of parents/families in postsecondary education through a multi-faceted recruitment plan. Enhance/develop a plan to support your work with families in GEAR UP.

Facilitator

Margaret Boyter-Escalona, Assistant Director, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL

Key Questions

• • • • • • • •

In what ways do parents play an integral role in their children’s education? Are parents actively encouraged to play an active role in their children’s education? What are the indicators of quality programs for parents? How do we currently engage parents in our GEAR UP programs? What needs to change in the engagement strategies we currently use? What are some family-friendly and culturally-sensitive strategies we can use in communicating with parents and recruiting parents? What techniques can we can use to eradicate barriers to parent participation and increase and enhance parent involvement? What aspects of the foundation sessions or the practice-in-action sessions can you use or adapt for your GEAR UP parent program?

MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9 9:15 am–10:45 am

Laying the Framework: Theory and Research on Parent Engagement This presentation highlights research and the philosophical foundation in parent engagement and involvement. The facilitator will interactively demonstrate the strong quantitative and qualitative evidence of parent involvement on the academic success of students, and will present activities to maximize parent involvement in their children’s education.



Margaret Boyter-Escalona

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Recruiting Parents: Barriers & Solutions You have heard it all before. Parents don’t want to come out because they work, they don’t have childcare, they don’t understand English, and their children tell them not to come because they are embarrassed of them. Presenters will offer solid recruitment strategies that have proven successful and can be applied universally. Through discussion and activities, participants will see that there is not a magic formula, rather, there are multi-faceted techniques and strategies that increase parent involvement—one parent at a time.

Margaret Boyter-Escalona Lois Bramwell, Director, GEAR UP 4 LA, Los Angeles, CA 2:00 pm–3:30 pm Practice-in-Action Parent Workshop: Planning for and Financing College In this workshop, participants will gain a variety of resources to support parents to develop realistic college financial plans for their children. Through innovative and interactive activities, participants will learn strategies to aid parents in understanding Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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the steps in planning for and financing college. The facilitators will demonstrate best practices in the college engagement process around GPA, Freshman On-Track, and transitions points. You will leave this workshop with a comprehensive plan for your GEAR UP parents. Rene Diaz, Parent Resource Coordinator, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL Rhonda Thomas, Program Manager, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL



TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

Parent Engagement Program Models Panel Discussion Moderator: Margaret Boyter-Escalona Panelists: Melba Schneider Castro, Director, Educational Partnerships, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA Ricardo L. Lopez, Jr., Education Specialist, GEAR UP: Ready, Set, College! Partnership, Texas Region One ESC, Edinburg, TX Marc Holley, Site Monitor, Chief Academic Support Office, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Practice-in-Action Parent Workshop: Working with Families to Find the Best College Match and Fit In this workshop, GEAR UP 4 LA will demonstrate how we engage families through our workshop on College Match and Fit. Participants will have the opportunity to observe aspects of the workshop including helping parents understand student needs and perspectives, choosing the right college, and how to support students throughout the process. We will also discuss the evolution of the workshop itself, working with a Latino population, and the importance of working with parents and students together. Frida Samayoa, Parent Coordinator, GEAR UP 4 LA, Los Angeles, CA Rachel Gonzalez, Program Manager, Families in Schools, Los Angeles, CA

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Plan Ahead: Create Your Own Work Plan for Parent Involvement and Engagement at Your School Take this opportunity to enhance/develop a plan to support your work with GEAR UP parents by rolling up your sleeves and laying out your parent work plan for 2015. The facilitators will provide you with sample documents and curriculum ideas. We will discuss and share strategies to deliver high quality content to parents through various means. There is no better marketing than making every contact with parents count! Rene Diaz and Rhonda Thomas



Advancing College Readiness Through Effective Programming Sponsored by College Board

Duration

Monday, 4.25 hours / Tuesday, 4.25 hours

Audience

GEAR UP coordinators, GEAR UP staff, teachers, counselors, K–12 administrators, and anyone interested in improving core GEAR UP program strategies.

Overview

This two-day workshop will focus on the improvement of core secondary school programs supported by GEAR UP by covering the three key areas for college readiness: postsecondary awareness, fostering aspirations, and academic success. Workshop participants will be joined by content experts who will lead dialogues on how to continually improve programs

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

at the local level. With a dozen sessions to choose from, the track will address how to maximize the effectiveness of a range of core GEAR UP strategies by summarizing key research findings, highlighting effective practices, and providing peer- to-peer discussion and knowledge-sharing opportunities. Objectives

In this workshop you will:



• • •



Be exposed to the practical “nuts and bolts” of effective practices that can be incorporated into your GEAR UP programs. Engage with colleagues and content experts on real-world strategies for improving the design and implementation of core GEAR UP programs. Gain access to tools and planning resources that can support your continuous improvement efforts with your colleagues back home.

Facilitators

Yvette Morgan, Director, St. John’s University GEAR UP, New York, NY Laurie Miller, Ph.D., Director, Utah State GEAR UP/Utah Valley University, Orem, UT Juliette Caire, Director, University of Texas-El Paso GEAR UP, El Paso, TX Karen Woodfaulk, Director of Student Services, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, Columbia, SC

Key Questions

• • •



What are the key lessons learned from research and practice? What are other GEAR UP sites doing in the pursuit of common college readiness goals that can be replicated or adapted in your community? What practical and realistic steps can be taken to improve and maximize the impact of your GEAR UP programs?

MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9 9:15 am–10:45 am

ACR Session One • ACR – A What Makes for Effective Tutoring? Strategies for Designing and Implementing Effective Tutoring Programs As a core strategy across GEAR UP programs, tutoring plays a critical role in accelerating the academic growth of students. Come learn and discuss the emerging body of research and best practices that can help improve your tutoring program. Jennifer Brown Lerner, Deputy Director, American Youth Policy Forum, Washington, DC Nadia Ward, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Psychiatry and Director Urban Education, Prevention & Policy Research at Yale University, Project Director, Yale-Bridgeport GEAR UP Partnership Project, New Haven, CT • ACR – B Strategies for Creating a School-Wide College-Going Culture We might define “culture” in a variety of ways. However, while ever so important, a college-going culture requires much more than artifacts and activities. The presenter offers conceptual and practical strategies on how to cultivate a “collegiate identity,” enforcing norms and expectations of a culture that guides students to and through college. Come prepared to learn more about, as well as share, innovative strategies. Jonathan D. Mathis, Ph.D., Director of Education and Training, National Association for College Admission Counseling, Alexandria, VA

11:00 am–12:15 pm

ACR Session Two • ACR – C When Beliefs Meet Reality: Strategies for Raising College Ready Expectations for Students and Communities Many students are firmly convinced that they are not good enough, talented enough, disciplined enough, or smart enough to make their dreams happen. It is also true that many adults (colleagues, teachers, parents) are firmly convinced that (some) students

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are not good enough, talented enough, disciplined enough, or smart enough to make their dreams happen. The good news: Students’ belief system and adults’ expectations are not hardwired. They can be changed and we can empower the adults in students’ lives (including ourselves) to make that change happen. When teachers, directors, counselors, administrators, and parents often and authentically make three powerful statements, students sense a deep commitment from the adults in their lives. Come and learn those three statements, a model to shift mindsets and how to assist others in rewiring their beliefs and expectations. Mark Reardon, Chief Learning Officer, Quantum Learning Network, Oceanside, CA • ACR – D Lessons Learned from College Application Initiatives The fundamental goal of GEAR UP is to increase the number of students who enroll in a postsecondary institution, yet the college application remains a major hurdle for many. Learn and discuss how GEAR UP schools, districts, and regions are spearheading largescale initiatives to ensure that every student has the time, resources, and support to complete their college applications. Melissa Caperton, Senior Associate, American Council on Education, Washington, DC Angela Jackson, Project Director, GEAR UP Hawaii, Honolulu, HI Adrienne Enriquez, Program Manager, Oregon GEAR UP, Corvallis, OR 2:00 pm–3:30 pm

ACR Session Three • ACR – E College Fit: Personalizing the College Search, Application, and Enrollment Process Barely half of the students who begin college each year will ever finish. It doesn’t have to be that way, especially if “fit” and focus are at the core of student-centered advising. In this session, participants will learn how to help students identify their priorities and plot action steps for achieving them, gain insight into the three basic questions admission officers ask of candidates, and develop strategies to promote self-advocacy in the admission process. Peter Van Buskirk, Founder, Best College Fit, Lancaster, PA • ACR – F Effectively Utilizing Data for Personalizing Instruction and Interventions GEAR UP leaders are increasingly relying on student and school-level data to ensure that core GEAR UP interventions and instructional practices are appropriately tailored to the needs of students with varying degrees of academic skills. Learn from experts on how to effectively draw on data to personalize your academic enrichment strategies to meet students where they are and to get them on a path to college readiness. Jolynn Horn, Vice Chancellor for Oklahoma GEAR UP, Oklahoma City, OK Dawn CheNeen Offutt, Direct Services Coordinator, GEAR UP Kentucky, Frankfort, KY Sara T. White, Project Director, GEAR UP Appalachia! Berea, KY

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

ACR Session Four • ACR – G Designing and Implementing Effective Near-Peer Mentoring Programs in Secondary School As GEAR UP has matured, so has the use of near-peer mentoring to help secondary school students develop the aspirations, determination, and knowledge necessary to navigate the pathway to higher education. Learn from GEAR UP leaders on practical strategies for making near-peer models work in your project.

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

Matt Orem, Director, College Access, University of Texas Austin, Institute for Public School Initiatives, Austin, TX Sofia Antuna, Assistant Director, GEAR UP University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Adriana Badillo, Director, GEAR UP California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA • ACR – H Strategies for Successful FAFSA Completion Initiatives A central goal for every GEAR UP project is ensuring that students and their families prepare for and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This session will present practical and collaborative “how-to” strategies for implementing and monitoring, school and district-wide FAFSA completion initiatives. Joyce V. Brown, Ed.D., Educational Consultant, Chicago, IL 11:00 am–12:15 pm

ACR Session Five • ACR – I Designing and Implementing a College Readiness Elective Course in High School Imparting knowledge about the necessary steps to prepare for and plan for postsecondary education is increasingly finding its way into the classroom. Learn from an innovative GEAR UP project at Berea GEAR UP about how the creation of high school elective courses can boost college knowledge in your schools. Kevin Hall, Director of College Access, Berea College, Berea, KY Jenny Ceesay, Associate Director of College Access, Berea College, Berea, KY Jennifer Cecil, College and Career Readiness Teacher, Berea College, Berea, KY • ACR – J Understanding the Role of Student Non-Cognitive Factors in Theory and Practice With an increasingly robust research base, educators are becoming more cognizant about the relationship between pro-academic attitudes and behaviors on academic achievement. Hear from a leading expert on what research is teaching us about noncognitive factors and discuss how to use this emerging body of research to improve your programs and impact. Steven Robbins, Ph.D., Director, Research Innovation, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ Tina Atkins, Director, Region One ESC GEAR UP, Edinburg, TX Tom Bartholomay, Evaluation Manager, Get Ready/GEAR UP Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

ACR Session Six • ACR – K Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of Federal Financial Aid The first mistake many students and their families make is assuming they can’t afford college. In this session, Kevin Roberts of the U.S. Department of Education will provide a high-level overview of federal financial aid programs, processes, eligibility requirements, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, he’ll share the latest tools, resources, publications, and outreach strategies for college access and affordability. Kevin Roberts, Awareness and Outreach Specialist at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid, Washington, DC • ACR – L Utilizing Real-World Data to Improve High School Graduation Rates The past decade has ushered in an era of dramatically improved high school graduation rates, particularly among low-income schools. Central to these efforts is the sophisticated use of data to identify, engage, and support students who are at risk of dropping out. Hear

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from experts on how to leverage real-world data available in your community to improve your dropout prevention programs. Wendy M. Stack, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, Access, Innovation and Research, Director, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Executive Director, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL Patrick Milton, Senior Manager, GEAR UP and Postsecondary Advising, Office of College and Career Success, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL



Strategies for First-Year Postsecondary Success Sponsored by ACT, Inc.

