Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Annual Report 2014 - 2015 School Year
Page 2 [June Issue, 2015]
Contents 1. Executive Summary ..........................................................................pg 3
The Teens Act Difference .......................................................pg 3
2. ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................pgs 4-9
Parent Support Program .......................................................pg 4
After-school Program .............................................................pg 5
Campus Tours ............................................................................pg 5
Guest Speakers ..........................................................................pg 6
Volunteers ...................................................................................pg 7
Student Spotlight.......................................................................pg 7
Newsletter ...................................................................................pg 8
End of Year Celebration at Tucanos .................................pg 8
Packet Parties..............................................................................pg 8
Recruiter Visits ...........................................................................pgs 8-9
3. COMMUNITY OUTREACH ...............................................................pgs 9-11
K-16 Alliance................................................................................pg 9
1 Million Cups...............................................................................pg 9
Timpanogos Parent Program ...............................................pg 9
Annual Gala…………………………………………………………...pgs 9-10
Our Partners .................................................................................pgs 10-11
4. CLASS TOPICS ........................................................................................pgs 11-12
5. DATA............................................................................................................pgs 12-26
QUALITATIVE...............................................................................pgs 12-17
Needs Assessment Report .......................................pg 12
Focus Groups .................................................................pg 13
Ethnography Report ...................................................pgs 13-14
Interviews........................................................................pgs 14-17
QUANTITATIVE ...........................................................................pgs 17-26
GPA Change .....................................................................pgs 19-23
Student Satisfaction......................................................pg 23
Pre/Post Survey Comparison………………………..pgs 23-26
Methodology.....................................................................pg 26
6. OUR TEAM .................................................................................................pgs 27-28
Contact Information ....................................................................pg 27
Future Vision……………………………………………………….…..pg 28
Thank you to our Sponsors…………………………………….....pg 28
Page 3 [June Issue, 2015]
1. Executive Summary:
Each year, approximately 1.3 million students fail to graduate, more than half of whom are
from minority groups. This means that 2 students drop out of high school every minute. Not only
does this create a huge reduction in earning power for these students, but it creates many problems
for society as a whole. Students who drop out are more likely to commit crime, live in poverty, and
have a lower quality of life. A report from the documentary series Frontline claims that dropouts
cost society an average of $300,000 per year. Utah has not been immune from this educational
disaster, and that is where Teens Act comes in.
The Teens Act Difference
Our mission is to empower underserved students to graduate from high school and go on to higher
education. Based in the Provo School District and currently operating in Provo High School (PHS)
and Independence High School (IHS), we seek to address the dropout crisis facing our community.
Last year alone, over 100 students dropped out of high school in the Provo School District. At IHS,
only 23% of seniors graduated from high school. It is clear there is a crisis, and we help fight this
dropout epidemic through an educational “triple focus”:
1) Student Success Class (elective class taken during school) 2) After-school Mentoring Program 3) Parent Support Program
We focus on students who are struggling academically (GPA under 2.5), low-income (qualify for
free or reduced lunch), and who are potentially first-generation college-bound. Using our
educational triple focus and other techniques such as motivational speakers, campus tours, and
third-party partnerships with universities, we ensure that participants in our program have the
best possible chance to succeed academically.
In the last 3 years, we have served over 242 students who were at risk of dropping out. 82% of
Teens Act students achieved on-time high school graduation (93% graduation rate at PHS) and
14% went on to adult education. Of the 82% who graduated, 60% of them went on to higher
education after graduating from high school. This year has been similarly successful. Take a
look at some of our inputs below, and then read the rest of the report to see the impact we have had
on the lives of our students.
Page 4 [June Issue, 2015]
2. Activities:
Parent Support Program
At Teens Act we believe that parents are critical to the academic success of their children. That is why we try to involve parents as much as possible in the teaching process. To do so, we hold a quarterly Parent Night. Parents who attended this year were able to meet with mentors to discuss grades, curriculum, learning outcomes, and become more familiar with the Teens Act program. A few parents signed up
for our Parent Advisory Board, which is meant to give parents more ownership of the program. Typically, we held our Parent Night in the classroom, but on a few occasions we were able to partner with other organizations to broaden our appeal to parents. These included presentations from SNAP-Ed and also being involved with the IHS Cultural Night.
We had more than 38 parents attend our Parent Nights over the course of the school year, which helped us gather input from parents, as well as involving them more in the educational process. Parent Nights formed the backbone of our Parent Support Program and we were very pleased with the stronger relationships we were able to develop with parents, as we know this is crucial to the academic success of their children.
In addition to Parent Night, we maintained contact with parents by having our mentors call them every month. This allowed us to have an effective dialogue with parents who were unable to make it to Parent Night. Mentors were able to discuss students’ academic progress (and challenges) with parents, and set goals for improvement. Good communication with parents is a priority for our program, and we were able to achieve that this year.
Page 5 [June Issue, 2015]
After-school Program
After-school mentoring allows
students to receive even more one-
on-one time with mentors to
complete homework and other
assignments. All students are
welcome to attend this program, not
just students from the Teens Act
classes. Our after-school mentoring
is available from Monday to
Thursday every afternoon, and
mentors are paid to be available at
that time. We were happy to provide
this service to the school and to be
an additional resource for students.
