Building College Readiness in Middle School & High School AVID Texas Coordinator/Elective Teacher Conference Spring Meeting, 2008

Your Presenter xxxxx

Objectives Relate current research and articles to college preparation and readiness for AVID students, grades 7-12 Explore activities and issues related to college readiness GPA’s Earning potentials of various educational levels Texas graduation plans Six-year academic plan Meaning and value of rigorous courses General information on college financial aid

AVID Curriculum on College Preparation & Readiness College & Careers An articulated curriculum from grades 6 to 12 Each activity devised as Into, Through, & Beyond topics See Table of Contents for other units and topics

AVID Curriculum on College Preparation & Readiness Preparing for College (High School Library) Key pieces of this curriculum book can be introduced to middle school students. Each Unit is divided into Testing, Preparation for College, Exploration of Colleges, and Fit & Finances.

AVID Curriculum on College Preparation & Readiness College Readiness: Working with Sources Grades 11 and 12 Focus on reading, writing, critical thinking, and research Excellent schedule for using “Preparing for College” and “College Readiness” throughout grades (scheduled per 6-week period)

AVID Curriculum on College Preparation & Readiness AVID Family Workshops Parent presentations prepared in English and Spanish on -- Transitioning to High School (workshop 4) College and Careers (workshop 5) Workshops designed with activities and for student leadership during presentations.

College Readiness Articles (from The Dallas Morning News) “Class rank is low on many colleges’ lists ” - by Holly K. Hacker “Texas high school grads less prepared for college than others in U.S., panel says” – by Terrence Stutz These are great articles for a Socratic Seminar Students need to know that class rank is important but these articles also illustrate the importance of rigorous courses.

College Readiness Articles The Dallas Morning News Read both of the articles. Explore the articles through a format called “The Final Word.” Individually identify 2-3 “most significant” ideas from the readings. Form groups of 4-5 people.

The Final Word (See Handout pgs 13-14) Identify a facilitator/time-keeper. First person Share what “struck him/her the most” Indicate where quote is in the text Describe why that quote struck him/her (Maximum of 2 minutes) Each other person responds to the quote & what the presenter said (Max 1 minute each) Beginning person responds to what has been said (Max 1 minute) Repeat process for each person in group

College Readiness Articles (from The Dallas Morning News) Each group share major “ah-ha’s” or very important insights from the articles.

Title Here Click to add info here National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC)

Academic Preparation The academic intensity of the student’s high school curriculum counts more than anything else in pre-collegiate history in providing momentum toward completing a bachelor’s degree. Clifford Adelman, The Toolbox Revisited, Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College, U.S. Department of Education, 2006.

Breakout Groups: College Preparation 1.Rigorous College-Prep Courses (HO 17-33) Excerpts from “The Report of the Commission for a College Ready Texas” AP and Pre-AP courses Texas graduation requirements 6-year plans for students 2.High School Requirements: Preparing Middle School Students for the Transition (HO 34-49) Calculating GPA Texas graduation requirements 6-year plans for students Academic goal setting

Breakout Groups: College Preparation 3.Financial Aid for College (Even students in Middle School need to start thinking on this.) (HO 50-65) Preliminary steps for middle school students Financial Aid Facts, Myths, and Q & A Comparing lifetime earnings for education levels 4.College Entrance Exams (PSAT, PSSS, PLAN, Explore, SAT, ACT) (HO 66-82) General information on each test Planning ahead for the exams News article on SAT scores for Texas students

A Note for Our AVID Students : “If you don’t know where you’re going to, you will end up somewhere else.” Lewis Carroll

Thank you for participating in the Building College Readiness in the Middle School and High School session today.