Duration

Monday, 4.25 hours / Tuesday, 4.25 hours

Audience

All GEAR UP professionals and secondary and postsecondary educators and administrators who are working on various aspects of facilitating and supporting first-year, postsecondary education (PSE) success for GEAR UP and other low-income students, including first-year service/support providers, organizers of summer transition programs, counselors and others helping students survive summer melt, and high school and PSE educators supporting the transition from high school into the first year of college.

Overview

This session will provide a developmental overview of the logistics, research, and reasoning behind GEAR UP support through the first year of postsecondary education. Participants will explore a research framework for persistence through the first year of college, learn from peers that are currently offering services in the freshman year, explore best practices around engagement and retention, and create action plans for their own projects.

Objectives

In this workshop you will: • • • •

Facilitators

Questions

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Understand data, research, and policy issues pertaining to persistence and success in the first year of postsecondary education. Learn about successful strategies from research and practice that will support students in their first year of college. Develop tangible plans that you can implement in your GEAR UP programs to prepare and support students in their first year of postsecondary education. Hear from practitioners about the logistics required for the “7th Year” of GEAR UP including outreach, communication, and tracking.

Kate Mahar, Ed.D, Associate Dean of Adult Education and Foundational Skills, Shasta Community College, Redding, CA Linda Shiller, Director, Vermont State GEAR UP; Director, Career & Education Outreach Development, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Winooski, VT Wendy M. Stack, Ph.D., Associate Vice President, Access, Innovation and Research, Director, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Executive Director, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL • What are the most important factors for ensuring successful outcomes and retention for first-year college/university students? What are the biggest challenges? • What needs to happen in high school to facilitate first-year PSE success? How can we prevent summer melt? What needs to happen and when during the first year of college/ university? • What are the key issues and relationships between first-year PSE success and college completion that can inform successful first-year support services? • What unique issues do different PSE students face? Community college students? Students at small colleges/universities? Students at large universities? • What are the current best practices and next practices for achieving successful college fit for all students? • How can we reduce remediation and increase retention rates?

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



• What are the key academic issues for students? What are the key non-cognitive, whole-student issues?

MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9

9:15 am–10:45 am

Introduction, Overview, a Developmental Road Map, and Panel Discussion • Overview of Policy and Research Resulting in the 7th Year of GEAR UP and Our Ability to Serve Students Through Year One of Postsecondary Education Kate Mahar • The Big Picture: A Developmental Roadmap for Serving GEAR UP Students Through the First Year of College Linda Shiller • Panel Discussion: Lessons Learned Planning for Year 1 Postsecondary Education

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Linda Shiller Robert E. Dais, Director GEAR UP Massachusetts, Revere, MA Jennifer Naguwa, GEAR UP Assistant Project Manager, GEAR UP Hawaii, Honolulu, HI Laurie Berryman, GEAR UP Manager and Director of Guide Program, Vermont State GEAR UP, Winooski, VT

Transitioning from the Access Agenda to the Persistence Agenda: Key Indicators to Guide Year One Programming In this session you will learn from experienced practitioners about key data elements to guide GEAR UP programming for Year 1 postsecondary education. Wendy M. Stack and Additional Members of the Chicago GEAR UP Team (TBA)

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

The Transformational Experience This motivational and engaging session will present a model of a successful “bridge program” that prepares the student’s academic mindset and supports them in their transition from high school to college. Tue Rust, Faculty Member and ACE Coordinator, Los Medanos, CA

TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

Policy to Practice

In this session you will hear from colleagues who have translated research into practice and are implementing programs to enhance student success in Year 1 postsecondary education. • Assessing Motivation, Self-Regulation, and Social Engagement for Enhanced Student Success Tina Atkins, Director, Region One ESC GEAR UP, Edinburg, TX • Txt 4 Success! How West Virginia GEAR UP is Providing College Access and Success Counseling Via Text Message Adam S. Green, Ed.D., Vice Chancellor, Division of Student Affairs, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, Charleston, WV • Strategies for a Successful First-Year PSE Program: Campus-Specific Programming and Evaluation Strategies Laurie Berryman Julie Welkowitz, GEAR UP Evaluation and Research Analyst, Vermont State GEAR UP, Winooski, VT Tweet at: @edpartnerships / Hashtags: #cbw15 or #gearupworks

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11:00 am–12:15 pm

Pulling it all Together: Washington DC’s College Retention Project This session will highlight an innovative practice, how they unite partners and practices to promote student success in the first year of college. Topics will include college fit, peer mentoring and their partnership with the Posse Project (OSSE). Chloe Woodward-Magrane, Manager, Early College and Career Awareness, Postsecondary and Career Education, Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Government of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC SirWalter Hemphill, Management Analyst, Higher Education Financial Services, Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Postsecondary & Career Education, Government of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Q/A and Action Planning In this session you will engage in Q/A and discussion with a panel of experienced practitioners and have an opportunity to do facilitated action planning in small groups. Linda Shiller, Laurie Berryman, and Julie Welkowitz (Vermont State GEAR UP) Jenny Zuluaga, Assistant Director, Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, Center for College Access and Success, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL ACE: The Academy for College Excellence Posse Project (OSSE) Kate Mahar and Wendy M. Stack



Grant Management

Duration

Monday, 4.25 hours

Audience

This workshop is for GEAR UP administrative staff and others working in various offices of the grantee in areas such as sponsored accounting, grant administration, and post-award documentation and reporting functions.



*Important Note: The U.S. Department of Education has asked all Directors of the new (2014) GEAR UP grants (or their designee) who are new to GEAR UP to attend this workshop.

Overview

This is a three-session workshop designed to offer participants the opportunity to focus on grants management topics. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all three sessions for maximum benefit. The desired outcome for the day’s workshop is that participants understand 1) the nature and characteristics of ED grants, 2) basics of administering a GEAR UP grant, and 3) primary responsibilities of grantees and grant management staff.

Objectives

In this workshop you will: • Present essentials of grant management from Department of Education staff and experienced GEAR UP professionals. • Share and learn through GEAR UP case studies and networking. • Enhance awareness of practical strategies for effective grant management. • Provide technical assistance on emerging changes in federal grants administration regulation/procedures, practices, and requirements.

Facilitators

Alexandrea Robinson-Rogers, NCCEP Advisory Commission Member and Director, School of Philadelphia–GEAR UP, Philadelphia, PA Yvonne Lovell, Director, GEAR UP Kentucky (Retired), Frankfort, KY

Guest Presenter

Kevin Hall, Director, College Access Partners for Education, Berea College, KY

Key Questions

• What is grant management? • Who does it? • What are the essential elements of grant management?

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

• Where are your biggest challenges in regard to maximizing the impact of your GEAR UP grant? • Are there grant management program procedures in place in your GEAR UP program and are the staff knowledgeable about them? Larger institutions generally have well established grant offices and procedures: Does yours? Do you know what procedures affect your work directly? • Do you need to make changes as you begin implementation? Does your GEAR UP program have flexibility in design of services to allow changes in project scope and implementation arrangements in response to unexpected changes arising during implementation? • What is monitoring? Have you implemented a monitoring plan? If not, what are the barriers? • Is there tracking in place to ensure the completeness and accuracy of all essential management processes? How do you know whether important processes are being completed and that all information is accurate, even if your office is not directly responsible for that component?

MONDAY / FEBRUARY 9 9:15 am–10:45 am

Session I: Overview of Education Department Grants with Introduction to Grants Management in GEAR UP Projects—Part 1 This session is an overview of the basic principles of ED grants. It introduces participants to the basic requirements of GEAR UP grants including topics such as permissible and required activities, financial management in GEAR UP, and match requirements . James L. Davis, Director, GEAR UP, TRIO Talent Search, and College Access and Challenge Grants, Office ofPostsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC Nofertary B. Fofana, MBA, Grants Program Officer, U.S. Department of Education OPE/HEP, Washington, DC

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Session II: Introduction to Grants Management in GEAR UP Projects—Part 2 This session continues from Part 1 beginning with a brief overview of the new Omni Circular, and delves into practical strategies in record keeping, documentation, and audit readiness. Yvonne Lovell and Kevin Hall

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Session III: Conclusion—Case study and Review This concluding session is an excellent summary of the prior two sessions and uses a case study approach to help participants apply lessons learned and to share management strategies and out-of-the box experiences. This will be a facilitated session. Alexandrea Robinson-Rogers and Kevin Hall



Evaluation Showcase: Findings and Lessons Learned

Duration

Tuesday, 4.25 hours

Audience

GEAR UP researchers and evaluators with all levels of experience

Overview

This evaluation showcase will be led by GEAR UP evaluators who are closing out previous grants. The strand will be structured to highlight sound evaluation practices with presentations on 1–3 main findings per project, the evaluation design employed, analyses conducted, and limitations or challenges of the study/evaluation. The intended outcome will be for the audience to learn about findings from other grantees, as well as to learn about limitations to the study design, and how evaluators will work to better prepare for their new projects given those lessons learned. This strand will provide an opportunity

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to continue to grow GEAR UP’s body of evidence. Grantees will also have an opportunity to learn from educational evaluators from RTI International on how to use data effectively and work through their own evaluation challenges. Objectives

In this workshop you will:



• • • • •



Hear from GEAR UP evaluators as they discuss their project’s final findings. Learn about research and evaluation designs, analyses, and outcomes. Learn about challenges and limitations evaluators faced. Learn about how those challenges and limitations will be addressed in future GEAR UP evaluation endeavors. Have an opportunity to engage with experienced evaluators to discuss your own research and evaluation challenges and how you can best prepare for analyses and reporting.

