Guide to GEAR UP in Texas

East Texas GEAR UP for Success

Stephen F. Austin State University/Nacogdoches

Name of Project:

East Texas GEAR UP for Success

Website:

http://www.sfasu.edu/education/departments/secondaryeducation/gear-up.asp

Director's Name:

Dr. Betty Alford

Director's Contact Number:

936-468-1865

Director's Email:

balford@sfasu.edu

Years of Grant:

2011-2018

Type of Grant:

cohort

ESC Region(s):

ESC Region 7

Number of Students Served:

1,482 students

Brief Description of Program:

The project establishes a system-wide mindset of high academic expectations for all students where increased numbers of secondary students will participate and succeed in advanced-level courses that will prepare them for access to, and success in, postsecondary education.  The project is designed to address the urgent need to increase the college-going and success rates of students in the project schools, with professional development serving as the agent for systemic change. Student support services will be provided through data analysis, student recruitment for advanced courses, tutoring, mentoring, and college and career counseling.  Another vital component in improving the educational attainment of secondary students will be enlisting the support of parents as advocates for increasing each student’s readiness for postsecondary education.

Partners:

 

• Stephen F. Austin State University
• Angelina College
• Five rural ISDs: 
  • Central
  • Hudson
  • Lufkin
  • Nacogdoches
  • Woden
• Lufkin/Angelina Chamber of Commerce
• Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce

Additional Contributing Organizations:

 

• Top Ladies of Distinction, Lufkin Chapter
• Delta Sigma Theta, Lufkin Chapter
• American Association of University Women, Nacogdoches Chapter
• First Bank and Trust 
• La Lengua Newspaper

Project Goals:

The ETGUS project will specifically address five goals that will contribute to the overall program purpose of significantly increasing the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary. The project will increase the number of low SES students who enroll and are successful in advanced courses. The project will also increase the number of low SES students who are college ready in math and English as measured on the state AEIS results and thus are not required to take remedial courses during the first year of college.  The third goal is to increase the number of students who graduate from high school in four year years by increasing the passing rate on the End-of-course exams as compared to the baseline of 2011.  The fifth goal is to increase the percentage of parents who report talking to someone about college and financial aid by 30% as compared to the baseline survey.

Notable Project Achievement:

The College Coaching program that was introduced in the 2005 grant which allowed us to have 100% of the students apply and be accepted to some type of postsecondary institution.  Evaluation of the 2005 grant revealed that 62% of the 2011 graduates attended some type of post-secondary institution in the fall after graduation.

Unique to the Project:

We are a project located in a very rural area of Eastern Texas, and we have been funded for two previous GEAR UP grants in 1999 and 2005.

District/Campus Names:

Districts	Campuses
Central ISD	Central Junior High School Central High School
Hudson ISD	Hudson Middle School Hudson High School
Lufkin ISD	Lufkin Middle School Lufkin High School Stubblefield Learning Center
Nacogdoches ISD	Mike Moses Middle School McMichael Middle School Nacogdoches High School Martin Educational Center
Woden ISD	Woden Middle School Woden High School