PreparingtoDreamA College Access and Success Initiative

Uniting Five Houston-Area School Districts

Learning, Outcomes and Results2006-2011

Participating Districts

Sponsors & Thought Partners

© 2011 Houston A+ Challenge, NCANand partner school districts,

all rights reserved.

In Memory of Dr. David Swedlow

Thanks to David’s hard work and dedication, the vision for Preparing to Dream was brought to reality.

Preparing to Dream districts were encouraged to expand their relationships with higher education partners and to reach out to the community. At Goose Creek CISD, the relationship with Lee College grew to include an Early College High School created in partnership between the college and the district. Cypress-Fairbanks’ partner, Lone Star College, developed a program to reach out to the district’s minority male population and participated in many of the team meetings and institutes.

And new, unexpected opportunities became available to PTD districts. College Forward, a well-respected, intensive college access and success program, selected Houston as its expansion city, and specifi cally tapped Aldine ISD and Goose Creek CISD as their fi rst district partners outside of the Austin area. College Forward reports that this decision was based largely on these districts’ high level of focus on college preparation, occurring as part of Preparing to Dream. Houston ISD’s Wheatley High School was able to coordinate its focus on improving math instruction with the summer experience off ered by the school’s Project Grad partnership, thereby increasing the impact of both programs.

We are confi dent that the changes in culture that began with PTD will continue in these districts, and that the number of students who are better prepared for college will continue to rise. We congratulate our district partners for their dedication and hard work. Preparing all of our students for post-secondary success is both just and necessary for the future of us all.

Sincerely,

Scott Van Beck Kim Kiely CookExecutive Director, Executive Director,Houston A+ Challenge National College Access Network

Over the past four years, fi ve districts in the Houston region have been part of a pioneering eff ort to improve the college-going culture in their schools and the post-secondary outcomes for their students, especially those who would be the fi rst in their family to attend college.

The National College Access Network (NCAN) and Houston A+ Challenge are pleased to have coordinated the innovative Preparing to Dream (PTD) initiative. This opportunity – made possible through the generosity of Houston Endowment, Inc., with additional support from TG – not only has been a great learning opportunity, but also has helped these fi ve districts chart signifi cant positive outcomes for Houston-area students.

The unique design of this project allowed each district team a planning year to evaluate its student outcome data and devise a proposal to meet the unique needs of their community. Then, to demonstrate the reliance on data-driven decisionmaking that was fundamental to the initiative, districts were allowed to modify their approach as new and additional information suggested.

This fl exibility and dedication to continuous adjustment supported dynamic and powerful work in the areas of student college access and success. In one example, when Spring Branch ISD evaluated survey responses from their graduates, the district quickly moved to fi ll a reported need for more dual credit opportunities and opened an Early College Program with Houston Community College.

Preparing to Dream institutes and NCAN annual meetings provided the districts with opportunities to learn from individuals and organizations doing high quality college access work at the national, state and regional levels. District partners also were provided opportunities to learn from each other through deliberate cross-district sharing sessions at each Spring Institute. In the fi nal Winter Institute, many of the expert sessions were led by PTD district personnel.

BACKGROUNDIn November 2007, the National College Access Network, Houston A+ Challenge and teams from fi ve Houston-area school districts (Aldine, Cypress-Fairbanks, Goose Creek, Houston and Spring Branch) launched the four-year Preparing to Dream initiative – a data-driven eff ort to help school districts transform policies and priorities toward a stronger college-going culture, especially for low-income and fi rst generation students.

During the 2007-08 school year, each school district assembled vertical teams consisting of district offi cials, principals, teachers, parents and students to analyze student achievement data, college-going rates and trends, district demographics and current college access programs. Teams were assisted by nationally recognized data coaches and core team coaches of Texas educational leaders. Data was used to identify problems, establish priorities, and develop implementation plans for three-year initiatives aimed at improving student outcomes and transforming district culture. Starting in the 2008-09 school year, these plans were put into action.