Facilitator

Chrissy Tillery, Ed.D., Director of Evaluation, National Council for Community and Education Partnerships, Washington, DC

Key Questions

• How can evaluators scale down evaluations to understand outcomes of key components? • What have other evaluators learned from their experiences? • How can I learn from others’ lessons and experiences? • How can I better collect data to prepare for sound analyses? • How can I take what I’ve learned from my peers and integrate that into my own research and evaluation plans?



TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 10 9:15 am–10:45 am

Opening Remarks



Laura Knapp, M.A., Program Director, Postsecondary Outcome Studies, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC



Using Data to Support College and Career Readiness Program Improvement



For the past five years, a team of researchers has worked on several projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education that focus on college readiness activities which target student populations that are typically underrepresented in postsecondary education. As part of this work on GEAR UP projects, the team gained insights into the challenges practitioners face in assessing their program outcomes and in using data to improve services. Using this knowledge and experience, the team is currently working on a book that will provide valuable guidance in the area of evaluation and program improvement for the benefit of program directors responsible for designing and delivering college and career readiness activities for secondary and postsecondary students. The book will cover a variety of topics, many of which would be appropriate for the GEAR UP audience of program directors, practitioners, and evaluators. These topics include: planning a study, getting data, data management, data analysis, and dissemination of findings.



Laura Knapp, M.A., Program Director, Postsecondary Outcome Studies, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC Elizabeth Glennie, Ph.D. Senior Education Analyst, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC

11:00 am–12:15 pm

Morning Workshop with RTI International (continued)

2:00 pm–3:30 pm

Assessing the Success of Specific GEAR UP Components—Lessons Learned from a Rigorous Study in Philadelphia



Based on lessons learned from the Philadelphia GEAR UP Partnership Initiative, which is currently in its sixth and final year, presenters will discuss how they have used a variety of

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

methods and data sources to assess the implementation and impact of various GEAR UP components and the initiative as a whole. Methods and data sources include: participation data from the participant tracking database; student and teacher surveys; qualitative methods; and analyses of outcome data. Participants will also develop an appreciation of Propensity Scoring Matching (PSM) as a critical method for developing a comparison group and will be engaged in a discussion of effective strategies, practices, and tools for making data-driven decisions at the program level. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of logistical and methodological challenges to the evaluation and how these may be addressed in the new grant. Manuel Gutiérrez, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Metis Associates, New York, NY Julia Alemany, M.S., Senior Associate, Metis Associates, New York, NY Michelle Grimsley, LSW, Assistant Director, GEAR UP, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA





The Coordinators’ Catalyst Network

Duration

Wednesday, 2.5 hours

Audience

This interactive workshop is for GEAR UP coordinators only (or a similar senior manager in the GEAR UP program as designated by the GEAR UP director).

Overview

GEAR UP coordinators play a critical role in the success of their programs. This highly interactive workshop will utilize an adapted open-space meeting format to give coordinators an opportunity to address the most pressing issues and questions that they have identified themselves. Prior to the workshop, participants will identify the key questions they most want to discuss with their peers. The workshop itself will be an indepth, small group discussion and peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing opportunity with the agenda/content of the workshop formed directly from the most urgent issues, questions, and needs identified by the participants.

Objectives

In this workshop you will: • Participate in small-group discussions with your peers to help you address your most pressing, practical challenges. • Experience an outcomes-based, open space-type knowledge sharing environment designed to maximize participant-centered learning and problem solving.

Facilitators

Nathan Monell, CAE, President and CEO, NCCEP, Washington, DC Dianne Griggs, Gear UP Manager, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Winooski, VT

WEDNESDAY / FEBRUARY 11

9:15 am–11:45 am

Facilitated discussions as noted above.

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Closing Gaps in STEM Learning and Careers

Duration

Wednesday, 2.5 hours

Audience

This workshop is open to all participants with an interest in (or work role related to) closing gaps in STEM fields.

Overview

STEM fields are the fastest growing sector of the economy, yet there are many disconnects at all levels resulting in students not receiving the kind of information, counseling, advising, and instruction they need to succeed. This session will focus on promising programs and practices working to close the gap in regard to STEM fields for underrepresented groups, particularly women, minorities, and/or low-income, firstgeneration students. Join leading experts for an interactive session on the needs and opportunities for students to increase their awareness, raise their aspirations, and improve their academic performance in STEM fields to position themselves to succeed in the most vibrant sector of our current and emerging economy.

Objectives

In this workshop you will:



• • •



Facilitator

Learn about strategies for closing the gender gap in STEM fields. Learn about strategies for closing the gap in STEM field learning and access for women, minorities, and/or low-income, first-generation students. Engage with experts and discuss best practices for proactively raising awareness of opportunities in STEM fields among GEAR UP students, parents, counselors, and teachers.

Eric D. Packenham, GEAR UP Principal Investigator and Director, Utah State University, Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services of Teacher Education and Leadership, Logan, UT

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11

9:15 am–11:45 am

Closing the Gender Gap in STEM This session will focus on the following key strategies for closing the gender gap: •

Classroom Climate (Micro-inequities) o Who is most likely to raise their hand first? o Who gets the most follow-up questions? o Who usually interrupts? o Is your classroom competitive or collaborative? o What gender are the people in your text books or posters?



Social Learning Theory (Affirmations) o Attribution Theory o Stereotype Threat o Growth Mindset



Informal Learning (Camps for Girls) o Hands-on activities and inquiry-based lessons o Multi-level assignments o Relevant problems and applications (field trips) o Female role models (guest speakers) o Support (scholarships, graphing calculator, transportation, lunch)

Wanda Gass, President, Design Connect Create, Dallas, TX

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015



Using STEM to Close the Achievement Gap and Scaling Up Outcomes Through Project Lead the Way and VEX Robotics



Learn how Toppenish School District, where 80% of students are Hispanic and every student receives free lunch, has become a regional leader in STEM education. Participants will learn how STEM: 1) Helped close the achievement gap, 2) Provided access to STEM fields to traditionally underrepresented students and 3) Created numerous unintended benefits.



Shawn Myers, CTE/STEM Director, Toppenish School District: Toppenish, WA Conan Viernes, Project Director, University of Washington, Rural Initiative in STEM Education GEAR UP Partnership, Toppenish, WA



Helping GEAR UP Students Earn College Credit in High School

Duration

Wednesday, 2.5 Hours

Audience

GEAR UP directors, GEAR UP coordinators, teachers, counselors, and administrators.

Overview

This workshop will explore how GEAR UP programs can utilize a wide range of opportunities to help high school students earn college credit to promote postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and success. Hear from program experts as they explore how GEAR UP can leverage dual enrollment, early college, and credit-by-examination strategies to achieve program goals. The workshop will explore promising policies and practices, draw implications to inform local program design and implementation, and provide a forum to discuss GEAR UP-specific practices that can be replicated.

Objectives

In this workshop you will: • Gain a deeper understanding of different options available to students to earn postsecondary credit while in high school. • Learn from practitioners and experts on how to leverage credit-bearing opportunities in your GEAR UP program. • Discuss how to best guide and support students as they earn college credit in high school.

Key Questions Facilitator

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy? • What steps can GEAR UP take to leverage these opportunities? • What are the key lessons learned from GEAR UP practice? • How can we best guide and support our students as they take on college-level work? Teena Olszewski, Executive Director, Arizona GEAR UP/Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11

9:15 am–11:45 am

Helping GEAR UP Students Earn College Credit in High School Rhonda Epper, Executive Director, Colorado GEAR UP and Chief Student & Academic Affairs Officer, Colorado Department of Higher Education, Denver, CO Laurie Berryman, GEAR UP Manager and Director of GUIDE Program, Vermont State GEAR UP, Winooski, VT Aaron J. Mitchell, GEAR UP Coordinator, Peñasco Independent Schools, Peñasco, NM

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Speakers Bios JULIA ALEMANY is senior associate at Metis Associates. She brings 10 years of experience in research and evaluation, including overseeing multi-site evaluations of educational initiatives, developing and testing quan-titative and qualitative data collection tools, conducting field work,and performing complex analyses of teacher, student, and school data. As a member of the Metis data management team, Ms. Alemany has also provided statistical support for several large-scale experimental, quasi-experimental, and/ or longitudinal evaluations. Ms. Alemany currently serves as the evaluation director of the Philadelphia GEAR UP partnership initiative and the math and science partnership program of the School District of Philadelphia. Ms. Alemany holds a B.S. in economics from the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain and a master’s degree in social research from Hunter College of the City University of New York. SOFIA ANTUNA is the assistant director for the UC Santa Cruz GEAR UP Partnership. During her time at UC Santa Cruz, she has served in various roles from direct student services to management, and has contributed to the development of a strong near-peer mentoring program, often bringing back GEAR UP alumni as near-peer mentors. Sofia has two bachelor’s degrees from UC Berkeley and earned a Pupil Personnel Services credential from San Jose State University. She has 10 years of experience working in the field of education serving economically disadvantaged and/or underrepresented students. She began her career as a high school class-room teacher and has worked with GEAR UP for the past eight years. Sofia has managed two GEAR UP grants, seeing one grant from commencement to completion, accomplishing a 77% postsecondary enrollment rate for cohort students. TINA ATKINS has served as the director of three Region One ESC GEAR UP partnerships: GEAR UP Right Choices for Youth, GEAR UP Bridges to the Future, and most recently, the GEAR UP Ready, Set, College Partnership. As program director of these three projects, Atkins has overseen GEAR UP support for over 25,000 students in 29 school districts, working with seven college and university systems along the Texas-Mexico border. Atkins has 30 years of experience in an education setting, as a teacher, gifted specialist, education consultant, division administrator, and program director. She holds a M.Ed. in education from the University of Texas–Pan American, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership studies with Our Lady of the Lake University. At her core, Atkins believes that all students have the ability and potential to enter in and succeed in college. ADRIANA BADILLO has over 15 years of experience in programs and initiatives that aim to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who enroll and succeed in higher education. Since February 2011, she has served as director of GEAR UP at California State University,

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Fullerton. Ms. Badillo works collaboratively in partnership with various education, community, and business organizations to develop and implement comprehensive services that ensure academic success, facilitate student and parent knowledge of postsecondary options and financial aid, develop a college going culture, and promote system-wide change to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and are prepared to enter and succeed in college. Adriana Badillo holds a master of arts in public administration and bachelor of arts in economics from California State University, Fullerton. TOM BARTHOLOMAY is the evaluation manager for the state Get Ready/GEAR UP Minnesota program at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Previously, he was an evaluation and research specialist at University of Minnesota Extension, and, before that, a research fellow at the Institute on Community Integration, affiliated with the University of Minnesota. His 17 years of research and evaluation experience has been focused on schools, education, evaluation, and improvement—especially of services for students at risk. He has authored many articles, consulted on a variety of grants, and presented on a wide range of topics including evaluation basics, social network analysis, program theory development, assessing the likelihood of impact, and measuring outcomes/impact. Prior to his research and evaluation career he taught special and general education. LAURIE E. BERRYMAN, Ed.D. is one of the managers of the Vermont State GEAR UP program and oversees the First Year Experience program for GEAR UP called GUIDE. Laurie has worked for VSAC for 20 years. Before working for GEAR UP, she was a talent search counselor and supervisor. Laurie earned her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Vermont in 1999. She teaches as an adjunct professor for Johnson State College in both the undergraduate and master’s programs. MARGARET BOYTER-ESCALONA has a master’s degree in English and has taken postgraduate courses in adult education. Currently, she is the assistant director of the Chicago GEAR UP Program and has been the parent services manager for the Center for College Access and Success at Northeastern Illinois University. Margaret has trained parents and created curricula for parents to support their children’s academic aspirations. She administers the GEAR UP grant in over 25 schools. Margaret has presented about parent engagement, adult education, ESL, and literacy initiatives. She is a certified trainer of Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and has co-authored an ESL testing and resource book. Previously, Margaret administered ESL, worker education, and citizenship grants, and coordinated a statewide education grant for migrant farmworkers. She is bilingual in English and Spanish, and has taught in Mexico.