Campus Tours
We took our students from both
Independence and Provo High on 7
different campus tours this year. We
visited the University of Utah, Utah
Valley University, Brigham Young
University, the Mountainland Applied
Technical College, and LDS Business
College. On these outings, students
were given supervised tours of the
campus and buildings, and also met
with representatives from the college
to learn about scholarships and other
educational opportunities.
Our rationale behind these tours is to
encourage students to think about a
post-high school education once they
graduate. Students enjoyed the
outings and also profited from
learning about excellent post-high
school education options.
Additionally, we feel there is value in just exposing students to a collegiate environment, and in
planting that seed in their minds that they someday too could attend a university like the ones they
toured.
Page 6 [June Issue, 2015]
Guest Speakers
One of the aims of our program is to broaden the possibilities for our students, and that
includes exposing them to post-high school options that they perhaps had never considered. To
help achieve this, we bring in guest speakers from the community to not only talk to the students
about career options, but also to give them good advice about goal-planning and the development of
useful life skills. We select guest speakers based on their history of overcoming adversity, poverty,
or educational obstacles. This year we had the following guest speakers address the students:
❖ Center for the Advancement of Leadership (CAL) team at Utah Valley University
❖ Victor Migenes: Astronomy professor from BYU
❖ Derek White: Physiotherapist
❖ Eric Stroud: BYU student
❖ Mark Toracha: Social Media Manager at Coding Campus
❖ Olga Stoddard: Economics professor from BYU
❖ Alberto Puertas:National Career Development Association Latin American Director
❖ Keith Lue: BYU Alumni Director
❖ Reno Mahe: Professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles
❖ Gary Guanana: Former participant in the Teens Act program and university student
❖ Nathan Ormsby: Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Services at BYU
❖ Tino Diaz: Utah State University Recruiter
❖ Alex Samann: BYU student and speaker on overcoming abuse
❖ Adam Valera: Business Consultant and BYU MBA student
❖ Axel Ramirez: Associate Professor at UVU
❖ Elisa & Patricia Huhem: Elisa is a BYU Student who spoke about overcoming obstacles
❖ Josh Drean: Motivational speaker who specializes in anti-bullying campaigns
❖ Morgan Humphries: Engineer from Adam & Smith who was in Special Ed growing up
Page 7 [June Issue, 2015]
Volunteers
This is our first year of extensively
recruiting volunteers for the classroom,
but the results have been very pleasing. It
has changed the classroom dynamic by
providing extra help for the teacher and
an additional resource for the students.
We recruit the volunteers from BYU, and
after a thorough interview and
contractual process, we put them to work
in the classroom under the supervision of
the Teens Act mentors. The mentors can
then pair them up with students that they
feel need additional attention or
academic help. The volunteers are recruited on a semester-long basis and only help during class
hours, where they can be under the supervision of both the mentors and regular teachers. The
thinking behind this policy is to decrease the ratio of students to instructors and give the students
even more resources to use. We recruited 10 BYU students this year who helped us out in the
classroom several days per week.
Student Spotlight
This year we had a fantastic opportunity
arise for one of the students in our
program. Kenny Whimpey was invited to
participate in the prestigious Congress of
Future Medical Leaders taking place at
Harvard University this summer. Kenny
and his family were unable to afford the
cost of the trip, however, which is where
Teens Act stepped in. We hired a
professional videographer to make an
inspiring video about Kenny’s situation,
and also created a Go Fund Me campaign
for him. Teens Act staff and their families
got together to call friends and donors
for a fundraising blitz for Kenny. We are
happy to say that we raised $2,455,
enough to send Kenny off to Harvard this
summer. It was a lot of hard work, but
this was exactly the sort of opportunity we try create for all our students. You can watch Kenny’s
video and contribute to his campaign by clicking below or typing this address into your browser:
http://www.gofundme.com/Kennyandteensact
Page 8 [June Issue, 2015]
Newsletter
This year also saw us institute a monthly newsletter. We invited all parents to subscribe to it, and feel it is an invaluable way of providing information about the program to parents. It’s not just parents who can benefit however. This is a great tool for anyone looking to become more involved in their local community. To view previous newsletters and sign up for future newsletters, go to our website (www.teens-act.org), click “Get Involved,” and select the “Newsletter” option. You can also just type this address in your web browser or click on the link below: http://www.teens-act.org/get-involved/newsletter
End of Year Celebration at Tucanos At Teens Act we use a variety of strategies to help our students achieve their academic goals. One of the strategies we utilize is the power of incentives. We promised to take any student who boosted their GPA by more than 0.25 and met a goal of 80% attendance to an expensive Brazilian grill called Tucanos. About 20 students met these criteria and were treated to a meal, which they enjoyed thoroughly. In addition to the meal, it was an important experience because students were recognized for an academic achievement, many for the first time ever. Creating positive and fun associations with education for students is one of
our goals at Teens Act, and the Tucanos trip helped us achieve that.