The following pages highlight some of the outcomes from those actions. Note that the data presented is not fi nal; state-certifi ed district data lags signifi cantly be-hind our program implementation. Even so, each district demonstrates notable improvements in some student outcomes in these early results.

INVESTMENTSPreparing to Dream is supported by a $3.54 million grant from Houston Endowment, a local philanthropic orga-nization that has also heavily invested in Achieving the Dream, a nationwide initiative to improve access, persis-tence and attainment at the community college level for the same student populations.

During the fi rst year of PTD, each district received a $25,000 planning grant to assist their work, in addition to support through coaching, conferences and sharing of best practices. Three-year ‘investment’ grants of $225,000 allowed each district to enact its diverse action plan. Dis-trict matching funds were also used.

TG, a nonprofi t student loan guarantor for Texas families, provided additional funding for student and parent en-gagement in Preparing to Dream via focus groups, train-ing and learning sessions, and visits to college campuses.

INITIATIVE OVERVIEW

OBJECTIVESThrough the course of the initiative, school districts aimed to increase rates of postsecondary enrollment (especially for low-income, fi rst-generation students) and chart intermediate student outcomes, including:

• Successful completion of college preparatory cur-riculum

• Completion of accelerated learning courses (honors, AP and dual credit/enrollment)

• Attainment of high-quality scores on college en-trance exams

• Completion of the FAFSA in time to take advantage of fi nancial aid opportunities

• Qualifi cation, while in high school, for credit-bearing courses in college, by passing rigorous high school courses, especially in English and Math, and college placement tests

INITIATIVE LEADERSSuch a far-reaching initiative would not have been pos-sible without the support, dedication, and hard work of our district partners and implementation teams.

National College Access Network

Executive Director: Kim Kiely CookTechnical Advisors to PTD: MorraLee Holzapfel, Dr. Tia McNair (2009-10)

Houston A+ Challenge

Executive Director: Dr. Scott Van BeckProgram Coordinator for PTD: Betsy Broyles Breier (2009-11), Angela Prince (2007-08)

Aldine Independent School District

Superintendent: Dr. Wanda BambergTeam Leaders: Dr. Charlotte Davis, Twianna CollierData Leader: Dan PolczynskiCore Team Coach: Dr. Kaye StriplingData Facilitator: Tom Mortenson

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District

Superintendent: Dr. David AnthonyTeam Leaders: Jennifer Williams (2010-11), Dr. Marie Keith (2007-10)Data Leader: Dr. Rayann AmineCore Team Coach: Dr. Harriet ArveyData Facilitator: Dr. Jack Schmit

Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District

Superintendent: Dr. Toby York (2009-11), Dr. Barbara Sultis (2007-09)Team Leaders: Suzanne Heinrich, LeRonda LockhartData Leaders: Rick Kirk, Leslie AshbyCore Team Coach: Meredith WedinData Facilitator: Bruce McComb

Houston ISD – Wheatley Feeder Pattern

Superintendent: Dr. Terry Grier (2009-11), Dr. Abelardo Saavedra (2007-09)Team Leaders: Tresa Magee, David Edgerson (2011), Wiley Johnson (2010-11), Lupita Hinojosa (2007-10)Data Leader: Dr. Venita HolmesCore Team Coach: Donna ScottData Facilitator: Dr. Brad Phillips

Spring Branch Independent School District

Superintendent: Dr. Duncan KlussmanTeam Leaders: Jennifer Cobb (2009-11), Pat Waldrop (2007-09)Data Leader: Amanda SalinasCore Team Coaches: Dr. Zachary Hodges, Mary Alice WillsData Facilitator: Dr. Deborah Santiago (2007-09), Dr. Jac-queline Hawkins (2009-11)

BACKGROUNDFor Preparing to Dream, the team from Aldine Indepen-dent School District held focus groups and conducted surveys to learn student and family needs regarding post-secondary success. Results indicated that both students and parents wanted more information and one-on-one help regarding college applications, fi nancial aid, and post-secondary preparation.