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

LOIS BRAMWELL is the director overseeing assessment and program effectiveness for the GEAR UP 4 LA grants with the Los Angeles Unified School District serving over 6,000 students. She provides leadership training on using data as a decision-making tool and troubleshoots program design models and procedures to integrate District and GEAR UP services. She oversees collection and monitoring of formative and summative GEAR UP data for analysis and reporting of annual reports and internal fiscal accountability. Prior to GEAR UP, Ms. Bramwell served as a mathematics middle school teacher and coach for 14 years. JOYCE V. BROWN, Ed.D. is a recognized counselor leader whose professional experiences include teacher, counselor, and district administrator within the nation’s thirdlargest school district, Chicago Public Schools. She is an educational consultant for the Joyce V Brown Consulting Group, LLC (joycevbrownconsultinggroup.com). She has designed and implemented numerous programs focused on student achievement resulting in improved college and career readiness, high school transition practices, and counselor leadership. Retiring in 2008, she now provides professional development to educational stakeholders on the use of data to impact postsecondary outcomes, and has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Education FAFSA Tracking Initiative, the College Board – National Office of School Counselor Advocacy (NOSCA), and the Education Trust. Most recently, she was a panelist on President Obama’s College Opportunity Agenda “Strengthening School Counseling and College Advising” at Harvard University and served as a panel moderator for the President’s College Opportunity Summit. She holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Northern Illinois University.

Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). The UTPA GEAR UP Project was the second largest grant in the nation and under Cantu’s leadership was recognized nationally as a model of best practices by the U.S. Secretary of Education. Her professional experience at UTPA began over twelve years ago as an adjunct faculty member teaching graduate classes in the College of Education. Her passion for students began in 1985 in public education. She has served her community in various positions throughout her tenure beginning as a teacher, a speech therapist, an educational diagnostician, and, lastly, as an administrator. Her extensive professional working experience with principals and superintendents in the Rio Grande Valley K–12 school districts is an important component of the university’s outreach efforts in the Valley. She is actively involved with the P–16 Council and UTPA’s Leadership Alliance. Cantu received her bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees from UTPA.

ROZONA BROWN is native of West Philadelphia. Rozana had a challenging childhood. She dropped out of high school and started a family at a young age. Since 1998, Rozona has been a school bus operator responsible for transporting and ensuring the safety of Philadelphia public school students. After being inspired by the GEAR UP Program, armed with a dream, Rozana recently returned to school and graduated with a high school diploma. She is eager to take the next step.

MELISSA CAPERTON serves as senior associate on the American College Application Campaign (ACAC) team, housed at the American Council on Education. In this role, she provides technical assistance to states piloting and implementing a college application program. This national initiative is designed to increase the number of first-generation students and students from low-income families who apply to college early in their senior year. Prior to joining the ACAC team, Ms. Caperton was director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) federal grant project in North Carolina. There she worked with low-income communities across the state to increase the number of students who graduated from high school and went on to enroll and succeed in college. During her time with GEAR UP she also served as coordinator for the state’s college application program as it grew to become a statewide initiative. Previously, Ms. Caperton served as policy analyst and associate director of K–12 outreach at the College Board in New York where she worked on a variety of college access policy and advocacy issues. Ms. Caperton is the first college graduate in her family and received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech where she studied political science. She received a master’s in public policy from the College of William and Mary.

JULIETTE M. CAIRE is the project director for the University of Texas, El Paso’s GEAR UP grant, where she is responsible for program design, resource development, administration, and training. Juliette has 30 years of experience in a variety of settings working with diverse populations, ranging from early education to postsecondary education, including securing over $33 million in grant funds. In addition, she has led four GEAR UP grants, serving nearly 8,000 in the three largest El Paso school districts. Juliette holds a masters of education, with a specialty in counseling and guidance.

STEPHANIE CARNAHAN is the director of the state GEAR UP grant in Oregon. Stephanie joined the Oregon GEAR UP staff in March 2003 as the project manager. She was quickly promoted to associate director and ultimately to project director in 2006. Stephanie holds a B.S. in sociology from Oklahoma State University and a M.A. in student affairs in higher education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Prior to her tenure with GEAR UP, Stephanie worked in various student service positions at colleges and universities around the country as well as with social justice nonprofit organizations.

MARTHA A. CANTU, Ed.D. is vice president for student affairs at the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA). Prior to this position, Cantu was the director of UTPA’s Gaining Early

MELBA SCHNEIDER CASTRO is the director for educational partnerships at California State University, Fullerton where she oversees university, school, and community

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partnerships focused on enhancing access, college matriculation, and student success for students. She works in partnership with local schools and school districts to provide educational programs that help students attend college. Key initiatives include the Santa Ana Partnership (P–20 Collaborative), Santa Ana Adelante funded by the Lumina Foundation, Anaheim Collaborative for Higher Education (P–20 Collaborative), Kids to College, and the Parent Institute for Quality Education. In addition she oversees five federally-funded programs which include Talent Search, Upward Bound, McNair, and two GEAR UP programs. Melba holds a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, a M.A. in social sciences in education from Stanford University, and is a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in education policy organization and leadership (expected 2015). JENNIFER CECIL was influenced toward a vocation in education by parents also involved in education. She began her own career as a math teacher at an at-risk middle school. After three years, Ms. Cecil moved to a middle school in her home county. Many students at this school came from lowincome backgrounds, with no college aspirations. It was here that she was introduced to GEAR UP. It was her desire to help these struggling math students that fueled her interest in GEAR UP. A year and a half ago, Ms. Cecil began a new position within GEAR UP, teaching the College and Career Readiness (CCR) course for high school freshmen. Because of the success of her initial course, Jennifer was selected to collaborate with others in writing a comprehensive curriculum for the CCR course. She is proud of the impact GEAR UP has had on her students. JENNY CEESAY has dedicated her career to empowering students and those who serve students. She began her career working for the public school system as a program director for the 21st Century Community Learning Center and then as a special education teacher. She then served as a literacy specialist with Save the Children before becoming a permanent staff member at Partners for Education at Berea College. She has worked within the Partners for Education department in many capacities and with several programs, including the development and implementation of the GEAR UP College and Career Readiness course. She currently serves as the associate director of College Access Programs, overseeing the colleges TRiO and AmeriCorps grants and working department-wide on facilitating training. Jenny is passionate about providing educational opportunities to impoverished students and is committed to serving humanity through education. ALEX CHOUGH is vice president for government relations at the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), where he is responsible for policy and advocacy efforts in support of the organization’s mission and specifically, the federally-funded Gaining Early Awareness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative. Prior to joining NCCEP, he served as a senior advisor within strategy and new product development at the College Board where he worked to develop and support

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organizational and program-specific strategic planning. In addition, Alex was the director of strategic initiatives at ACT, Inc. where he worked on organizational strategy, public policy, and advocacy. Now in his second stint at NCCEP, Alex began his career in education as a program officer at the U.S. Department of Education where he managed a grant portfolio of approximately $100 million to strengthen the capacity of minority-serving colleges and universities to serve low-income and underrepresented students. ROBERT E. DAIS is the statewide director of GEAR UP Massachusetts. GEAR UP Massachusetts serves over 7,000 students throughout the Commonwealth and operates in seven cities. During the seven years under his leadership the GEAR UP Massachusetts program has trained over 85% of its staff in the College Board’s Accuplacer assessment and successfully launched the Math Plus program which reduced the need for math remediation amongst high school seniors. Robert brings over 20 years of experience in the arenas of educational leadership, curriculum development, and management to his position. He began his teaching career at The Nativity Preparatory School of Boston. Robert has served as dean of diversity at Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, principal of the Epiphany School located in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and mathematics teacher at City on A Hill Charter School and Roxbury Preparatory Charter School where he co-authored the textbook entitled, Calculated Success: A Step by Step Guide to Balanced Math Instruction that Works. A native of Philadelphia and graduate of Villanova University, Robert holds a B.S. in business administration and a M.A. degree in middle school education from Clark Atlanta University. GREG DARNIEDER is senior advisor to the Secretary on the College Access Initiative, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, DC. Greg began his career in education as a middle grades teacher in St. Louis and Riverdale, Maryland. He has a B.A. in sociology, a K–8 teaching certificate from St. Louis University and a M.A. in Christian education from Wheaton College. He worked for 15 years as the executive director of youth development and college access organizations in Chicago’s Cabrini Green Housing Development. Beginning in 1993, he oversaw the Steans Family Foundation’s community focused philanthropic efforts in Chicago’s North Lawndale community including early childhood, education, organizational development, and affordable housing. He has served in leadership roles for several foundations and on over twenty non-profit organization boards. In 2003 Greg established the Department of Postsecondary Education and Student Development (DPSESD) at Chicago Public Schools (CPS), designing and implementing an assortment of postsecondary, academic, financial, and social support programs and building university, corporate, and civic partnerships to enhance college access. In 2008 he was named the director of the Department of College and Career Preparation (DCCP) for CPS, a newly formed department that consists of the DPSESD and the Department of Career and Technical Education. In 2009, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan named