Packet Parties
This year we also began helping at the
Independence High Packet Parties. These are after-
school sessions from 3-7 pm held periodically
throughout each semester. They are designed to
help students complete their homework packets so
that they can achieve enough credits to graduate.
The program coordinator, Mackenzie Real, invited
us to help out since there were too many students
needing help compared with teachers available to
help. We were glad to come and assist the students
in whatever way we could and will continue to do so
for the next school year.
Recruiter Visits
This year we had several college recruiters speak with our students. They helped students
understand the academic standards required for university attendance, and also helped clarify
Page 9 [June Issue, 2015]
understanding about different scholarships and programs available at their respective schools
for students who struggle financially. Again, the goal is to get students thinking more seriously
about college and to realize all the resources that are available for them to use.
3. Community Outreach:
At Teens Act we know that our local community can play a key role in helping us sustain our
program, and have a tremendously positive effect on our students. That is why we strive to develop
local partnerships and networking opportunities. This section will highlight some of our efforts in
that regard.
K-16 Alliance Meeting
This year we were able to present the Teens Act program and mission to the K-16 Alliance. The K-
16 Alliance is an educational partnership between Utah Valley University and many of the school
districts in the region. Like Teens Act, K-16 has a mission of trying to help Utah students enter
higher education in greater numbers. We were able to share our vision of Teens Act in our
presentation to the president of UVU and seven different district superintendents, and we hope to
continue working with K-16 in the future in order to bring further opportunities to at-risk students.
1 Million Cups
1 Million Cups is a networking event for
entrepreneurs, startups, and social venture
organizations. It helps bring together like-minded
people to form a dynamic community where
meaningful change can occur. Teens Act is proud
to support and attend this event, and we were
delighted to be asked to present as well this year.
This has been an important part of our strategy of
local outreach.
Timpanogos Parent Program
We were asked by the Provo School District to expand our Parent Support Program to Timpanogos
Elementary. The goal is to get parents thinking about their children’s educational future while they
are still young. With this in mind, we have organized a trip for parents to Utah Valley University this
summer. We have been excited to run this program and hope to see all of these kids enrolled in
college one day.
Annual Gala
In November we will be having our Annual Gala at the Nu
Skin building in downtown Provo. This is both a
fundraising and a networking opportunity, and we are
very excited to show off the work we have been doing in
Page 10 [June Issue, 2015]
the community. We will be having a catered dinner for our guests, raffling off items, and
enjoying music from a local band. It’ll be a fun time for everyone and we hope to see a big
turnout.
Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners!
Teens Act has been greatly supported by various community partners. We are continually seeking
collaboration with, and funding from, various sources such as local foundations, the school district,
universities, corporate sponsors, private donors, and government agencies
at both the federal and state level. We work with the following major
supporters, partners, and sponsors:
● Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS): In 2013, Teens Act received a four year CNCS grant to hire nine full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members to develop the capacity of the organization through program supervision, curriculum development, fund development, and research.
● Provo School District: The Provo School District has provided five years of funding (2013-2018) through the 21st Century Grant that has allowed us to operate our program consistently at Provo High School and Independence High School. They have committed over $45,000 of funding for our program to operate in those schools. The district will apply for more grants for Teens Act as we achieve the results they mandate.
● League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): We were recently awarded Ford’s national grant of $20,000 as part of our partnership with a local LULAC council in Utah. This grant is renewable, and we desire to continually develop our relationship with Ford and LULAC. This partnership also allows us greater access to resources and grants provided to organizations that serve Latino youth.
● Brigham Young University (BYU) and Utah Valley University (UVU): Currently, we are in the process of developing stronger partnerships with over 20 independent secondary education departments and other important programs at BYU and UVU. We have a close partnership with these two schools, especially with BYU’s Y-Serve and the Marriott on Board program, which provide us with quality volunteers and support staff.
● Foundations: We also work with various foundations such as the Wheeler Foundation, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Philip G. McCarthy Foundation, Ashton Family Foundation, Larry H. Miller Charities, among others. Each foundation provides us with funding ranging from $4,000-10,000. It is crucial for Teens Act to continually develop partnerships with foundations for our sustainability.
● United Way: Teens Act has become a partner agency of the United Way of Utah County. This will give Teens Act access to additional funding sources and other resources in the local community.
● Governmental/Non-profit organizations: We are currently working with Gear Up, TRIO, and Latinos in Action (LIA) by sharing resources and cooperative efforts in the Provo School District. Gear Up focuses on tutoring, TRIO focuses on
Page 11 [June Issue, 2015]
counseling, and LIA focuses on leadership programs for underserved students. Since we are serving sophomores this year, we help students raise their GPAs enough to participate in other community programs when they become juniors and seniors. These partnerships also helps Teens Act become sustainable as we collaborate the work in applying for grants as a partner agency and engaging in a long-term evaluation of participants.
● Provo City: We are currently building a stronger partnership with Provo City, where our program is located. The Provo mayor recognized the work of our non-profit and will attend our annual gala event to further support us. We are also working with the Provo Economic Development Department to offer summer internships and job opportunities to Teens Act students.
