GE Fund College Bound Program

A Forum — November 8, 2002

Background

In 1989, the GE Fund (the charitable foundation established by the General Electric Company) launched the College Bound Program, a ten-year, $20 million effort to double or significantly increase the college-going rate in selected high schools in low-income and inner-city communities. In 2000, the Fund extended the program for an additional five years and increased the total funding to $30 million. The Center for Youth and Communities at Brandeis University conducted a retrospective evaluation of the program and is currently collecting data through the program’s annual reporting system and a longitudinal study of College Bound participants from three of the program’s school sites. Presenters at the forum described the program, data gathered from the evaluations, and the lessons learned about effective policy and school reform.

Alan Melchior, Deputy Director at the Center for Youth and Communities at Brandeis University, and co-director of the Center’s evaluation of the GE Fund program, described the major elements of the College Bound program model: a focus on a single clear goal (doubling or significantly increasing the college-going rate), coupled with flexibility that allows each school to develop its own strategy to achieve this goal; a sustained and substantial investment of resources; establishment of school/business partnerships; an emphasis on combining programs targeted to increase college awareness and preparation with broader initiatives to improve curriculum, provide teacher professional development, and implement structural reform; and ongoing support and capacity building through summer grantee workshops. One unique aspect of the program, Melchior said, is that it does not focus solely on short-term activities like courses to increase SAT scores; rather, it focuses on broader changes in curriculum, professional development, and school structure.

Melchior described the findings from the evaluations that he and his colleagues conducted. In the 1998 evaluation, the evaluators found that the program significantly increased the college-going rate at seven of the 11 sites with reliable data. The greatest increases were at schools with low initial college-going rates. Evaluators also found that graduates of the program were more likely to attend and stay in college than comparable students nationally. In more recent evaluations, they have found that students in the College Bound program continue to attend college at rates higher than the national averages. In addition to changes in college going rates, the program is associated with other changes: the large majority of sites receiving funding made fundamental changes in school infrastructure and curriculum and most sites also reported increased support for the schools within their communities.

In 2000, the GE Fund extended the program and, based in part on evaluation findings, instituted several refinements including redefinition of College Bound goals to include a reduction in the dropout rate. An increased emphasis was placed on whole-school reform efforts, reflecting the finding that such efforts were more likely to be sustained over time. The program was extended to include middle schools and district-wide, K-12 strategies.

Melchior summarized the lessons that have been learned through implementation of the program: Have clear, focused mission and goals; make substantial and sustained investments; make investments in infrastructure, staff development and curriculum improvements; put in place strong, consistent leadership at the school and district levels; emphasize student support (connect students with caring adults); and incorporate evaluation as an integral part of the overall initiative. With respect to program evaluation, Melchior and his colleagues emphasized the value of involving school sites as partners in the evaluation process and also highlighted the challenges of collecting consistent, reliable school data because of limited access to school and district data (even among school staff) and variations in definitions and usage of key terms such as dropout rate.

Nicholas Kostan, Superintendent of Lynn Public Schools, discussed the program’s impact at Lynn Classical High School in Massachusetts. Prior to its participation in the GE Fund College Bound Program, Lynn High School was on academic probation. Through its participation in the program, teachers received technology training and other professional development, students were provided with cultural opportunities and experiences, new and more challenging courses were added to the curriculum, and school/business partnerships were developed. After five years of participating in the program, college attendance rates jumped from 40% to 77%, public confidence in the school increased, a bond referendum to build a new high school was passed, the school has been reaccredited, SAT scores have risen, a new Alumni Society has been formed, and scholarships have been donated through new university and business partnerships.

Frank Butts, Principal of John F. Kennedy High School, described how his school used funding from the College Bound program to form partnerships across K-16 schools and community organizations to improve learning for students in his district. Recognizing that it is not sufficient to focus on students in eighth grade to promote college access, he and his colleagues focused on the elementary and middle schools that feed into their high school. Butts also identified multiple, diverse groups and organizations in the community that can serve as resources for school improvement: businesses, fine arts and faith-based organizations, colleges and community colleges, and fraternities and sororities. Each of these organizations can be used creatively to improve the educational opportunities available to students and to increase students’ awareness of what it is to be successful in the adult world, said Butts.

During the discussion period, Butts, Kostan and Melchior identified other lessons learned through participation in the GE Fund College Bound Program. Melchior stressed that the grants gave the schools credibility with the community, people came to believe that genuine change was possible, and that the reforms were not just another flash in the pan. Kostan agreed that grants helped build credibility with the community and made change possible. The grants also provided the venture capital needed to help schools change direction and initiate significant reform. Panel members also emphasized that even after funding for the program is gone, schools will continue to benefit through the partnerships they were able to develop while receiving funds. Kostan stated that a focus on professional development is essential for improvements to take place. Also essential is a shared focus on improving student achievement through improvements in classroom instruction. Panel members acknowledged the incredible pressure for accountability currently facing schools. Butts stated that it is essential to focus on strategies that actively engage students in the classroom because engagement leads to higher quality learning.

American Youth Policy Forum   1836 Jefferson Place NW,  Washington DC 20036
Telephone 202-775-9731      |      Fax 202-775-9733      |     Email aypf@aypf.org