GEAR UP Partnerships
GEAR UP Partnerships
What is GEAR UP?
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a 7-year program sponsored by the United States 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 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 is a seven-year project designed to enhance students’ academic success and college and career readiness. Students will explore the various educational and career options that are open to them. Highlights included various hands-on activities, college visits, career exploration and other activities to prepare them for post secondary education. GEAR UP also services to educators to impact learning and build sustainable supports to impact future classes.
The GEAR UP project follows two student cohorts—this year’s sixth and seventh grade students—throughout
their middle school and high school careers and helps support the students as they make the transition into
higher education and career.
What is GEAR UP?
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is sponsored by the United States 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 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 is a seven-year project designed to enhance students’ academic success and college and career readiness. Students will explore the various educational and career options that are open to them. Highlights included various hands-on activities, college visits, career exploration and other activities to prepare them for post secondary education.
The GEAR UP project follows two student cohorts—this year’s sixth and seventh grade students—throughout their middle school and high school careers and helps support the students as they make the transition into higher education and career.
The GEAR UP Model
· Raises academic aspirations of the entire cohort
· Supports the cohort long-term (6th or 7th grade through first year of college)
· Provides sustainable resources that remain with the grade level even after the cohort moves forward
MIDDLE SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
Year 1
6th 7th
Year 2
7th 8th
Year 3
8th 9th
Year 4
9th 10th
Year 5
10th 11th
Year 6
11th 12th
Year 7
12th
COLLEGE FRESHMAN
The GEAR UP Model
· Raises academic aspirations of the entire cohort
· Supports the cohort long-term (6th or 7th grade through first year of college)
· Provides sustainable resources that remain with the grade level even after the cohort moves forward
MIDDLE SCHOOL
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
Year 1
6th 7th
Year 2
7th 8th
Year 3
8th 9th
Year 4
9th 10th
Year 5
10th 11th
Year 6
11th 12th
Year 7
12th
COLLEGE FRESHMAN
The GEAR UP for LIFE Model
The K20 GEAR UP for LIFE (Learning and Investigating Future Education) project is a partnership between the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal (K20 Center) and 27 high-poverty, mostly rural schools located in 22 Oklahoma school districts. The partnership seeks to directly impact 8,258 students through a 7-year project beginning with 6th and 7th grades in October 2023.
- Goal 1: Increase cohort students’ engagement in learning.
- Goal 2: Increase cohort students’ academic preparation for PSE at graduation from participating schools.
- Goal 3: Increase cohort schools’ high school graduation and PSE enrollment rates.
- Goal 4: Increase cohort students’ and their families’ knowledge of PSE options, preparation, and financing.
K20’s Current GEAR UP Grants
In 2018, the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal competed for and was awarded for three separate Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP) grants sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. There were 160 applications for GEAR UP funding, 60 grants were awarded, and K20 won 3 of them. The GEAR UP OKC, GEAR UP for MY SUCCESS, and GEAR UP for the FUTURE grants will provide seven years of services and development to 46 partner schools all across the state of Oklahoma
K20’s Current GEAR UP Grants
In 2018, the K20 Center for Educational and Community Renewal competed for and was awarded for three separate Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP) grants sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. There were 160 applications for GEAR UP funding, 60 grants were awarded, and K20 won 3 of them. The GEAR UP OKC, GEAR UP for MY SUCCESS, and GEAR UP for the FUTURE grants will provide seven years of services and development to 46 partner schools all across the state of Oklahoma
K20'S IMPACT FROM 2008 - 2019
TOTAL HOURS
737,683
30,583
9,344
192
STUDENTS IMPACTED
EDUCATORS IMPACTED
SCHOOLS IMPACTED
| Grant | # of Schools (MS, JH, HS) | # of Students | # of Educators | # of events | # of hours of service |
| 2008’s SUCCESS | 78 | 3,256 | 1,592 | 3,747 | 111,287 |
| 2011’s PROMISE | 20 | 5,629 | 1,681 | 4,143 | 185,991 |
| 2018’s FUTURE | 23 | 7,851 | 2,042 | 5,919 | 147,589 |
| 2018’s MY SUCCESS | 47 | 6,467 | 2,056 | 5,994 | 151,894 |
| 2018’s OKC | 24 | 7,380 | 1,973 | 16,992 | 140,922 |
| TOTAL | 192 | 30,583 | 9,344 | 36,795 | 737,683 |
SUCCESS
Over the course of a six year grant, K20’s GEAR UP for SUCCESS provided college readiness services to...
cohort students from 32 districts living in mostly rural, ethnically diverse, under-resourced areas of Oklahoma.