● Local businesses: Teens Act further benefits from partnerships with Exceptional Accounting Service, which provides us with accounting and payroll services for 50% off, and Velocity Networks, which designs and hosts our website free of charge. Startup Dojo offers us a 40% discount on our office rent. Many businesses in the community provide Teens Act with free gift cards or vouchers that are used as rewards for exceptional mentors and students, or auction items at our annual gala to raise funds. Cheesecake Factory, Costco, and Brick Oven are among our most recent donors. Nu Skin will be sponsoring the venue for our 2015 Teens Act Annual Gala. These businesses are important sources of help for Teens Act as we try keep expenses to a minimum, increase donations, and create a stronger rapport with the local business community.
● Associations: In order to increase both the number and strength of our corporate partnerships and sponsors, Teens Act has been actively engaged in developing relationships with local businesses and community leaders through the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, K-16 Alliance, National Association of Professional Women, Nonprofit Coalition Group, BYU Management Society and BYU Alumni Association and others.
4. Class Topics:
Teens Act class time is divided between instruction, homework and credit recovery, and personal
tutoring. The instruction portion of class revolves around learning life, career, and non-cognitive
skills.
Life skills include:
● Forming study habits
● Test-taking advice
Career skills include:
● Creation of portfolios
● Creation of resumes
● Job interview strategies
● Interview practice
● Career exploration
Non-cognitive skills refers to concepts such as:
● Self-discipline
● Goal-setting
● Time management
Page 12 [June Issue, 2015]
The homework and credit
recovery portion of class
gives students an
opportunity to catch up on
homework for other classes.
Getting behind on homework
severely impacts a student’s
grades and academic
performance, so we provide
students with an opportunity to
focus on homework in class and
also receive help from mentors
when they don’t understand the
work.
Personal mentoring provides students an opportunity to receive help exactly when they need it. We
have a 9-1 ratio in terms of students to mentors, so there is ample opportunity for students to ask
questions and clarify difficult math problems and so forth. That ratio improves to 4-1 if volunteer
mentors are included. Our mentors are instructed to proactively ask students if they need help
understanding assignments, which ensures students receive the help they need. Mentors also
provide accountability by reviewing weekly goals with students and also weekly grade checks.
Students were given a Teens Act binder where they keep all their work. The binder includes a
section where they make and keep track of their academic goals. At the end of the school year, this
binder becomes the students’ portfolio.
Students also use their Teens Act student planners. The planner is given to every student and
provides an easy, efficient way for students to keep track of what assignments (if any) are missing.
Mentors and students can then review the planner together and make goals to finish the missing
work.
5. Data:
Qualitative:
Needs Assessment Report
The BYU Sociology department, under the direction of Dr. Carol Ward, has been carrying out an
evaluation program detailing the effectiveness of the Teens Act program, as well as studying our
methodology and suggesting further improvements and other avenues of research. After
interviewing every student and parent in our program, they wrote an initial report on their
findings. It can be viewed by typing the address below in your web browser or clicking on the link.
They will be writing a final report later this summer, after they finish another round of interviews.
Page 13 [June Issue, 2015]
http://www.teens-act.org/media/uploads/2015/06/08/files/TeensAct_Cohort_baseline_report.pdf
Focus Groups
In conjunction with their Needs
Assessment Report, the BYU
Sociology department has also
held two focus groups with our
students this year. The purpose of
these focus groups was to evaluate
the effectiveness of the Teens Act
program through the eyes of the
students. It provided an
opportunity for students to speak
candidly about what they like and
dislike about the Student Success
class and their mentors. Students were overwhelmingly positive about the class, which speaks to
the hard work of our mentors in developing strong personal relationships with them.
An excerpt from their report:
“Homework help. This by far was what students felt was most helpful about the program, and they were not hesitant or divided when we asked. When we asked them what specifically about the homework time was helpful, they said the time to do it, but more specifically the one-on-one time with mentors to work through homework. It seems to me that many of the students in this class have problems learning in a conventional way. In a large school like Provo High, a lot of those kids can slip between the cracks, but with this program, mentors can focus on each student independently and help them in their own style. They also told us that once they started an assignment in that class, even if they did not finish it, they were so much more likely to finish the assignment at home.”
The full Focus Group report can be viewed by typing the address below in your web browser or by
simply clicking on the link:
http://www.teens-act.org/media/uploads/2015/06/08/files/FocusGroupsDecember2014.docx.pdf
Ethnography Report
The BYU Anthropology department has also sent students to work with Teens Act. They presented
their own report after working with our students at Independence High School. They were
impressed with both our students and the program as a whole. Working with different departments
at the university helps us receive much more thorough, academic research and also helps bring
objectivity to our reports. We can proudly say we have been validated through respected third-
party research from the most prestigious university in Utah. Here are some highlights from their
report:
Page 14 [June Issue, 2015]
● About 80 percent of the students that we interviewed said that Teens Act has helped them improve their grades. A male student, age 16, said “last term I got a 3.9. My usual GPA is like a 1.9. I have more motivation to come to school and come to class. In my last school I just didn’t come to class.”
● Students gave various responses when asked why it is important for them to get good grades. Nearly 100 percent of the students interviewed expressed a desire to go to college, and the need to get good grades in order to achieve that goal.
