GO Centers: A Catalyst for Establishing Strong Community Partnerships

Presenters:

Dr. Anita Perry, Director of Academic Advisement

Dr. Stacy M. Burrell, Coordinator of Academic Advisement

Fort Worth Independent School District, TX

Mrs. Glenn Spoons, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce (TX)

Learning Objectives

• Conceptualize how GO Centers can promote a college

and career readiness initiative

• Examine effective strategies to engage community

partners in providing resources in GO Centers

• Learn best practices for collaborating with community

and educational partners to offer greater impact in

providing specialized services

FWISD Student Profile*Total Enrollment 84,588

• Bilingual/ESL 29.1%

• Economically Disadvantaged 77.1%

• Limited English Proficient (LEP) 30.5%

District Demographics:

• Hispanic 62.8%

• African American 22.7%

• White/Anglo 11%

• Asian/Pacific Islander 1.3%

• Native American 0.1%

*As reported by the 2012-2013 Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS)

My Educational Journey was . . .

• Scenic route

• Congested

• Extended Vacation

• Stop & Go

• Bumpy Road

• Stop Signs

• Guided Tour

• Smooth Sailing

• No Traffic

• Uphill

• Delayed Flight

• Sinking ship

• Hang gliding

• Adventure Tour

• Foggy

• Foggy, but clearing

• Detour

• Searching

• Rolling a Rock Uphill

• Stepping Stones

• Fly by Night

?

Mission of GO Centers

To create and sustain a college-going and workforce

ready culture in that prepares all students for the

academic rigor and discipline needed to enter and

successfully participate in college and a life-long career.

Education. Go Get It.

History of GO Centers

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

• Closing the Gaps by 2015 (Begin in 2000)

Close the Gaps in Participation

Close the Gaps in Success

Close the Gaps in Excellence

Close the Gaps in Research

• Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce leads initiative in

Tarrant County

Closing the Gap Goals• Participation – Close the gaps in participation rates across

Texas to add 630,000 more students

• Success – Increase by 50% the number of degrees, certificates and other identifiable student successes from high quality programs

• Excellence – Substantially increase the number of nationally recognized programs or services at colleges and universities

• Research – Increase the level of federal science and engineering research funding to Texas Institutions by 50% to $1.3 billion

GO Centers

• Each school and community entity that establishes a GO

Center is immediately connected to:

a statewide network of resources

a body of individuals committed to:

educating the youth of Texas and

preparing them to excel in higher education and life

beyond the classroom.

• The GO Center is open to all students on each school

campus.

Types of GO Centers

• Traditional

High School, Middle Schools, Elementary Schools

Colleges & Universities

• Community/Satellite

Public libraries

Local workforce center

Community centers

Faith Based Locations (churches)

• Mobile GO Centers

Ability to travel to a variety of locations

Tarrant County GO Centers Locations:

View at Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Website: http://www.fortworthchamber.com/education

Traditional GO Centers

Community/ Satellite GO Centers

Mobile GO Centers

GO Center Elements

• Accessible location in a comfortable, clean environment

• Computer and internet access

• Informational brochures, posters, and application forms

• GO Center Sponsor/Coordinator

• Organizational leadership buy-in, support and ownership

GO Centers

• 6th – 10th graders spend time: exploring career options,

researching colleges and training opportunities, and

learning how to adequately prepare for college during their high school years.

• 11th and 12th graders spend time: getting ready for life after high school by preparing for the

SAT/ACT tests,

researching scholarships,

researching and applying for specific colleges and training programs, and

applying for financial aid.

GO Center Sponsor/ Coordinator• Promote higher education to every student!

• Assist students with researching career, financial aid, and

higher education options.

• Recruit and organize G-Force members.

• Fulfill administrative duties that G-Force members, as

students, may not be allowed to do.

• Motivate G-Force members.

• Assist G-Force members with preparing, launching and

running the GO Center.

• Plan or coordinate activities related to creating a college

going culture (collaboration with P-16 Specialist).

G-Force Members

• A network of students, concerned citizens, and/or

organizations committed to creating a college-going

culture in their school and/or community.

• G-Force members raise awareness among students

and their families on the value of a higher education,

show them how to prepare for college both

academically and financially, and motivate students

to successfully pursue higher education.

Higher Education Partners

• GO Centers are matched

with a higher education

partner to assist with the GO

Center and work with the

students. A GO Center

Sponsor will provide direct

support and assistance to G-

Force members and will

promote the college-going

message to other

professional staff.