Hours of teacher, student, and family participation in college preparation programs totaled 186,929.
3,549
46.7%
51.9%
80.0%
89.5%
62%
45.6%
79.7%
46.8%
Parental participation in SUCCESS services and activities was a strong predictor of college enrollment: children of participating parents were 1.37 times more likely to be enrolled than children whose parents did not participate.
We saw that, for each hour of participation in project services and activities, a student was 1% more likely to be enrolled in college in Spring 2015, even when controlling for ACT® scores and parent participation.
COLLEGE A REALITY
Family Support Makes
“I feel so honored to have been a part of this opportunity. It has been wonderful to hear about the passion these educators & parents feel for helping students be successful. I would definitely like to do this again.”
- Parent Leadership Academy Parent
SUCCESS
Over the course of a six year grant, K20’s GEAR UP for SUCCESS provided college readiness services to...
cohort students from 32 districts living in mostly rural, ethnically diverse, under-resourced areas of Oklahoma.
Hours of teacher, student, and family participation in college preparation programs totaled 186,929.
3,549
46.7%
51.9%
80.0%
89.5%
62%
45.6%
79.7%
46.8%
Parental participation in SUCCESS services and activities was a strong predictor of college enrollment: children of participating parents were 1.37 times more likely to be enrolled than children whose parents did not participate.
We saw that, for each hour of participation in project services and activities, a student was 1% more likely to be enrolled in college in Spring 2015, even when controlling for ACT® scores and parent participation.
COLLEGE A REALITY
Family Support Makes
“I feel so honored to have been a part of this opportunity. It has been wonderful to hear about the passion these educators & parents feel for helping students be successful. I would definitely like to do this again.”
- Parent Leadership Academy Parent
PROMISE
Over the course of a six year grant, K20’s GEAR UP for the PROMISE provided college readiness services to...
cohort students from 15 high schools living in urban, ethnically diverse, under-resourced areas of the Oklahoma City metro.
Hours of teacher, student, and family participation in college preparation programs totaled 414,211.
5,602
Participation in GEAR UP for the PROMISE was a significant predictor of ACT scores; students who participated in PROMISE services had higher ACT scores as a group than students who did not participate in services. Analysis results also showed that the number of hours students participated in PROMISE predicted higher ACT scores. Thus, the more time students logged with PROMISE, the higher their ACT scores were.
Analysis also revealed a significant interaction between school attended, number of PROMISE service hours, and ACT score. The effect of school, PROMISE hours, and the interaction between school and PROMISE hours were all significant predictors of ACT score.
IMPROVES STUDENT OUTCOMES
Participation in PROMISE
40%
30%
75%
64%
64%
84%
69%
52%
86%
Comparison Cohort
Percentage of students passing Algebra I by the end of 9th grade
Percentage of students passing Algebra II by the end of 11th grade
Percentage of students earning a high school diploma
PROMISE Cohort 2017
PROMISE Cohort 2018
PROMISE
Over the course of a six year grant, K20’s GEAR UP for the PROMISE provided college readiness services to...
cohort students from 15 high schools living in urban, ethnically diverse, under-resourced areas of the Oklahoma City metro.
Hours of teacher, student, and family participation in college preparation programs totaled 414,211.
5,602
Participation in GEAR UP for the PROMISE was a significant predictor of ACT scores; students who participated in PROMISE services had higher ACT scores as a group than students who did not participate in services. Analysis results also showed that the number of hours students participated in PROMISE predicted higher ACT scores. Thus, the more time students logged with PROMISE, the higher their ACT scores were.
Analysis also revealed a significant interaction between school attended, number of PROMISE service hours, and ACT score. The effect of school, PROMISE hours, and the interaction between school and PROMISE hours were all significant predictors of ACT score.
IMPROVES STUDENT OUTCOMES
Participation in PROMISE
40%
30%
75%
64%
64%
84%
69%
52%
86%
Comparison Cohort
Percentage of students passing Algebra I by the end of 9th grade
Percentage of students passing Algebra II by the end of 11th grade
Percentage of students earning a high school diploma
PROMISE Cohort 2017
PROMISE Cohort 2018
