"In a time when it seems like no one is looking after public education, it is good to know that something as organized, efficient, and positive as the Education Fund exists."
Citi Postsecondary Success Program.
Mission, Burton, and Marshall High Schools join college readiness partnership.
The national Public Education Network and Citi are funding a five-year action research project to study what it takes to help urban low-income and first generation students succeed in college or career. This project will study 4,500 students in three cities, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco (1,500 students in each city) as they are placed in the pipeline to college or career and then track them for four years through the completion of year one or two of college or career studies. The emphasis of this action research project is not just on the pipeline to higher education but also on success in college. We expect to learn what it takes for students from these backgrounds to succeed in postsecondary education and disseminate this information so that others can create similar programs in their cities or districts.
Partnerships. The San Francisco Education Fund is being funded to create a partnership with organizations and programs that will work collaboratively to create college/career success with these students. There are many barriers to successful postsecondary education that young people face. This partnership will address these barriers and attempt to eliminate them so that at the end of five years, there is an increase in the number of these youth who succeed in their first year.
Goals. For students, the goal of the project is to help 1,500 San Francisco young people succeed in college/career. For SFUSD and the field of education, the goal is to have research that shows what it takes to help low-income and first generation students succeed. Achieving these goals will not only lead to more students succeeding in higher education, but will also provide significant knowledge that will be shared across the District and to other urban areas regarding how to help these students succeed.
Evaluation. An external evaluator, OMG Center for
Collaborative Learning in Philadelphia, will conduct the research, analyze
the data, and report findings. An important aspect of this project is
data collection. The Education Fund will be responsible allocating resources
(staff and other) to work with the partners and appropriate district
staff to create a student tracking system that provides information
on a student’s progress in preparing for college/career and using this
information not only for the research, but to also provide needed services
to students to help them be successful in college/career. With this
project, San Francisco public schools will have increased its ability
to monitor a student’s college readiness and adjust teaching/support
strategies to keep them on track.