COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE:

Your Guide to Access and

Success

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS YOU

WANT FOR YOUR

STUDENTS?

OURS WERE:

1. Increase the %-age of students enrolling in

selective colleges with high retention and graduation rates

OURS WERE:

2. Increase the %-age of 4-year eligible students

enrolling in 4-year colleges rather than in 2-year

colleges or not going at all

OURS WERE:

3. Increase scholarship support

SOUND GOOD?

Buckle up!

OUR RESULTS:

1a. Increased the %-age of students enrolling in selective colleges

by nearly 200%

OUR RESULTS:

1b. Increased the %-age of students enrolling in HIGHLY selective colleges by nearly

300%

OUR RESULTS:

2. Cut by almost 2/3 the %age of 4-year eligible students enrolling in 2-

year college or not going at all

OUR RESULTS:

3. Increased per-pupil scholarship support 500% (baseline $6

million for 200 students)

OUR RESULTS:

4. Accomplished this in two years, with most of the gains accomplished

in the first year

OUR RESEARCH:

Potholes on the Road to College … (Roderick, et

al, University of Chicago)

MAIN POINTS:

1. Students need structured supports for school transitions and

college awareness/readiness

MAIN POINTS:

2. Students need structured supports for

college, scholarship, and financial aid apps

MAIN POINTS:

3. FAFSA completion is critical for college enrollment and

scholarship program success

MAIN POINTS:

4. Academic match & not just cultural fit is a strong determinant of

retention and graduation

OUR STRATEGIES:

1a. “Freshman Fridays” to work on transition issues into HS: 4-year

HS plan, college awareness, GPA, & so

much more

OUR STRATEGIES:

1b. 1-on-1 counselor meeting for every freshman and new

student (in addition to the usuals – Frosh

Orientation, Back to School Night, etc.)

OUR STRATEGIES:

2. Sophomore college awareness

programming (at retreat, at parents’

nights, college tours)

OUR STRATEGIES:

3. Daily 45-minute period with all 2nd-sem. JRs and 1st-sem. SRs in

highly-structured “College Knowledge”

class

OUR STRATEGIES:

4. Relentless FAFSA completion program in

January of SR year

OUR STRATEGIES:

5. Continued group and individual counseling as needed during 2nd-sem. of SR year (CK

class now with 2nd-sem JRs)

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

1. Administrator buy-in (principal) and

leadership (chair); if you want these gains, you have to plan and

work for them!

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

2. Hire/assign a freshman-only

counselor and give that person dedicated

weekly “Freshman Friday” time

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

3. Hire/assign College Knowledge teachers

(counselors work best IMHO); will need to re-assign a teacher FTE to a counselor or new hire

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

4. Use our curriculum and tailor it rather than start from scratch; set aside time and pay for

curriculum planning

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

5. Get interns involved; excellent arena for

small group and 1-on-1 supports in both FF and

CK classes. They are INSTRUMENTAL!

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

6. DATA DATA DATA. Know your baselines and data goals at all

levels, and follow them in 1st year to build

consensus around FF, SA, & CK

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

7. TALK IT UP! At staff and board meetings, in the grad program, in the press, at district meetings, etc. Make the successes public!

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

8. KNOW YOUR STUDENTS! CK was designed for 4-year eligible low-income

urban kids – but could be designed for other

students.

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

9. COLLEGE EXPOSURE IS CRITICAL, esp. for

first-gen kids. Start in soph year, or earlier!

KEYS 2 SUCCESS:

10. It’s all about RELATIONSHIPS … with students, their families, and college reps. See

your role as the “relationship broker.”

MISC POINTS:

1. Well-aligned with the ASCA national model; principals will often

need education on this model and why/how it

works

MISC POINTS:

2. Principal needs to assign non-counselor duties (registration,

standardized testing, sharpening pencils,

etc.) away from couns./CK teachers

MISC POINTS:

2 (cont’d). In other words, if principals treat counselors as

“100% other duties as assigned,” that’s

exactly what they’ll get – misc. admin.

MISC POINTS:

3. We had no teacher resistance; in fact, new

JR/SR semester-long electives contributed to

teacher buy-in and enthusiasm

MISC POINTS:

4. CK was well-received by all students and

families, not just first-gen; ‘voluntary’ (opt-out

rather than opt-in) enrollment at 99%

MISC POINTS:

5. Students reported greatly reduced stress

relative to previous year’s seniors and to peers at other HSs

(suicide prevention)

MISC POINTS:

6. Students reported understanding the process, focus on

match, appreciation for daily assistance, & being able to make

better decisions

MISC POINTS:

7. Other successful programs not identical, but similar in allocating dedicated time; THIS IS

NOT ADVISORY or ENGLISH CLASS!!!

MISC POINTS:

8. All SRs accepted into a 4-year college is a start BUT IT IS NOT

ENOUGH AND WE ALL KNOW IT; don’t feed into that standard

MISC POINTS:

9. NPO action is awesome BUT IT IS

NOT ENOUGH AND WE ALL KNOW IT; ALL KIDS

NEED AND DESERVE THIS SUPPORT!!!

MISC POINTS:

10. This is not a pipe dream, even in this

economy, but…

MISC POINTS:

10 (cont’d). …inertia is huge; are you a strong enough leader to make

the case for this program and see it

through?

LAST POINTS:

This is not rocket science.

LAST POINTS:

ACT/SAT scores count, prep

counts, but not always.

LAST POINTS:

This is where the good stuff

happens.

LAST POINTS:

CK text on the NPEA website, I hope! I can also forward

electronic copies.

LAST POINTS:

My info:John Fanning

johnfa@college-prep.org

510-652-0111

Thank you for attending

COLLEGE KNOWLEDGE:Your Guide to Access and

Success