As a result, Aldine’s PTD plan focused eff orts on schools in two feeder patterns that send students to Aldine and Nimitz High Schools, with the overall goal of increasing college entrance rates of fi rst-generation and low socio-economic students. In service of these goals, Aldine created a peer mentoring group called “The Dream Team” on each of the two campuses and hired a College Access Advisor to work one-on-one with students and families on both campuses.

OUTCOMES• Aldine’s “Dream Team” peer mentoring has become

embedded in both initiative high schools. The pro-gram has been so successful that other Aldine ISD high schools are replicating it. “Dream Team” mem-bers make presentations across the district to el-ementary, intermediate and middle school students about the importance of being college-bound.

• Increased one-on-one counseling support at the two high schools has resulted in increased numbers of college applications and scholarships.

• Both Aldine and Nimitz intend to continue to fund and staff the College Access Advisor position.

• The Kids2College middle school program has been well-received and has expanded to other schools in the district.

ALDINE ISD

2009-10 Aldine ISD Aldine High Nimitz High

Total Students 62,532 2,226 2,875

Students grades 9-12 15,195 2,226* 2,875*

By ethnicity (all students, %):

African American 28.3 16.9 46.3

Hispanic 66.9 78.0 46.1

White 3.0 2.9 4.9

Other 1.8 2.1 2.7

Economically

disadvantaged %

85.2 84.3 70.8

Limited English

Profi cient %

32.2 11.3 6.7

At Risk % 69.1 64.6 67.5

Graduates (Class of

2009)

2,652 583 606

By ethnicity (%):

African American 32.2 18.4 44.7

Hispanic 60.0 74.6 41.9

White 5.3 4.3 9.9

Other 2.5 2.7 3.5

* Does not include Ninth Grade campus

• Aldine ISD has found new ways to reach out to its parent and family population.

• Due in part to the work Aldine ISD has done with Preparing to Dream, Aldine ISD’s Eisenhower High School was chosen as one of two sites for the Hous-ton-region expansion of College Forward, a highly regarded college access and retention program that was started in Austin.

NOTABLE RESULTSAt Aldine High School:

• Hispanic students “college-ready” doubled in ELA from 27% to 55% and more than doubled in “both ELA and Math” from 16% to 35% from 2006 to 2009.

• From 2006 to 2010, African American students meet-ing the Texas Success Indicator increased from 13% to 51% in ELA and from 14% to 51% in math.

• ApplyTexas online application site reports 712 ap-plications in 2010.

• The number of students served by the College Ac-cess Advisor grew from 469 in 2008-09 to 1,622 in 2009-10.

NOTABLE RESULTSAt Nimitz High School:

• Hispanic students “college-ready” doubled in ELA from 30% to 61% and more than doubled in “both ELA and Math” from 21% to 44% from 2006 to 2009.

• African American students “college-ready” increased in ELA from 30% to 56% and more than doubled in “both ELA and Math” from 14% to 32% from 2006 to 2009.

• From 2006 to 2010, students meeting the ELA Texas Success Indicator increased from 23% to 50% for Af-rican Americans and from 25% to 50% for Hispanics.

• Students enrolled in AP courses increased from 154 in 2008 to 294 in 2010, and in dual credit increased 154 to 249 over that same period (per internal dis-trict reports).

• ApplyTexas online application reports 1135 applica-tions in 2010.

• The number of students served by the College Ac-cess Advisor grew from 277 in 2008-09 to 965 in 2009-10.