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

Greg senior advisor to the Secretary on the College Access Initiative at the U.S. Department of Education, where he currently serves as a leading voice on the President’s 2020 Goal. He also represents the Department of Education on the First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative. JAMES DAVIS is the director of GEAR UP, TRIO Talent Search and College Access and Challenge Grants Division in the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. These college access programs seek to motivate and assist low-income and first-generation students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. James has worked at the Department of Education for over 13 years in various capacities including as director of the Teacher and Student Development Programs Service responsible for managing 14 programs including the College Access Challenge Grant Program, the Jacob K. Javits fellowship program, the Transition Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, and teacher preparation programs. Prior to his involvement with the GEAR UP program, James served as a program officer with the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, sponsored by the United States Information Agency. James spent five years as a middle school teacher in public schools in suburban Washington, D.C. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, James holds master’s degrees in public administration and education from the University of Maryland College Park and a bachelor’s degree from Johnson C. Smith University. SHELLEY DAVIS has been the director of the California State GEAR UP Program since September 2001. Ms. Davis has a master’s degree in international and multicultural education from the University of San Francisco and a B.A. in elementary education from Columbia Union College in Maryland. Her political experience includes being staff, delegate, and floor whip to Democratic National Conventions and a host delegate to Taiwan, Republic of China. Shelley has held positions with the Democratic National Committee, two presidential campaigns, the California State Assembly Speakers’ Office, the University of California Davis campus and Office of the President. She is an active member of the California ACT Council and the California Middle Grades Alliance. RENE DIAZ has a B.A. in Spanish with a focus on second language acquisition. He currently serves as a parent resource coordinator for the GEAR UP Alliance at the Center for College Access and Success at Northeastern Illinois University. Besides being a lifelong advocate for the bilingual community, his work for nearly 10 years has consisted of designing and supervising programs that provide support and guidance for whole families to successfully progress through the educational pipeline PreK–16. Along with GEAR UP, he has worked on other projects like Early Reading First and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers State of Illinois Grant. ADRIENNE ENRIQUEZ is a program manager for Oregon GEAR UP, with an emphasis on helping schools guide students through key transitional phases on their path to

higher education. Adrienne holds a B.A. in mathematics and sociology from Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA) and an M.A. in the sociology of education and race relations from the University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL). Prior to her tenure with GEAR UP, Adrienne worked in college admissions and as a high school mathematics teacher. When she’s not thinking about educational equity and access, Adrienne partakes of a few of Oregon’s finer things (food and wine) and keeps her friends and family flush in handknits. RHONDA EPPER, Ph.D., joined the Colorado Department of Higher Education as director of Colorado GEAR UP and chief academic/student affairs officer in May 2014. Previously, she served as regional director of the State Authorization Reciprocity initiative at WICHE and was with the Colorado Community College System for 12 years in various roles. She served as assistant provost, where her responsibilities included development of academic innovations across the system’s 13 community colleges, major grant initiatives, policy direction for online learning, curriculum management, statewide transfer/articulation, and research/planning for academic affairs. She also served as co-executive director of CCCOnline, a statewide online learning consortium serving 45,000 students annually. Epper also served at Community College of Denver and at the California State University, Office of the Chancellor. She has served as a consultant to WCET, ECS, SREB, SHEEO, and the League for Innovation in the Community College. Epper received the WCET Richard Jonsen award for lifetime achievement and service to the e-learning community in 2012, and has served on numerous advisory boards and committees for higher education organizations at the state and national levels. She received a Ph.D. in higher education administration and a master’s in business administration from the University of Denver. The HONORABLE CHAKA FATTAH is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the Second District of Pennsylvania. Congressman Fattah is senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. He is the architect of the country’s most successful early college awareness and preparation program–Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), which he shepherded through reauthorization in 2008. Over the past 13 years, more than $4.25 billion in federal funds have been used to serve some 12 million students in 49 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Congressman Fattah is ranking member of the Sub-committee on Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies and chairman of the Congressional Urban Caucus, a bipartisan group of 57 Members of Congress representing America’s metropolitan centers. These members work collaboratively with other stakeholders to address the unique challenges facing America’s urban communities. NOFERTARY B. FOFANA is a grants management specialist with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. She has many years of experience managing discretionary and formula grants. Fofana has a master’s in business administration from the University of

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Maryland University College and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington in Business Management and Organizational Leadership. Prior to joining the Department of Education, she served in various other positions which include: contract project manager, contract assistant to an operation manager overseeing government contract accounts, national account coordinator overseeing United States Aid for International Development (USAID) contracts, as well as volunteering as a communication and finance director helping to provide educational initiatives, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and programs that empower and provide aid to youths in Monrovia, Liberia. ERIN M. FULLER, FASAE, MPA, CAE, is president of Coulter, a company based in McLean, Virginia that facilities and supports successful nonprofit and association management. Fuller also has served as the president for the Alliance for Women in Media. During her first six years at Coulter, she served as the chief executive for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), a prominent organization representing female entrepreneurs via an 80-chapter network. Fuller is a noted expert on women’s issues and economic empowerment, and has appeared on programs including NBC Nightly News, CBS’s MarketWatch, ABC News, Fox News, NPR’s Marketplace, and BBC’s America. She has been quoted in such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, Forbes, Fortune, and Newsweek. Prior to joining Coulter, Fuller served as the executive director of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) Research Foundation and as vice president of CAI’s education department. Other previous employment includes positions with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), the American Medical Student Association/Foundation, and American University. Fuller received both her undergraduate and master of public administration degrees from American University in Washington, D.C. An active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), she was named an ASAE Fellow in 2011. ERIC J. FURDA, a 1987 Penn graduate, was appointed dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania on July 1, 2008. Previously, he served as vice president for alumni relations and executive director of undergraduate admissions at Columbia University. Mr. Furda began his career in admissions at Penn, as regional director from 1987 to 1991. He joined Columbia’s admissions office in 1991, holding increasingly responsible positions. He has a B.A. in international relations from Penn, and a M.A. in education from Teachers College at Columbia University. While an undergraduate, he was a four-year letter winner in lightweight football and currently serves on Penn’s Sprint Football Advisory Committee. WANDA GASS has a B.S. in electrical engineering and M.S. in biomedical engineering. Wanda worked for Texas Instruments for 31 years where she was elected TI Fellow and IEEE Fellow. In 2012, she became director of summer camps for young women and in February 2014 became president of Design Connect Create.

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ELIZABETH GLENNIE, Ph.D., a senior education research analyst in RTI’s Education and Workforce Development division, has more than 15 years of experience in research and evaluation. With extensive experience designing and leading studies, much of her work has focused on the implementation and impact of U.S. educational policies on schools, teachers, and students. In particular, she examines factors influencing success in secondary school and access to postsecondary education for disadvantaged students. Dr. Glennie was deputy project director of RTI’s work to assist GEAR UP grantees in their efforts to obtain and use longitudinal student-level data to improve their projects. She was task leader of RTI’s work to provide technical and logistical support for future GEAR-UP evaluations and for technical assis-tance activities to grantees. Currently, she is principal investigator of a National Science Foundation-funded evaluation of redesigned STEM schools by documenting classroom-level implementation of the redesign initiative and assessing change over time in student engagement and performance. She is an Investigator for a random assignment study of the Early College High School (ECHS) Model, sponsored by ED’s Institute of Education Sciences. This study examines the impact of ECHSs on students’ success in high school, and entry into and persistence in postsecondary education. RACHEL GONZÁLEZ is a program manager at Families in Schools (FIS) where she provides curriculum development, training, and coordination for parent and student college preparation programs at various schools in Los Angeles. Prior to her time at FIS, she worked as a counselor at a charter school, and as an academic advisor with the federally funded TRIO Programs based at the University of Southern California. Ms. González holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, a master’s degree in education counseling from the University of Southern California, as well as a Pupil Personnel Services credential. DIANNE M. GRIGGS is a manager for Vermont State GEAR UP overseeing all school partnerships, in-school services, and grant operations. Dianne has worked at Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for the past 20 years. At VSAC she worked for the National Early Intervention & Scholarship Program (NEISP) for five years prior to beginning her work with GEAR UP in 1999. Dianne received her master’s degree in education from the University of Vermont. MICHELLE GRIMSLEY, assistant director of the School District of Philadelphia’s GEAR UP grant, has almost 10 years of grant management experience for the District. Her roles as the assistant director of GEAR UP and AVID district director, provide her with expertise about the implementation of college readiness programs and systems in urban schools with school administrators, teachers, GEAR UP and district staff, families, and, most importantly, students. Ms. Grimley holds a B.A. in sociology from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in social services from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research.

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

MANUEL GUTIÉRREZ, senior research scientist at Metis Associates, currently serves as the principal investigator for the evaluations of the Philadelphia School District’s GEAR UP Partnership initiative and math and science partnership project. Dr. Gutiérrez brings over 35 years of experience as an evaluator, consultant, and researcher in the areas of education, children, youth, families, community building, and leadership. His work has focused on the improvement of school-to-work transitions, comprehensive community improvement strategies, leadership development approaches, access of disadvantaged youth to educationally sound programs, and youth development. Dr. Gutiérrez received a B.A. in psychology from Catholic University of America. He has an M.A. in psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Temple University. He manages the Metis office in Philadelphia. KEVIN HALL has 18 years of experience in higher education, federal grant management, budget management, and federal/regulatory reporting. He served as GEAR UP director at Morehead State University from 2000 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011. From 2006 to 2008, Hall was an internal auditor for Hitachi USA. A first-generation college graduate, Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in business administration from Morehead State University. In 2011 Hall was named director of College Access for Partners for Education at Berea College where his responsibilities include the oversight of all college access grants, including three GEAR UP grants, Promise Neighborhood, Full-Service Community, two TRIO programs (Upward Bound Math/Science and Talent Search), two PartnerCorps grants and an i3 grant. Additionally, he designs, implements, and assesses academic and career curriculums to prepare student participants for college. SHARI HARLEY is founder and president of Candid Culture. Author of the book How to Say Anything to Anyone, she is known globally as an engaging, funny, content-rich business speaker. Her international training firm, Candid Culture, is making it easier to tell the truth at work. Shari is bringing candor back to the workplace. A former HR practitioner and operations leader, Shari’s practical approach has led her to speak and train in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Dubai, and Australia. From ‘Making Meetings Work’ and ‘Delegating Better’ to ‘Managing Your Career’ and ‘Saying Anything to Anyone,’ Shari’s tips are sure to delight and inform in a real, direct, and very funny way. Watch videos and learn more about Shari at www.candidculture.com. SIRWALTER HEMPHILL is a management analyst in the Division of Postsecondary & Career Education at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), currently serving as manager of the College Retention Initiative and postsecondary counselor for the DCTAG grant. At OSSE, SirWalter oversees the day-to-day operation of the College Retention Initiative giving guidance to programmatic outcomes and developing measurable goals. As a postsecondary counselor for the DCTAG grant, Sirwalter gives guidance during the college decision making process, develops financial plans, and administers the DCTAG