FWISD Partners:

Texas Christian University

Texas Wesleyan University

Tarrant County College

District

Texas Women’s University

University of North Texas

University of Texas-

Arlington

Tarleton University

FWISD GO Center Staff

• College & Career Coaches

Grant funded, Title I, School District’s Local funds

• G-Force Peer Mentors

University of Texas Arlington, TX Wesleyan, Texas Women’s

Texas Christian, University of North Texas- Denton

• College Advising Corp

Texas Christian Univ. Department of Education

• Educational Talent Search

Tarrant County Boys & Girls Club

• Counselors

College & Career Readiness Coach

• Full-time employees of FWISD

• 187 contracted days; earn additional pay for summer

employment

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred

• Do not have to be certified teacher or counselor (attract

professionals from other disciplines such as student personnel, social work,

and family sciences)

• Work at the school location; may have flexible schedule

to accommodate before and after school activities

• Support school counselors and other student support

professionals

FWISD GO CentersGO Centers are resource hubs that exposes students to the vast array of post secondary opportunities.

Services Provided:

College Admission Awareness

College Application Assistance

Financial Aid Application Assistance

Financial Aid Advising

Career Exploration

Scholarship Assistance

College Advising

College Campus Visits and Tours

Academic Advising

Community & Educational Partnerships

1. Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

2. United Way of Tarrant County

3. Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County

4. Local Non-profit Agencies

5. Universities & Colleges

6. Businesses & Corporations

7. Foundations

The Fort Worth Chamber- Education

• Help interlace education with future workforce needs

Strategic Pathways for Student Success Committee and

Taskforce

• Involve business in curriculum development, mentoring,

applied learning

College & Career Days Mentors

Beyond School Walls host business sites

Quality Workforce Development Committee

GO Centers Resources

Tarrant County GO Center Partners Meetings

The Fort Worth Chamber- Education

• Legislative Advocacy

Metro 8 Chambers of Commerce position statement current

development

Texas House Bill 5 (HB5) Ideas

Bolster counselor resources to implement personal

graduation plans

Sustain funding to implement graduation endorsements

Continue to implement the criteria of HB5 for secondary

schools

Provide updates on the new 60x30 Texas 2030

Fort Worth Chamber- GO Center Data

United Way of Tarrant County

• Grant funder of GO Centers for 12 middle schools and 1 high school

• Community convener through public conversations forums

• Develop strategies for deep and meaningful community collaborations

• Establish metrics for on-time graduation promotion

• Evaluate UWTC sponsored programs & share results with community and other public entities

Program Indicators:

• Increase school engagement

• Increase Promotion Rates

• Increase Graduation Rates

• Decrease Absence Rate

• Decrease Core Course Failure Rate

• Decrease Discipline Referral Rate

• Decrease overall Early Warning Index Score

• Decrease Dropout Rates

Student Achievement Goals

Working with Community and Educational Partnerships

• Shared vision with realistic outcomes

• Constant communication

• Connect internal systems with external systems

• Transparency in program development

• Flexibility in implementation

• Strong assessment outline

• Collaborate on additional funding opportunities

• Align pre-existing resources to leverage new ideas

• Be creative and innovative

Lessons Learned

Strategic Opportunities for Partnerships

• College Night

• College Experiences/Financial Aid Help Sessions

• Middle School College & Career Expo

• College & Career Days

• College campus tours & enrichment field trips

• Summer Camp

• Beyond School Walls Program

• Community Mentoring Activities/Events

College NightCollege representatives interact with over 7,000 attendees exposing

them admission requirements to their institutions. Workshops help

families become more knowledgeable about the college admittance

process.

College Experience & Financial Aid HelpProvides one-on-one assistance with completing college applications, scholarships, and essays for any student. Financial Aid Sessions will be offered in English and Spanish to help students and parents with completing the FAFSA/TASFA application.

Middle School College & Career ExpoCollege, business, and community representatives interact with over

5,500 8th grade students to expose them to information that will help

them with their future success.

College & Career DaysOpportunity for Business and Community leaders to share their

expertise with students about their personal college experience and

professional career path.

College Campus Tours

IROC Summer CampIROC! (I’m Ready for the Opportunity of College!) is a 3 week summer camp that helps middle school students investigate their potential for college attendance and career exploration. Students are exposed to various collegiate campuses, business environments, and community service projects while using the national Kids2College curriculum. They also take summer enrichment course at a local community college.

Beyond School Walls ProgramBeyond School Walls is a mentoring program that expands a student's

post-secondary perspective by spending one-on-one time with their

mentors during the school day in the workplace.

Community MentoringBusiness and community leaders discuss with students their future

aspirations over lunch.

Community MentoringCommunity members provide hands-on-opportunities for our students

Staff Training OpportunitiesCommunity members provide workshops for staff in various workforce

opportunities

QUESTIONS?

Contact InformationDr. Anita Perry, Director of Academic Advisement

anita.perry@fwisd.org

Dr. Stacy M. Burrell, Coordinator of Academic Advisement

stacy.burrell@fwisd.org

Mrs. Glenn Spoons, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

gspoons@fortworthchamber.com