Scholarship applications (self-reported):

2008-2009 2009-2010

Aldine HS 36% 57%

Nimitz HS 36% 56%

Number of scholarships:

2007-2008 2009-2010

Aldine HS 103 ($1.5M) 237 ($2.9M)

Nimitz HS 152 ($1.0M) 210 ($0.4M)

BACKGROUNDCypress-Fairbanks ISD has focused its Preparing to Dream eff orts on addressing parent and student needs for more information about college, with a specifi c focus the newly formed Cypress Lakes High School and its feeder campus-es. The district started by creating a new infrastructure to guide, connect and coordinate strategies for developing a college-going culture. This included a specialist-staff ed College and Career Center (CCC) at Cypress Lakes High, a college awareness and access scope and sequence for grades 6-12, and improved data collection and evaluation measures. The Cypress Springs High School feeder pat-tern, with similar demographics, was chosen as a control for the project and provides the baseline data.

DISTRICT ACTIVITIESStudents served at Cypress Lakes CCC:

• Fall 2009 325/179• Fall 2010 500/371

After hours presentations by Cypress Lakes CCC:• Fall 2009 487• Fall 2010 555

Increased opportunities for students to earn dual credit:• 2008-09: 17 courses cross-walked and approved• 2009-10: Same 17 courses off ered• 2010-11: 21 courses approved and off ered• 2011-12: 24 courses approved and will be off ered

OUTCOMESCypress Lakes College and Career Center (CCC) has been a focal point of PTD activities and was the fi rst resource of its kind in CFISD. Plans are in place to duplicate at other high schools.

Features of the CCC that have made it particularly successful include:

• The center central-izes information and resources related to post-secondary op-portunities.

• The center off ers sup-port for Dual Credit and SAT/ACT regis-tration, obtaining fee waivers, college application help and course planning.

CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS ISD

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

2009-10Total Students 103,897

Students grades

9-1229,094

By ethnicity (all students, %) :

African American 17

Hispanic 39

White 35

Other 9

Economically

disadvantaged %43

Limited English

Profi cient %1

At Risk % 53

Graduates

(Class of 2009)5,614

By ethnicity (%):

African American 15

Hispanic 27

White 48

Other 10

• The center remains open in the evening for appoint-ments, workshops, and supervised work time for those needing assistance with college admissions and fi nancial aid.

The district is using technology to expand its reach to additional students and families. Growing demand for services and information is being met with the use of Adobe Connect classrooms, using technology to take the information to the students and allow for discussion and question and answer periods in an effi cient manner. This enables more students to be served with each passing year.

A new data collection method was identifi ed and imple-mented via highly advanced multi-function machines that use regular paper to create scannable documents. CFISD was able to customize and automate the way they collect information from students, parents, and teachers through surveys, information forms, and training atten-

• The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a program designed to improve student success in college. Students may be exempted from taking a test for the Texas Success Initiative if they have a high enough score on their exit-level TAKS tests as set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). This indicator shows the percent of students who achieved this level of profi ciency by subject (English language arts and mathematics) for 2010.

AP/Dual Credit Course EnrollmentAP/Dual Credit Course Enrollment

CampusEnrollment

Economically

Disadvantaged

AP/Dual Credit

Enrollment*

# # % #

HS 1 3252 770 24 704

Cypress Lakes

HS (PTD)3136 1820 58 697

HS 3 3261 1157 35 674

HS 4 3298 1295 39 661

HS 5 2655 445 17 620

HS 6 2253 309 14 568

HS 7 3049 1261 41 561

HS 8 2849 1059 37 488

HS 9 2946 1572 53 483

Control Group 2405 1487 62 290

* 2010-11 Semester 1

Texas Success Initiative (TSI) -

Higher Education Readiness Component

Campus English Language Arts Math

Cypress Lakes HS (PTD) 66% 57%

Control Campus 56% 52%

dance sheets. Once scanning is complete, the data are pulled into a data set and then tied to pre-existing infor-mation such as courses taken, demographic information, and historical statewide assessment performance.

Another important outcome at Cy Fair has been a stron-ger relationship with post-secondary institutions – in particular, Lone Star College-Cy-Fair. This relationship has grown signifi cantly, as evidenced by the growth in dual credit off erings not only at Cy-Lakes, but also throughout the district.