funding award allocations. Sirwalter also serves as outreach coordinator, presenting on topics such as financial literacy, college choice, and local/federal funding. Prior to joining OSSE, SirWalter gained experience by focusing on college access for first-generation students and developing college readiness programs. SirWalter served as a retention specialist within the District of Columbia College Access Program (DCCAP) and began his career as a lead college advisor with the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). SirWalter has a B.A. in communications with a focus on sociology from Fayetteville State University and is in pursuit of a M.S. in nonprofit management from University of Maryland, University College. JESUS (JESSE) D. HERNANDEZ is general superintendent at TDIndustries in San Antonio, Texas and a San Antonio ISD alumnus. He has been an active participant in GEAR UP since the inaugural leadership cohort where he started as a GEAR UP parent. Mr. Hernandez, a graduate of our GEAR UP Parent Academy, has since become a seasoned presenter at multiple SAISD parent summits and national GEAR UP conferences. He is a current SAISD Foundation Board member, serving in dual roles, chairman of the SAISD Foundation Run4Education 5k and member of the Innovative Grants committee. A strong supporter of local education issues and the SAISD community, the family tradition of GEAR UP continues through his younger brother, Rene, a SAISD GEAR UP graduate, Class of 2012. MARC HOLLEY is a GEAR UP site monitor for the School District of Philadelphia. An advocate for parent involvement, he develops creative ways to involve parents in the educational process of their children. His professional interests focus on postsecondary options and understanding the range of options available to learners and helping to match them to the best fit. His current projects include The Engagement Project to encourage the collaboration between teachers and parents. In addition, he serves as a member of the Innovation Team at School of the Future, and is the lead baseball coach. He received his B.S. in health science from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and a master’s in education from Wilmington University. JOLYNN HORN is the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education vice chancellor for Oklahoma GEAR UP. She provides leadership over GEAR UP and advances the work of the grant and the state regents through partnerships with K–12 education agencies, higher education institutions, external business and community entities, program initiatives in other states, and national public policy organizations whose goals and objectives positively link with students’ access and success in college. Horn is 35-year veteran of Oklahoma education. Prior to joining the State Regents in 1999 on the first GEAR UP grant, Horn served common education as a secondary classroom teacher, elementary and secondary counselor, district special education coordinator, and district test coordinator. She has worked in both small and large school districts. Horn holds elementary and secondary principal

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certifications and superintendents’ certification. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor of science degree and a has a master’s from Mid-Western State University, in Wichita Falls, Texas. Horn and Dr. Bruss Horn, her husband of 32 years, live in Chickasha, Oklahoma. They have two grown children. ANGELA JACKSON is the associate director of Hawai‘i P–20 Partnerships for Education and GEAR UP Hawaii State Grant project director. Hawai‘i P–20 Partnerships for Education is a statewide partnership led by the Executive Office on Early Learning, the Hawai‘i State Department of Education, and the University of Hawai‘i System that is working to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve career and college success. The goal of Hawai‘i P–20 is for 55% of Hawai‘i’s working age adults to have a 2- or 4-year college degree by the year 2025. Angela has been leading the GEAR UP Hawai‘i state grant since 2005, and has over 15 years of experience managing federal grants. At Hawai‘i P–20, Angela leads a team of college access professionals to develop statewide projects designed to help Hawai‘i’s students, especially those from low-income communities, to prepare for college and career success. JULIE MULLEN JOHNSON has served for over thirty years in the educational system of California. She has held numerous leadership roles in K–12 including in administration at the elementary, middle, high school, and district levels. She is active in multiple professional organizations including the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). She currently is the director of GEAR UP, a seven-year multimillion dollar federal grant awarded to MiraCosta College and its partner, Oceanside Unified School District in 2011. She is an active community member in North County San Diego. She has received numerous awards for her service and leadership to youth and educators, and is an active alumni of Leadership North County and Leadership California. LAURA KNAPP is program director of postsecondary outcome studies, at RTI International in Research Triangle Park, NC. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field of educational research and her skills include policy analysis, research design, quantitative and qualitative analysis, statistical analysis, program evaluation, survey design, and report writing. She directed Technical Assistance and Support to GEAR UP Grantees, an ED-funded project that provided assistance to nine GEAR UP grantees in their efforts to obtain and use longitudinal student-level data to improve their projects. Prior to this effort, Ms. Knapp led three related studies in support of ED’s efforts within GEAR UP and TRIO to develop promising interventions and encourage overall program improvement. Ms. Knapp currently directs RTI’s National Center for Innovation in Career and Technical Education for ED’s Office of Career Technical and Adult Education and an evaluation of the Hewlett Foundation’s Innovation Lab Network. Ms. Knapp has directed studies related to secondary-to-postsecondary transitions, precollege programs assisting disadvantaged

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youth, college and career readiness, career and technical education, and dropout prevention and recovery. JENNIFER BROWN LERNER serves as a deputy director of the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization providing learning opportunities for policy leaders, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues at the national, state, and local levels. Jennifer began her career as a classroom teacher teaching middle school math and was active in the creation of a Summerbridge (now Breakthrough Collaborative) site in Atlanta, Georgia. She previously held various teaching and administrative positions at a number of schools in the Boston area before transitioning to work in educational policy in Washington, DC. At AYPF, she is currently managing the organization’s work on wide range of issues that ensure all students graduate ready to succeed in college and careers. Her areas of expertise include dropout prevention and recovery, dual enrollment, and competency-based education. She has authored numerous publications and articles including a compendium on best practices in secondary-postsecondary learning options (or pipe-line programs) entitled The College Ladder: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education for Success for All. Jennifer received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University. RICARDO L. LOPEZ, JR. is an education specialist for the GEAR UP: Ready, Set, College! Partnership at the Region One Education Service Center in Edinburg, Texas. Prior to joining Region One, Ricardo was a secondary teacher and GEAR UP facilitator for Rio Grande City CISD in Rio Grande City, Texas. As a specialist for GEAR UP, Ricardo leads the Family Empowerment Initiative that aims to create parent leaders and focuses on establishing school, family, and community partnerships through a collaborative effort with the Johns Hopkins University National Network of Partnership Schools program. In addition, he also oversees the male student initiative known as T.I.E.S (Together In Education for Success). Ricardo is also currently working toward a doctor of education degree (Ed. D.) in educational leadership with a focus on higher education at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville. YVONNE LOVELL is the former (recently retired) executive director of the statewide GEAR UP project for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The GEAR UP project is administered by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. Ms. Lovell was the director of the GEAR UP program in Kentucky for 14 years leading the strategic vision for GEAR UP and the Council’s efforts in establishing GEAR UP as the natural bridge between K–12 and postsecondary education reform efforts across the Commonwealth. Prior to relocating to Kentucky in 2000, Ms. Lovell was the executive assistant to the deputy commissioner for higher education at the New York State Education Department in Albany, New York. Her professional experiences span the gamut of higher education from financial aid director to placement services

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

and summer program director. Ms. Lovell earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and completed her graduate education in counseling and higher education administration at the University at Albany. DANIEL LUGO is the vice president and dean of admission and financial aid of Franklin & Marshall College. He is in his fourth year at F&M. He leads and supervises a staff of 35 in executing the college’s recruitment, enrollment, and financial aid strategies and is a member of the president’s senior leadership team. He personally manages the college’s recruiting in the Southwest. Prior to joining F&M, Daniel was an associate dean of admission at Carleton College. During his time at Carleton, he divided his efforts between admission and development. In development, he served as a major gift officer in support of Carleton’s $300 million, Breaking Barriers Creating Connections campaign. Prior to his work in higher education, Daniel spent ten years as an entertainment attorney in New York City. Daniel received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1994 and his B.A. from Carleton College in 1991. KATE MAHAR, Ed.D., is currently an associate dean for Shasta Community College in Northern California. Before assuming this position in fall 2014, Kate served as GEAR UP director for three different GEAR UP grants. Kate has served as an administrator at the community college and high school levels and has done extensive work with teachers to improve alignment between academic segments. Her academic and career focus is on supporting educationally disadvantaged youth with the goal of promoting equity and access in our school systems. Mahar holds an M.A. in multicultural education from State University of New York (SUNY) New Paltz and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Southern California. JONATHAN D. MATHIS serves as director of education and training for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Prior to joining NACAC, Dr. Mathis was a postdoctoral scholar for research and practice, and regional director for PUC Schools, in Los Angeles. In this role, Dr. Mathis has created a pilot program that reconceptualizes the way in which high schools cultivate college readiness for students. He supported high school leaders and college counselors, as well as a team of interns, in the development, implementation, and evaluation of this innovative college identity development model. In addition to his work in the K–12 schools, Dr. Mathis was appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in Rossier School of Education, for both masters and educational doctorate programs. Dr. Mathis earned his doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Southern California (CA) under the advisement of Dr. William G. Tierney. While at USC, he served as a mentor for the I AM College Access mentoring program, facilitator for Pullias Center’s SummerTIME program, and a graduate assistantfor the McNair Scholars Program. He completed a bachelor’s of science in business administration at American University (DC), and a master’s of science in administration, for K–12 educational administration at Trinity University (DC).

LAURIE MILLER, Ph.D., has been the director for Utah’s GEAR UP state grant since 2006. Utah’s state grant serves approximately 5,000 GEAR UP students annually using the priority model in 50 schools ranging in size from 33 students at Navajo Mountain High in the Navajo Nation to 2,531 at West High in Salt Lake City. Prior to working with GEAR UP, Dr. Miller was a professor at Neumont University, Utah State University, Indiana University, and Brigham Young University where she loved teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. Her professional interests include college-preparation strategies for underserved populations, collaborative and project-based instructional approaches, and online learning environments. She holds a Ph.D. in instructional systems technology from Indiana University and a B.S. in elementary education from Brigham Young University. PATRICK MILTON is the senior manager for GEAR UP and postsecondary advising in the Office of College and Career Success at the Chicago Public Schools. He leads several initiates that are designed to improve long-term preparation for college enrollment and persistence. He is boosting efforts to reach students who are the least likely to enroll in a postsecondary option, including the move toward improved practitioner advising practices, the development of postsecondary leadership teams, and youth male outreach and mentoring. Patrick has over 20 years of experience working on postsecondary initiatives as a member of not-for-profit agencies, community-based organizations, and institutions of higher education. Prior to joining CPS, he served as the assistant director of College and Career Planning at the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation; assistant director of Multicultural Programs at the Illinois Institute of Technology; and a program officer at the North Lawndale Learning Community. Patrick earned his undergraduate degree in education at DePaul University and has an MSW from the School of Social Service Administration (SSA) at the University of Chicago. JAMES T. MINOR, Ph.D. is the deputy assistant secretary for Higher Education Programs in the Office of Postsecondary Education. Dr. Minor most recently served as a senior program officer and director of Higher Education Programs for the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia. He has held other significant positions which include a tenured associate professor of higher education policy at Michigan State University, a fellow at the University of Georgia’s Institute for Higher Education, and research associate at the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. An author of many scholarly articles, reviews, national reports, and book chapters, James holds a B.A. from Jackson State University, a M.A. from the University of Nebraska, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. AARON J. MITCHELL, an educator with 10 years of classroom experience, has been serving since January 2014 as the District GEAR UP coordinator for Peñasco Independent School District in the rural mountain village of Peñasco, New Mexico. Aaron holds a B.A. in history from Brigham