● 90 percent of the students, when asked, stated they would feel comfortable confiding in their Teens Act mentors with a personal problem. This demonstrates some level of trust in a relationship with a responsible adult, which is a vital aspect in helping these students to develop, especially considering not all students may have a trusted adult at home or anywhere outside of school.
The full ethnography report can be read by typing the address below in your web browser or
simply clicking on the link.
http://www.teens-act.org/media/uploads/2015/06/08/files/AnEthnographyofTeensAct.docx.pdf
Interviews
Apart from the interviews given by the
BYU Researchers, we also conducted
our own interviews of Teens Act
students. Some of the more notable
responses are included below. Last
names have been removed to protect
student privacy.
How are you liking your Teens Act class?
“I think it’s really fun. The teachers help you a lot
and you get to catch up on your work.” - Michelle
“It’s fun and you get really close to the mentors.
They are not just mentors, but your friends too.” –
Jessica
“It’s fun because we are taught the things we need
to know for the future.” - Luis
Page 15 [June Issue, 2015]
“I really like this class because it’s helping me with my grades and I’ll probably get to graduate.” –
Leslie
“I like it, it’s pretty fun. It gives me a place to do homework which really helps me keep up with
my schoolwork, and then learning these life things like saving money- it helps, it’s really important.”-
Isaac
“It’s pretty helpful and I like to have the help with
homework when I don’t know how to do it.”- Shaylee
“I enjoyed it a lot. Joel my mentor was a big help.”- Sam
How do you like having a mentor?
“Joel helps us a lot and the others too. They actually give us
prizes if we do good in the class, which I think is fun.” -
Michelle
“It’s fun. They give us reachable goals, and if we achieve these goals then they hold up their end of the
deal by giving us awards.” - Tyler
“Yeah, it’s easier to talk with them about stuff.” - Adam
“My mentor is awesome! He’s the best and is really cool to be around.” - Virginia
“Yeah, it was actually helpful because at my last school we didn’t have people like that, and it was cool
because it was personal. He’d actually come to you and help you. ” - Jesus
“Yes because with a mentor it’s easier to do and understand the work”- Alondra
“Yeah, I like it because I can get one-on-one time and know exactly what I’m doing.” – Treasha
What’s the most helpful or useful thing you’ve done in the Teens Act program this
year that has benefited you personally?
“It’s helpful for me because I get to catch up on my
work... the Teens Act student teachers help us a lot too
with what we need. They focus on our work and make
sure we are doing good in classes.”- Michelle
“The life lessons.” - Nickolas
“I get time to do my work that I don’t get at home.”-
Marco
Page 16 [June Issue, 2015]
“Having a mentor, because without a mentor we wouldn’t get help.”- Luis
“The fact that the mentors are so willing to help us and go out of their way to make sure we
succeed.” - Tyler
“Everything in the class. Everything is helpful.” – Michael
“Just having the class in general and having an extra period to work on stuff and also their advice for
college helped steer me towards what I am planning to do, which is business marketing. I’ve also
learned valuable life lessons about financial stuff.” - Sam
Would you recommend this program to other students? Why or why not?
“Yes, because if you really want to start doing well in school the mentors can help you reach your
goals.”- Leslie
“Yes I would because you can easily choose what college you’re going to, and it will help with your
grades and graduating.”- Makenna
“Yes, if they need help figuring out what they want to do in
the future then this is a good class.”- Jazlyn
“Yeah, because they motivate you to do better and they
actually worry about you.”- Jessica
“Yeah, because it helps with homework a lot and gives you
really good advice about life.” -Shaylee
“Yes, because people don’t realize how much mentors can
help you, and what a big deal they are. I would
recommend this class because of the mentors.” - Sam
“Yes, because it really helps you out with any classes you
are failing.” – Rae-Ann
Mentor Quotes
“I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my struggling students walk through the door with her
own plan of action. She had a list of every single one of her classes, and her grades, highlighted and
color coordinated based on what assignments she still needed to turn in. The fact that she was so
motivated to improve her grades, and do it all by herself, made me so happy! Organization is one of
the keys to success, and I am so happy to have passed this skill onto one of my students."
-Rudy Frazier, mentor at Independence High
Page 17 [June Issue, 2015]
“Personally it has made me more aware of my role in the
community, I think, and the impact that I can have on other
people’s lives, which I think—everyone can have an impact,
but this job has really made me more aware of what I can
do. And it’s really cool—I’m teaching the students but I’m
learning a lot from them as well, from their life circumstances
and also from the fact that they can change, and the fact that
they are changing, and just to see that evolution is really cool.
I’ve learned a lot from that.”
- Lauren Nelson, Provo High mentor
“I love to teach my students about what opportunities are out there for them, after high school. This
week, we talked about college majors and what kinds of careers you can earn with a degree.
Halfway through our discussion, I realized that lots of my students, specifically the females, didn’t
think they were smart enough or deserving of a career in the STEM fields. I am glad that I was able
to facilitate a discussion on how we can fight these stereotypes!”