NOTABLE RESULTSCy-Fair’s PTD methodology of choosing a new high school and a control school has resulted in a rich core of data and comparisons. However, due to the fact that Cypress Lakes will not see its fi rst class of graduates until May 2011, little AEIS outcome data is currently available.

For this reason, the notable results gathered focus on spe-cifi c outcomes of the district activities:

• Cypress Lakes has very high AP/Dual Credit enroll-ment, in spite of 2010-11 representing the fi rst senior class at that school.

• Signifi cantly more Cypress Lakes HS students report the indicators of a college-bound culture than stu-dents at the district’s control high school.

BACKGROUNDGoose Creek Consolidated Independent School District identifi ed a number of needs in its initial Preparing to Dream inventory: too many parents and students were not aware of even the basic steps for college applications and entrance; too many students were not academi-cally prepared for college level work; and the district had limited capacity to monitor and track student preparation and post-secondary outcomes.

Goose Creek’s PTD plan focused on addressing these shortcomings systemically, to fulfi ll a vision of a support-ive community environment which ensures each student is prepared for and understands how to access postsec-ondary education. Steps toward building this environ-ment included creating a comprehensive campaign to promote a college-going culture, providing entrance exam support to students, and increasing college and fi nancial aid awareness for students and parents, even prior to high school. The district implemented a system to track student and parent participation in these programs and activities and to strengthen their partnership with local post-secondary institutions.

DISTRICT ACTIVITIES (2008-2011)• 3,647 parents and students attended College Access

workshops

• 395 students enrolled in SAT/ACT test prep

• 4,021 middle school students participated in the Kids2College program

GOOSE CREEK CISD

Goose Creek CISD 2009-10

Total Students 20,819

Students grades

9-125,802

By ethnicity (all students, %) :

African American 18

Hispanic 52

White 28

Other 2

Economically

disadvantaged %63

Limited English

Profi cient %12

At Risk % 49

Graduates

(Class of 2009)1,103

By ethnicity (%):

African American 21

Hispanic 42

White 35

Other 2

• 5,500 high school students utilized the College “GO” Centers

• College Night atten-dance has grown from 500 parents and stu-dents to 1,200 parents and students.

• Approximately 4,500 students took part in 25 fi eld trips to col-leges and universities including Lee College, University of Texas, Texas A&M Univer-sity, Baylor University, Lamar University and Prairie View A&M Uni-versity.

OUTCOMESBuilding a “college-going culture” has become a pri-ority for the district. Over the span of the PTD project, the district has fully embraced student post-secondary suc-cess as THE goal. At the request of the Superintendent, a district-wide committee of school and community mem-bers has been meeting this year to identify key elements and strategies for the district to reach this vision. This is a direct extension of the PTD activities. Eff orts, such as

16 19

10 14

11 14

24 26

9 12

21 25

2006 2009

Advanced Course/Dual Credit Completion

District total AfAm Hispanic White Econ dis State

73.4

86.7

74.9

82.4

75.7

82.5

Class of 2006 Class of 2009

Recommended High School Program Graduates

GCCISD Region 4 State

College Week, have moved from being a high school-only event to including all the schools in the district. The 6th grade Social Studies includes the Kids 2 College program with district-developed curriculum extensions for grades 7 and 8. More students are visiting college campuses than ever before. Post-secondary success is a key lens for the district’s strategic planning.

An increase in dual credit courses has opened greater op-portunities for students, especially for those who would be the fi rst in their family to go to college. The district has expanded the dual credit off erings within the com-prehensive high schools and has opened an Early Col-lege High School where students can earn an associate’s degree along with a high school diploma. There has been a signifi cant rise in the number of students participating over the course of the grant. This has fostered a closer relationship between the district and Lee College.