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Young University in Provo, Utah and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Aaron and his wife, Rebecca Gonzales Mitchell, R.D.N., have three daughters, a couple of dogs and cats, and a flock of chickens. One of Aaron’s major accomplishments as GEAR UP coordinator is the design and launch of the Rigorous Individualized Secondary Experience (RISE) initiative focused on increasing access to and preparation for dual enrollment courses. Participants in the RISE program attend college three days a week with the goal of receiving an associate’s degree at high school graduation. NATHAN MONELL, CAE, joined the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships as its president and CEO in January, 2011. A career-long advocate, Nathan has pushed for reform in causes that are relevant to families who are often marginalized by multiple-life factors. For 27 years, he has provided strategic leadership to organizations seeking to improve educational/employment outcomes, providing mental health services, offering health/substance abuse prevention services, and connecting families to housing and social supports. Nathan, an ASAE Certified Association Executive (CAE), earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, a M.A. in communication studies (organizational communications/ behavior) from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. in speech from Cornerstone University. KARYN MONTAGUE is a native of Hartsville, South Carolina where she attended Hartsville Public Schools. She then attended Francis Marion University, where she received an athletic scholarship and earned a B.S. in political science with a minor in English. Mrs. Montague has been serving students with special needs for the better part of 20 years. She worked with Cooperative Educational Services (CES) as an education consultant in Trumbull, Connecticut for 15 years. During this period she served as an educational instructor, working with disabled students from ages 3–12. She then took her experience to North Carolina working for the Exceptional Children Assistance Center where she served as a parent educator and liaison. Mrs. Montague currently works for Florence School District One, in Florence, South Carolina, doing what she loves best—working with students with disabilities. Mrs. Montague and her husband of 17 years reside in Florence, South Carolina with their three children Duncan (16-years old), Tristan (12-years old), and Raven (10-years old). Their son, Duncan, is a GEAR UP 10th grader attending Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina. YVETTE MORGAN, Ph.D. has vast experience in grants administration, program development, strategic planning, policy analysis, and P–16 initiatives. She most recently coauthored “A Comprehensive Partnership Approach Increasing High School Graduation and College Enrollment of Urban Economically Disadvantaged Youth” in Education and Urban Society (2014). Having directed numerous GEAR UP projects, her experience includes mentoring GEAR UP project directors, delivering professional development presentations

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before national audiences, and creating widely replicated modules on financial aid, college and career awareness, and school-CBO-business partnerships. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s in TESOL, and a doctor of philosophy in literacy with a focus on “at-risk” students from St. John’s University. SHAWN MYERS is a National Board Certified Teacher who taught science and engineering at Toppenish High School (THS) for 14 years. Over the past six years, he was instrumental in implementing a STEM program at Toppenish High School, which has since spread to Toppenish Middle School as well as all four district elementary schools. He is currently the CTE/STEM director for Toppenish School District. JENNIFER NAGUWA is the assistant program manager of the GEAR UP Hawaii state grant housed at University of Hawaii System Office. She is responsible for working with middle schools, high schools, and University of Hawaii colleges to provide academic preparation services, college-level learning opportunities, access to postsecondary options, postsecondary enrollment services, and successful first-year completion services for low income students. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the University of Hawaii, College of Business. DAWN CHENEEN OFFUTT is the coordinator of direct services for GEAR UP Kentucky 3.0. She is responsible for ensuring the effective in-school delivery of the GUK 3.0 strategies as well as directing the regional program managers in each of the six GUK 3.0 regions. She received her B.A. in French from Grambling State University and her M.A. in French linguistics from Louisiana State University. Prior to joining the GUK 3.0 team, she worked for seven years as an education administration consultant in the Division of Consolidated Plans and Audits for the Kentucky Department of Education. She also taught French and Spanish at Southern University Laboratory School for three years and French at Grambling State University for four years. Currently, she is at the ABD stage in her pursuit of her doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of Kentucky. TEENA OLSZEWSKI is the executive director of Arizona GEAR UP at Northern Arizona University, and a commissioner on the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education. Responsible for promoting college access through a variety of venues for more than a decade, Teena is chair-elect of the Arizona ACT Council, a member of the AZ College Access Network and the Statewide Advisory Council for Expect More Arizona, co-chair of College Depot, and a member of the Executive Committee of the National GEAR UP Evaluation Consortium. In 2014, Teena was named GEAR UP Professional of the Year by the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. MATT OREM is the director of college access at the Institute for Public School Initiatives at the University of Texas, Austin. Matt has led public relations, philanthropy, outreach, and service programs for The University of Texas for 16 years.

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

He has secured grants from the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, Bank of America, Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Association of Public Land Grant Colleges and Universities to incubate and implement programs that assist low-income students in completing high school, attending college, and obtaining a degree or credential. He is credited for leading the development of Advise TX, a near-peer college access counseling and mentoring program that expanded from 15 to 120 high schools in one year. Orem’s initiatives to organize community groups that demystify the college-going process have been replicated across Texas. His web-based programs to increase college awareness and financial aid and literacy have been used statewide. His team currently supports four districts through the Texas GEAR UP State Grant. Matt holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Texas at Austin. ERIC D. PACKENHAM is the principal investigator and project director for the Utah State University GEAR UP Program. He develops partnerships to enhance sustainability efforts, community support, and systemic change in GEAR UP schools and oversees staff development including hiring, training, and supervision. He is a senior lecturer in science education in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership, specializing in science teacher development and science career access. Prior to joining Utah State University, he served as the Continuity of Operations plan manager for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) division. He served as director of the Building a Presence for Science Program at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). He engaged in successful partnerships with AAAS, Project 2061, BCSC and NASA while leading the multi-state initiative in 30 states and the District of Columbia. He led the development of the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy and served on national committees to enhance K–16 science education. MARK REARDON is chief learning officer at Quantum Learning Network, where he’s responsible for the quality of programming and personnel development. His educational career of 35 years includes roles as an elementary teacher, middle and high school principal, trainer, consultant, writer, speaker, and author. Mr. Reardon earned his B.A. in psychology and religion from California Lutheran University, his teaching credential from Biola University, and his M.S. in educational administration from California State University, Fullerton. He has dedicated his professional life to discovering and articulating what works best in teaching and learning. VICKI RICHARDSON currently works as an independent living consultant and foster parent trainer. She coordinates and facilitates activities for regional and state-wide youth advisory councils. She holds a bachelor of arts in education from Oklahoma Baptist University. Previously, she was a secondary education teacher and also a residential care administrator for a girls’ home.

STEVEN ROBBINS is the director for research innovations within the Research and Development Division at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey. Steve has worked as a lead developer on multiple personality and career assessments and has designed and built career and psychosocial curriculum tied to assessment solutions to promote education and workplace success. A leading scientist in his field, Steve has published more than 100 refereed articles and has led hundreds of workshops and presentations around the world. He recently co-authored a book with Wesley R. Habley and Jennifer Bloom titled Increasing Persistence: Research-based Strategies for College Student Success (Wiley, 2012). At ETS, Steve plays a leadership role in the Center for Academic and Workforce Readiness and Success, promoting initiatives around both education and workplace success on a global scale. He provides intellectual leadership on creating standards and benchmarks tied to global workforce readiness and success. He also spearheads the development of better assessment solutions that might contribute to improving higher education retention and student learning outcomes. Working with ETS business units, Steve is also guiding evidence-based assessment and practice solutions that bridge education and work. Prior to ETS, Robbins was vice president for research at ACT. He also is a former professor and chair of the psychology department at Virginia Commonwealth University. KEVIN ROBERTS is an awareness and outreach specialist at the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid in Washington D.C. He has over a decade of experience with federal financial aid. In his current capacity, he establishes and manages partnerships and alliances, nationally and regionally. His strategic partnerships within the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi have led to increased awareness of federal financial aid programs, college access, college affordability, and the FAFSA completion initiative. Kevin holds a B.A. in business administration from Golden Gate University and an M.S. in management from Regis University. ALEXANDREA ROBINSON-ROGERS has an impressive track record of more than 10 years of hands-on experience in organizational effectiveness, program and leadership development, strategic planning, partnership development, and grants administration. Alexandrea is currently the director of GEAR UP Philadelphia for the School District of Philadelphia. Through the development of staff and partner organizations, she directs the implementation of services for close to 10,000 students and 200 teachers with the goal of ensuring the students’ successful entrance to and completion of college. She is responsible for grant writing, fiscal management, program oversight, and compliance working with annual budgets totaling over $8.1 million. She is credited with securing and managing over $12 million in in-kind donations. Alexandrea received her B.A. and her masters of education at Temple University, both in organizational development. She also earned a Certificate in Conflict Resolution Processes. She is a native of Philadelphia. Along with her commitment to her husband

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of 15 years and her blended family of seven children, she is also a member of the National GEAR UP Advisory Council, vice president of The Franklin Institute’s Alumni Board, and an advisory board member for the City Youth Association, Philadelphia Freedom Schools. She is also the former vice chair of Programs for the Philadelphia YMCA and vicinity. In her spare time, Alexandrea donates her time in counseling and providing support for families affected by the disease of addiction. ROXANNE ROSALES, Ph.D., serves as the senior executive director of Academic Support Services in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) and director of their second GEAR UP grant. She has worked in the SAISD for 30 years. For the past 13 years, she has focused on the area of college and career readiness for SAISD to include the sustainability of best practices to support academic and social preparation for the transition from high school to college and career. She is a member of the Alamo Academy Board, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber Education Committee, and the SAISD representative for the Diplomás Core Team as a collaborative partner with the San Antonio Education Partnership Lumina Project. Rosales holds a bachelor’s from Indiana University in physical Education with a minor in English. She earned a master’s degree and a doctorate degree from Texas A&M University in educational leadership. TUE RUST is a tenured professor at Los Medanos College, where he is a senator, chair of the math department, chair of the campus assessment committee, and coordinator for the Academy for College Excellence. His passion is social justice. He synthesized a one semester social justice model that accelerates any incoming student into transferlevel math and English in one semester. He presents his work across the country and helps interested educational institutions enhance their ability to serve underserved students. Tue holds a B.A. in astrophysics from University of California Berkeley and an M.S. in mathematics from San Jose State University and has been teaching since 2001 at all levels of education. FRIDA SAMAYOA is the parent coordinator for the GEAR UP 4 LA grants with the Los Angeles Unified School District. In her role, she oversees the areas of parent engagement and leadership training for over 6,000 families in the downtown Los Angeles area. She has more than 25 years of experience in making parents a part of their child’s educational program. AMY FALK SHELDON is vice president for strategic partnerships at the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). She works with foundations, corporations, and nonprofits committed to strengthening college access programs and increasing the pipeline of low-income students who apply, enroll, and persist in postsecondary education. Ms. Sheldon has 20 years of experience working with national and regional nonprofits. Prior to her work at NCCEP, she started a consulting practice to work on resource development and messaging with local,