-Joel Rosario, mentor at Independence High
“I continue to be impressed with my students. Being a new semester, I asked one of my returning
students to introduce me to all the new faces in my class. He gave such a powerful introduction
about myself and the purpose behind Teens Act that it motivated the new students to work hard
from the start!"
-Melvin Rodriguez, the teacher of the Student Success class at Provo High
Quote from Principal:
“Thanks so much! I am so impressed with the work you are doing. I appreciate all you do to help our
students here at PHS. ” – Karen Brown, Principal of Provo High School
Quantitative:
Historical Impact Data Summary
In the last 3 years, we have served over 242 students who
were at risk of dropping out. 100% achieved on time
promotion to the next grade. 82% of Teens Act students
achieved on-time high school graduation (93% graduation
rate at PHS) and 14% went on to adult education. Of the
82% who graduated, 60% of them went on to higher
education after graduating from high school.
Page 18 [June Issue, 2015]
2015-2016 School Year
Student Demographics
This year, 67% of our students were ethnic minorities and of that, 84% were Hispanic. 73% of our students were on the free or reduced lunch program. Many of our students were from low-income families with no college education or were from families that are new to the United States and our education system.
Attendance
2014-2015 Impact Data Summary:
● 53 out of 88 students increased their cumulative GPA (60%)
● 35 out of 88 students decreased their cumulative GPA (40%)
● Average GPA change was +0.07
● Average GPA change among the majority of students who improved academically was +0.21
All of our students are sophomores and we are confident that their GPA will continue to increase in
their junior and senior year by continually attending Teens Act’s afterschool program and quarterly
Teens Act alumni events as an additional resource in their schools.
Page 19 [June Issue, 2015]
Student GPA Change Individual GPA Changes
The graph above and to the right corresponds with the table below with Student 1 representing the
first column on the graph, Student 2 representing the second column on the graph, and so on. It
shows the results for every student in our program in terms of cumulative GPA change from when
they entered the program compared with their cumulative GPAs at the end of the year. Names have
been removed to protect student privacy.
GPA Changes over the course of the school year
Note: Blue text indicates an increase in GPA from Q4 (last year) to Q4 (this year), while red indicates a
decrease. IHS scores are missing the first two quarters since the school only sent us quarterly GPAs for those
quarters.
PHS Students Q4 GPA Q1 GPA Q2 GPA Q3 GPA Q4 GPA Change
Student 1 NA 2.18 2.09 2.09 2.09 -0.09
Student 2 NA NA 2.39 2.33 2.22 -0.17
Student 3 NA NA 3.49 3.35 3.47 -0.02
Student 4 NA NA NA 3.69 3.75 +0.06
Student 5 1.19 1.64 1.92 1.85 1.77 +0.58
Student 6 NA NA 1.52 1.73 1.9 +0.38
Student 7 2.55 2.69 2.7 2.64 2.48 -0.07
Student 8 2.64 2.77 2.83 2.89 2.83 +0.19
Page 20 [June Issue, 2015]
Student 9 NA NA 1.83 1.47 1.1 -0.73
Student 10 NA NA 0.8 0.87 0.71 -0.09
Student 11 NA NA 1.61 1.61 1.49 -0.12
Student 12 2.39 2.46 2.5 2.58 2.63 +0.24
Student 13 2.33 2.67 2.71 2.7 2.82 +0.49
Student 14 2.41 2.34 2.18 2.19 2.08 -0.33
Student 15 1.69 2.05 1.97 1.97 1.97 +0.28
Student 16 NA NA NA 3.9 3.77 -0.13
Student 17 1.44 1.95 2.09 2.18 2.19 +0.75
Student 18 1.69 1.95 2.01 1.96 1.97 +0.28
Student 19 NA NA 2.44 2.4 2.37 -0.03
Student 20 1.56 1.61 1.55 1.63 1.74 +0.18
Student 21 2.38 2.83 2.97 3.07 3.16 +0.78
Student 22 1.99 2.13 2.03 2.09 2.01 +0.02
Student 23 1.93 2.14 2.14 2.12 2.1 +0.17
Student 24 1.31 1.42 1.44 1.55 1.42 +0.11
Student 25 2.22 2.64 2.67 2.63 2.6 +0.38
Student 26 NA NA 1.27 1.42 1.47 +0.2
Student 27 NA NA 2.84 2.65 2.49 -0.35
Student 28 2.11 2.05 1.92 1.97 1.93 -0.18
IHS Students
Student 29 NA NA 2.22 1.49 2.17 -0.05
Student 30 NA NA 1.08 2.26 1.2 +0.12
Student 31 NA NA 1.68 3.4 2.11 +0.43
Student 32 NA NA 1.97 3.01 2.01 +0.04
Student 33 NA NA 1.77 2.07 1.9 +0.13
Page 21 [June Issue, 2015]
Student 34 NA NA 2.8 2.05 2.6 -0.2
Student 35 NA NA 1.83 2.64 1.7 -0.13
Student 36 NA NA 1.37 3.73 1.98 +0.61
Student 37 NA NA 3.64 3.8 3.63 -0.01
Student 38 NA NA 1.13 1.36 1 -0.13
Student 39 NA NA 2.9 3.45 2.92 +0.02