Students and families have access to more information, resources, and direct support on the college application process. The district increased the parent training op-portunities on topics such as college fi nance, FAFSA, and scholarships. By off ering the sessions in community loca-tions, in English and Spanish, and by providing child care, the district had higher participation of under-represented parents. Hundreds of high school students accessed college and scholarship materials, FAFSA support, and college counseling at “Go Centers” on the three high school campuses, in partnership with Lee College. More students are taking advantage of the free SAT and ACT preparation expanded course off erings. The district has become an active partner with students and families to help them fi nd success in the college application process.

Goose Creek’s work in this area has resulted in some unique opportunities:

• The district was chosen as one of 20 across the coun-try to pilot a real-time FAFSA reporting system for the Department of Education.

• Goose Creek’s Lee High School was chosen as one of two sites for the Houston region expansion of Col-lege Forward, a highly regarded college access and retention program that was started in Austin.

NOTABLE RESULTS• Hispanic students deemed “college-ready” almost

doubled from 22% for the Class of 2006 to 42% for the Class of 2009, outpacing the state’s growth rate.

• “College-ready” economically disadvantaged stu-dents increased from 19% in 2006 to 35% in 2009.

• More African American and Hispanic students are taking Advanced and Dual Credit courses.

• Graduates completing the Recommended High School Program increased from 73.4% to 86.7%, out-pacing growth in both the state and the region.

BACKGROUNDThe Wheatley Feeder Pattern in Houston Independent School District focused its Preparing to Dream initiative on strengthening math instruction throughout the campus. The team began with the 9th grade class in the initial project year, and set its sights on increasing enrollment and student pass rates throughout a four-year program of high school mathematics. The team also aimed to increase the number of graduating seniors who enroll in post secondary education.

OUTCOMES• Soon after setting out to implement the school’s

focus on math, Preparing to Dream facilitators quickly recognized that Wheatley was suff ering from being the benefi ciary of many programs and initiatives that were unaligned and uncoordinated. Multiple intervention programs were targeting the same students, often at cross purposes. There was little to no coordination or accountability by the intervening organizations. Numerous meetings and negotiations resulted in better communication, collaboration and alignment among interveners. In particular, Project GRAD and Preparing to Dream began close collabora-tion at Wheatley.

HOUSTON ISD – WHEATLEY FEEDER PATTERN

Wheatley HS: 2009-10

Total Students 1,067

Students grades

9-121,067

By ethnicity (all students, %) :

African American 62

Hispanic 38

White >1

Other >1

Economically

disadvantaged %86

Limited English

Profi cient %10

At Risk % 81

Graduates

(Class of 2009)218

By ethnicity (%):

African American 76

Hispanic 24

White 0

Other 0

• The school’s PTD focus on math has provided teachers with ad-ditional professional development for math instruction, and stu-dents with additional resources and tutori-als.

• Through the targeted professional devel-opment, Wheatley’s math department has implemented routine team meetings and targeted interventions for students.

• The number of stu-dents participating in after-school tutorials in math has increased for the 2010-2011 year to an average of 72 students per tutorial versus an average of 13 per tutorial last year.

• Preparing to Dream has supported Project GRAD activities and collaborated with GRAD to provide rich summer math activities to Wheatley students. PTD funds helped support additional math intervention as well as additional college visits and parent out-reach.

• Wheatley High School recently received the 2010 College Readiness Award. The school was recog-nized for signifi cantly increasing ACT composite scores over the past fi ve years, student participation in the ACT, and improving college readiness.

• Wheatley has shown impressive growth over the grant period in measures that refl ect the primary grant focus on math, such as the TSI, as well as in other indicators of college readiness. Notably, His-panic “college-ready” graduates in both Math and ELA increased from 0% in 2006 to 19% in 2009.

• The number of Wheatley graduates has nearly doubled since the start of the Preparing to Dream initiative; scholarship money has increased to an anticipated $2.5 million in 2011; and dual credit completion rates have dramatically increased for all student populations.