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national, and international clients. From 2006–2008, she led the community relations and philanthropic partnership work for the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry, a communitybased nonprofit providing HIV prevention education and training targeted for young adults and high-risk populations. Ms. Sheldon also spent eight years as a senior manager for the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Her team spearheaded all aspects of individual giving, and she was responsible for securing an annual budget of $6 million. She holds a B.S. from Northwestern University. LINDA SHILLER has served 18 years as director of career and education outreach at VSAC and was a counselor and assistant director for 13 years prior. She secures funding for and oversees the Vermont GEAR UP Program, the state CACG, and two TRiO programs statewide. Shiller also coordinates career development and college planning informational services for schools and agencies statewide, and serves on several national, regional, and state boards addressing college access issues for at-risk students. These boards include the NCCEP Advisory Commission, NCHELP’s College Access Advisory Group, and COE’s Board of Directors, including four years as president and representative of the New England Region. Linda participated in Negotiated Rulemaking for GEAR UP when the program was first rolled out and again during the HEOA rule making process in 2009. Shiller has served as a reader for GEAR UP and TRiO proposals, has testified before congress on college access issues, and has trained at the national level in the areas of program development, grant writing, management, and accountability. Shiller holds a master’s degree in education and counseling from Southern Connecticut State University. WENDY M. STACK, Ph.D. is the associate vice president for access, innovation and research, executive director for the Center for College Access and Success at Northeastern Illinois University and director of the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance. GEAR UP in Chicago currently serves over 15,000 students from 60 elementary/middle schools and 32 high schools in partnership with the Chicago Public Schools and includes community colleges, six local universities, community-based organizations, and business partners. Stack received her Ph.D. from Antioch University in leadership and change in 2010. Her dissertation research focused on the impact of parent involvement on student success in Chicago’s GEAR UP communities. Stack recently led a research grant from the RTI International to study the impact of the Chicago GEAR UP summer transition pro-grams (8th–9th grade) on the long-term success of students. Her collaborative leadership in STEM initiatives in Chicago led to hosting and highlighting the Center’s college access work for the U.S. Department of Education’s “Education and the Economy: Midwest Bus Tour” in the Fall of 2011. Stack currently serves on the NCCEP Advisory Commission. A former high school teacher, Dr. Stack uses strategies that emphasize collaboration, leadership development, and capacity building to nurture a culture of achievement within schools and communities and to strengthen the P–20 college access pipeline ensuring that

NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015

all students can go to college and succeed in both college and career. LILIA TANAKEYOWMA, Ph.D., is the dean of student affairs at Santa Ana College. In this role, she oversees all aspects of student life at Santa Ana College, including student government, leadership development programs, and student activities. Tanakeyowma also leads student outreach and recruit-ment efforts, which includes serving as director of the Office of School & Community Partnerships where she oversees several projects aimed at preparing students and their families for college by equipping them with the tools to access college entry and achieve success. She works in collaboration with K–12 school districts within the Santa Ana College, CSU Fullerton, and UC Irvine service areas. She holds a B.A. in Spanish literature from UC Irvine, and an M.S. in educational administration from California State University, Fullerton. Her doctoral degree is in educational leadership through a joint program with the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Los Angeles. DORIS TEAGUE, M.S.-Ed. serves as a consultant to the Region One ESC “Ready, Set, College!” GEAR UP Project in Texas where she is currently engaged in initiatives that focus on classroom instruction that adds rigor and real world application to student learning outcomes. She has extensive experience in the development and implementation of GEAR UP programs in Texas, having worked with state and partnership grants since 1999. Past experience as a teacher, supervisor, project coordinator, writer, and trainer has equipped Teague for her work at local, state, and national venues, including at NCCEP conferences. She has a B.S.-Ed. from Texas State University and an M.S. from the University of Houston, with specializations in curriculum and instruction, supervision, and guidance and counseling. BRENDA THOMPSON is the associate vice president for enrollment management at West Virginia University, a position she has held for the last 13 years. During that time, undergraduate enrollment at the University has increased by more than 40% while the institution itself has grown from 22,000 students to nearly 30,000. Thompson oversees the areas of undergraduate admissions and recruitment, graduate admissions and recruitment, financial aid, scholarships, student employment and new student orientation. A long-time employee of West Virginia University, Brenda spent nearly 20 years working in the Office of Financial Aid. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Concord University and a masters in business administration from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies which is now Marshall University. CHRISSY TILLERY, Ed.D., serves as the director of evaluation at the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships. In that role she leads national GEAR UP research and evaluation initiatives including the College and Career Readiness Evaluation Consortium, a multi-state national evaluation focused on common indicators and

evidence-based outcomes of college access programming. She works with constituents across the nation to promote better college access evaluation and accountability systems. Tillery has provided research and evaluation leadership on U.S. Department of Education grants for more than 10 years, published peer-reviewed articles, and led numerous state and national workshops and presentations. RHONDA THOMAS has a B.A. with a minor in social work and a M.A. in inner city studies from Northeastern Illinois University. She has spoken throughout the United States for organizations such as “Making It Count” a program that encourages high school students to prepare for college. She has had the pleasure of transforming lives through her workshops and presentations. Rhonda is currently a program manager with an emphasis on parent programs for the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance at the Center for College Access & Success at Northeastern Illinois University. PETER VAN BUSKIRK served as dean of admission at Franklin & Marshall College (PA) for a dozen years and as vice president for college planning solutions at Peterson’s for two years before starting his own business, Best College Fit, as speaker/author/student advocate. He presented a 2-day college planning module for the NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity Building Workshop in 2006 and is a popular speaker at GEAR UP programs around the country. MICAELA VAZQUEZ-HAHN is the director of development and outreach for the GEAR UP 4 LA grant in the Los Angeles Unified School District, serving approximately 6,000 families. She brings 10 years leadership in GEAR UP Project Higher Learning (PHL) III in Northeast LA, first as an onsite manager, then as project director. Ms. Vazquez-Hahn successfully managed a 40-person staff and administered GEAR UP services for over 3,400 students across ten middle and five high schools. Ms. Vazquez-Hahn served as a special education teacher for 10 years, grew up in the community, and was the first member of her family to go to college. She has excellent communication skills, a reputation as a school leader, and expert capacity with personnel management. CONAN VIERNES is a former electrical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with eight years of experience on a variety of NASA and Department of Defense projects including the Cassini Mission to Saturn, Europa/Vostok mission, and the Deep Space Network. He is a former GEAR UP school site coordinator, fiscal/contract analyst, and is the current project director for the University of Washington’s 2011 GEAR UP partnership grant. NADIA L. WARD, M.Ed., Ph.D., is the director of urban education and prevention research at The Consultation Center and associate professor in the Division of Prevention & Community Research at Yale University School of Medicine. Her extensive work in the area of academic achievement for racial and ethnic minority students has spanned 20 years and has included training and consultation to universities, public school systems, and private organizations includ-

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ing in the areas of curriculum development, program development, implementation, and evaluation. She has also presented throughout the U.S. and internationally and had her work published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Ward has worked extensively with high-risk as well as high achieving urban youth and their families in a variety of capacities. She has designed and evaluated academic enrichment and competence-enhancing substance abuse and violence prevention programs in school and community settings. Additionally, she is a leader in comprehensive urban school reform efforts where she engages schools and communities in the development, implementation, and evaluation of systemic interventions designed to improve school climate, academic performance, and educational trajectories of low-income and minority youth. Dr. Ward’s areas of expertise include school-based mental health, substance abuse prevention among youth, social-emotional learning, academic achievement, educational disparities, urban school reform, education policy, and school-based prevention programs. She has appeared on National Public Radio (NPR) and been quoted in the New York Post and U.S. News & World Report. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field. JULIE WELKOWITZ, Ph.D., is an evaluation and research analyst with GEAR UP Vermont through the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). In her current position, she is facilitating a longitudinal comparison study, examining postsecondary outcomes of students who have participated in services through GEAR UP Vermont’s ACT Project. With respect to Vermont’s 7th year program, GUIDE, she has been working with the Vermont GUIDE staff to establish a long-term evaluation plan to track the progress of GEAR UP Vermont students once they enter higher education institutions and to determine the effectiveness of specific interventions. Prior to her work at VSAC, Dr. Welkowitz spent the last 20 years involved with administration, teaching, and program development at institutions of higher education. Her previous research and model development efforts have focused on building the capacity of elementary and secondary school systems to support and facilitate the success of all students. SARA T. WHITE is the GEAR UP director with Berea College’s Partners for Education division guiding the work of three currently funded GEAR UP grants in rural Appalachian Kentucky. Drawing on previous work with TRIO high school

students and first-generation college students at state universities in both Kentucky and Georgia, she sees the tremendous opportunities for change that GEAR UP offers in its capacity to increase academic rigor in schools, influence students’ capacity for perseverance, and demystify myths regarding all-things-college for parents. Ms. White brings experience in project development from inception through life cycle with a talent for establishing processes and building strong working teams. KAREN WOODFAULK, Ph.D., serves as the director of student affairs at the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Her oversight includes management of a variety of state student assistance programs: SC Legislative Incentives for Future Excellence (LIFE), Palmetto Fellows, SC HOPE, Lottery Tuition Assistance, SC Need-based Grant, National Guard College Assistance Program, and Veterans Education and Training. She is also responsible for college access programs including Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), College Access Challenge Grant, College Transition Need-Based Grant, College Application Month, and College Goal South Carolina. Dr. Woodfaulk served as principal investigator of two previous State GEAR UP Grants (1999 and 2005) and now serves as principal investigator of the State GEAR UP Grant (7-year grant awarded in 2011). She serves on the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) GEAR UP Advisory Board, ACT State Advisory Council, and TRIO Advisory Board. Dr. Woodfaulk earned a bachelors of arts from Barry University, a master of arts from New Mexico Highlands University, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Florida State University. CHLOE WOODWARD-MAGRANE is the manager of early college and career awareness at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the State Education Agency for Washington, DC. At OSSE, Chloe oversees development of policy and programs supporting college and career readiness for middle grades students enrolled in DC public and charter schools. Chloe also serves as co-district director for AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) sites in the District. Prior to joining OSSE, Chloe supported the development of college readiness work and school counselor training at DC Public Schools. She began her career as an admissions officer at Barnard College in New York City. Chloe has a B.A. in women’s studies from Wellesley College and an M.A. in politics and education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

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NCCEP/GEAR UP Capacity-Building Workshop 2015