Student 40 NA NA 1.14 2.59 1.16 +0.02
Student 41 NA NA 2.06 3.8 2.08 +0.02
Student 42 NA NA 2.5 3.67 2.8 +0.3
Student 43 NA NA 1.89 1.3 1.7 -0.19
Student 44 NA NA 1.97 3.01 2.01 +0.04
Student 45 NA NA 1.16 2.48 1.4 +0.24
Student 46 NA NA 0.62 1.21 0.84 +0.12
Student 47 NA NA 1.15 2.34 1.24 +0.09
Student 48 NA NA 1.45 3.64 2 +0.65
Student 49 NA NA 1.27 1.81 1.4 +0.13
Student 50 NA NA 2.04 3.15 2.1 +0.06
Student 51 NA NA 1.84 3.8 2.25 +0.41
Student 52 NA NA 2.3 1.79 2.05 -0.25
Student 53 NA NA 1.41 2.18 1.36 -0.05
Student 54 NA NA 2.2 2.44 2.09 -0.11
Student 55 NA NA 0.74 0 0.59 -0.15
Student 56 NA NA NA 1.057 NA --
Student 57 NA NA 1.87 1.56 1.78 -0.09
Student 58 NA NA 1.24 2.03 1.43 +0.19
Student 59 NA NA 2.63 0.46 2.03 -0.6
Page 22 [June Issue, 2015]
Student 60 NA NA 1.42 0.73 1.34 -0.08
Student 61 NA NA 3.2 3.3 3.12 -0.08
Student 62 NA NA 3.2 2.85 NA -0.35
Student 63 NA NA 2.36 3.31 2.47 +0.11
Student 64 NA NA 1.45 2.48 1.43 -0.02
Student 65 NA NA 2.61 0.71 2.5 -0.11
Student 66 NA NA 1.57 1.69 1.58 +0.01
Student 67 NA NA 1.24 2.15 1.21 -0.03
Student 68 NA NA 1.93 1.71 1.88 -0.05
Student 69 NA NA 1.12 1.56 1.21 +0.09
Student 70 NA NA 2.45 2.91 2.52 +0.07
Student 71 NA NA NA NA 1.75 -0.2
Student 72 NA NA 2.6 4 2.88 +0.28
Student 73 NA NA 0.91 1.18 1.01 +0.1
Student 74 NA NA 1.07 2.19 1.43 +0.37
Student 75 NA NA 3.59 3.95 3.69 +0.1
Student 76 NA NA 2.36 3.31 2.47 +0.11
Student 77 NA NA 2.71 2.93 2.59 -0.12
Student 78 NA NA 1.53 3.5 2.04 +0.51
Student 79 NA NA 1.75 1.6 1.7 +0.02
Student 80 NA NA 2.37 3.4 2.27 -0.1
Student 81 NA NA 0.74 0.64 0.59 -0.15
Student 82 NA NA 2.91 3.6 3.02 +0.11
Student 83 NA NA 2.37 2.42 2.47 +0.1
Student 84 NA NA 1.43 1.8 1.44 +0.01
Student 85 NA NA 2.59 3.2 2.68 +0.09
Page 23 [June Issue, 2015]
Student 86 NA NA 1.93 2.3 1.96 +0.03
Student 87 NA NA 0.07 1.06 0.23 +0.16
Student 88 NA NA 2.37 2.96 2.47 +0.1
See method section for further explanation on how the data was collected. This version of the report omits students’ names
to protect privacy. A version including names has been sent to Provo High and Independence High administrators.
Student Satisfaction
This year we sent out a monthly survey to assess how students felt about the program and their
mentors. These surveys were an attempt to quantify academic enjoyment, student-mentor
relationships, motivation, and homework completion. We track GPA and attendance change to
measure academic performance, but we are also keenly interested in tracking the change in life skill
development, which these indicators touch upon.
By students’ own admission, they enjoyed the program and forged strong relationships with their
mentors (85%). The program also helped with their motivation to do well in the rest of school and
also to complete their homework. Less than 6% of students disagreed with any of these statements.
By all indications, the program was both helpful from an academic standpoint, but also served as an
environment where students
could have fun and develop
strong relationships with a
mentor.
The histogram to the left
represents an aggregation of
all surveys throughout the
year.
These surveys relied
exclusively on anonymous
student responses. They were
taken monthly, and students
were under no compulsion to
answer positively nor were
there any incentives for them
to do so. They were taken
online without any help from
mentors or Teens Act
employees.
Page 24 [June Issue, 2015]
Pre/Post Survey Comparison
A key component to our program evaluation is measuring the change in students’ perceptions
of themselves over the course of the year. The student satisfaction survey, which we have just
examined is part of that, but our principal method is comparing the data from our pre and post
surveys. In these surveys we ask students to measure themselves using several criteria including
honesty, time management, work ethic, and self-esteem. We term these “life skills measures” and
believe they are another added benefit of the Teens Act program. While academic improvement is
vital, we also try to help the students grow as human beings as a result of the program- to improve
their sense of self and sense of worth. The graphs below illustrate that growth in terms of life skills
over the course of the year, as well as their change in mindset about attending college and their
future possibilities.