NOTABLE RESULTS• Texas Success Initiative on Math shows tremendous

increases at Wheatley from 2006 to 2010. For com-parison, Houston ISD as a whole increased from 42% to 62% over that time frame, so Wheatley results are clearly gaining on the district.

BACKGROUNDFor Spring Branch Independent School District, the Preparing to Dream initiative fi t right in with the Five-Year Education Plan adopted by the district in 2006. With the overall goal of being the premier college-focused district in Texas and preparing all students for success after high school, Spring Branch focused its PTD work on improv-ing methods to track and survey graduates of the district, in order to determine how to better prepare students for post-secondary studies. In year two of the initiative, Spring Branch responded immediately to an identifi ed need and developed an Early College Program (ECP) in partnership with Houston Community College, in order to more eff ectively deliver dual credit courses to students from all the district high schools.

DISTRICT ACTIVITIES• Spring Branch has tracked and surveyed approxi-

mately 5,400 of its graduates from the Classes of 2008, 2009 and 2010.

• All 14 of the Class of 2010 graduates who par-ticipated in ECP went on to enroll in college in fall 2010. Approximately 87 students completed the fall semester 2010 at HCC. The fi rst group of ECP partici-pants to earn 30+ semester hours will be graduating in May 2011.

SPRING BRANCH ISD

Spring Branch ISD: 2009-10

Total Students 32,415

Students grades

9-128,719

By ethnicity (all students, %) :

African American 6

Hispanic 57

White 30

Other 7

Economically

disadvantaged %57

Limited English

Profi cient %34

At Risk % 53

Graduates

(Class of 2009)1,818

By ethnicity (%):

African American 7

Hispanic 39

White 45

Other 9

• National Student Clearinghouse data in-dicates some increases in college-going rates from Spring Branch ISD, from 66% from the class of 2006 enrolling in college in their fi rst year after high school up to 69% for the class of 2009.

OUTCOMES• Spring Branch’s stu-

dent survey tracking process is fully imple-mented. Initial analysis shows a signifi cant correlation between students’ feelings of preparedness and college attendance. Students have said they need more help with study skills, col-lege orientation, and dual credit.

• Student needs for more college preparation are be-ginning to be met in the Early College Program. Dis-trict funding cuts will require tuition to be charged beginning next year, but some PTD overage will be repurposed to provide scholarships.

• The district’s Early College Program is expanding through partnerships with local higher education institutions. Course off erings at Houston Community College are increasing, and the district is initiating partnerships with University of Houston-Downtown and University of St. Thomas for additional opportu-nities.

• Preparing to Dream activities have transformed district practice by expanding dual credit and col-lege preparedness activities beyond the high schools where those were traditionally off ered. In addition,

college preparedness is seen as the responsibility of all departments, not just counseling.

• Spring Branch will begin utilizing the COMPASS test at all high school campuses to assess the readiness of rising seniors to be successful in college level courses. Results from the test will be utilized to help ensure that students receive appropriate remediation while still in high school.

NOTABLE RESULTS• Historically, dual credit courses at Spring Branch

were primarily available to the high schools serving the higher socio-economic students. With PTD, this completion rate has more than doubled for African American students and increased signifi cantly for Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students.

• The percentage of African American graduates deemed “college ready” doubled from 2006 to 2009, while the percentage of Hispanic graduates so desig-nated increased signifi cantly from 27% to 38%.

• As with all of our PTD districts, we expect to show additional improvement in performance when more current data becomes available.

NCAN’s mission is to build, strengthen, and empower communities committed to

college access and success so that all students, especially those underrepresented in

postsecondary education, can achieve their educational dreams.

Houston A+ Challenge’s mission is to serve as a catalyst for change in the public schools that

educate nine of every ten children in our region, teaming with principals and teachers in

targeted schools to ensure that every student is prepared for post-secondary success.