The graph to the left
measures change in students’
attitudes towards school and
also their general sense of
integrity. It asks how
comfortable the students are
engaging in each of the
activities. As can be seen,
students experienced a
drastic shift in their mindset
towards school attendance
and honesty. By the end of
the year, students said they
were much less likely to be
truant or absent.
Also, their likelihood of
cheating and copying was cut
in half. This is a
tremendously positive
outcome for the program.
There are many programs
that focus only on academic change, but at Teens Act we manage to achieve that as well as the
additional benefits of ethical improvement as well.
Page 25 [June Issue, 2015]
This graph maps the change in students’
self-evaluation in terms of three key life
skills: time management, self-esteem, and
work ethic. They were asked to rate
themselves on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the
highest score. Many of the lessons in the
Student Success Class are based around
improving these three key life skills, which we
believe are vital for any successful student. We
were interested to see the change in students’
perceptions as a result of the program. The
outcomes are encouraging. Time management
stayed flat, but there was significant
improvement in students’ self-esteem and
work ethic. In terms of raw score, a quarter of
the class gave themselves a perfect score in the
post survey for work ethic.
Page 26 [June Issue, 2015]
The graphs above
and to the left
show the change in
students’ college
ambitions. We had an
8% jump in students
who say they will
definitely be attending
college. More
impressively, we tripled
the number of students
who said they would go
on to pursue an
advanced degree. That
is a staggering change.
Nearly a third of the
class said they wanted
to achieve a masters or
PhD by the end of the
program. That is amazing given the background of these students, and a change in mindset we are
extremely proud to have helped foster. The program has not only helped the students improve
academically, but has broadened their vision of what it is possible to achieve in the future.
Methodology
The data utilized in this report was collected utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods.
We gathered quantitative measures, including quarterly GPAs for each student, from Powerschool
and also from the administration at IHS. We also conducted some individual interviews to assess
the effectiveness of the class from the students’ perspectives. In order to reduce the impact of bias
from individual interviews, we also who utilized electronic student surveys so that students could
give feedback confidentially and candidly.
We calculated overall GPA change for students in the program by finding the average of the sum of
the differences in students’ cumulative GPAs from when they entered the program to when they
finished.
The pre/post survey data is drawn exclusively from IHS, as the PHS post-survey is being conducted
by the BYU Sociology department, and we do not have access to that data yet.
Page 27 [June Issue, 2015]
6. Our Team:
We had 9 mentors helping our students in the Teens Act Program during the 2014-2015 school
year. They were all registered students at Brigham Young University. We select mentors with a
strong math background, good interpersonal skills, bilingual ability, and who are passionate about
education. They all worked very hard to ensure that each student received the personalized
attention they needed by helping the students set goals and by providing tutoring. We monitor the
mentors’ effectiveness through a bi-weekly accountability report, a weekly training meeting,
weekly site visits, and by giving students an opportunity to rate the quality of their mentors via a
confidential electronic survey.
We also have our executive team that monitors and supervises the mentors and ensures the smooth
running of the program. Our executive team is comprised of 5 members (with 4 of them being
Americorps Vista members). We also have a board of directors that has final authority over the
program. We are all committed to the mission of Teens Act, and we desire to empower more
students and their parents in the 2015-2016 school year.
● Saeko Logsdon, Executive Director: [email protected]
● Dayan Bernal, Board Member: [email protected]
● Alberto Puertas, Board Member: [email protected]
● Gary Lacock, Board Member: [email protected]
● Keith Lue, Board Member: [email protected]
● Adam Varela, Board Member: [email protected]
● Caleb Griffin, Research Coordinator: [email protected]
● Keara Moyle, Program Supervisor: [email protected]
● Shannon Adison, Program Coordinator: [email protected]
● Stephanie Bahr Bentley, Outreach Coordinator: [email protected]
Page 28 [June Issue, 2015]
Future Vision
We see the future of Teens Act primarily in
the Provo School District at first. We want to
perfect our model and really make a profound
difference on the dropout rate in Provo. To do
that we have to expand our partnerships with
local universities, and also gain a stronger
foothold in the local community. This includes
closer cooperation with local businesses and
nonprofits. We are well on our way to achieving
this as we have partnered with the Utah Valley
Chamber of Commerce and are working with
the local chapters of Gear Up and Latinos in Action, among others. Of course, our most important
partners are the schools. We aim to continue to deliver a high quality service to them, and hopefully
continue to impact the futures of teens right here in the Provo area. Every graduation will be
validation of our mission.
Thank you!
None of the great educational outcomes for our students could have come without the generous
support of our partners, sponsors, and many of our volunteers and supporters. We have been
tremendously fortunate to have such kind and generous people help us to reach where we are
today. We sincerely appreciate all those who are making a difference in Utah!
You too can make a difference. Join with us at Teens Act in helping students in the
Provo area realize their dreams of attending college. Every at-risk student who
graduates is one step closer to a safer, better, more prosperous America.
“Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to stir the souls of men!”- Goethe
We would love to hear from you:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 801-669-4462 Website: www.teens-act.org
Location: 379 N University Avenue, #301, Provo, Utah 84601
