Preparation
The Oklahoma GEAR UP program contains a college access information plan aimed at supporting both the state grant and the partnership grants, as well as all parents and students in the state. The college access information plan targets fifth- through 12th-grade students, their parents and teachers. This plan includes new, innovative ways of providing information about college to Oklahoma residents in both English- and Spanish-language formats.
For the younger students, Oklahoma GEAR UP has two videos for fifth through seventh graders that emphasizes college as an attainable goal and highlights the importance of preparing for college at an early age. The videos are accompanied by instructor guides and student activity booklets. The fifth- through seventh-grade materials are distributed annually to public and private schools as well as public and academic libraries statewide.
A specialized video and instructor's guide aimed at shaping the kind of decisions that eighth-grade students will be making in their final year of middle school will soon be available. These materials will be distributed to every school in Oklahoma with eighth-grade students.
To help parents guide their children through the college preparation process, Oklahoma GEAR UP produces three parent guides on gearing up for college — one for parents of eighth-grade students, one for parents of ninth- and 10th-grade students and one for parents of 11th- and 12th-grade students. Each version targets appropriate grade levels and includes information on the role parents play in the preparation of their child for college, the economic benefits of obtaining a college degree, the high school courses required for college entry, admission standards, college costs, financial aid, etc. The parent guides are mailed directly to appropriate households across Oklahoma each year. They are also distributed to Oklahoma's 220 public and academic libraries.
GEAR UP is also committed to creating a “community of college readiness” through partnerships with community-based organizations, tribes and faith-based institutions to provide college preparation and awareness materials to their members.
Readiness
GEAR UP provides professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators that improve student success, such as curriculum enhancement, vertical teaming, working with special populations, data analysis and academic improvement.
In addition, GEAR UP has awarded subgrants totaling nearly $600,000 to 24 school districts and sites to initiate successful education strategies that improve college access and preparation at local levels.
The 2007-2008 GEAR UP College Access Subgrants of up to $25,000 will help fund professional development for teachers as they adopt new classroom strategies proven to help students learn more effectively. The grants will also provide much-needed funding for student tutoring, mentoring, career exploration programs and ACT and standardized test preparation materials.
Subgrant recipients must adopt at least one of the following research-based, student-intervention programs at their sites. These programs help teachers better understand how different students learn. They include:
- Dr. Ruby Payne’s “A Framework for Understanding Poverty” – This program is designed to train school faculty in strategies for supporting children and parents who live in poverty. The strategies are utilized in classroom settings and are meant to enhance student academic achievement.
- Thinking Maps® – This program is designed to train school faculty in the implementation of “visual thinking tools” in the classroom. The eight Thinking Maps can be used across subject areas and grades. They serve as strategies students can use to process, recall and utilize information in a demanding curriculum.
- LOGIC Professional Development – This sequence of workshops is designed to provide 12 days of intensive professional development that focuses on educational leadership, guidance and curriculum. The training is designed for school leadership teams committed to creating a culture of high expectations.
Additionally, subgrant recipients must also partner with at least one community-based organization and at least one state college or university for local college preparation activities, such as promotion of Oklahoma’s Promise; tutoring; mentoring; after-school and Saturday programs; summer programs; college awareness counseling; financial aid counseling; and parental involvement.
Knowing that some students and parents are best reached outside the classroom, Oklahoma GEAR UP offers subgrants to community-based organizations to help students and parents prepare for college. In 2006- 2007, eight organizations received grants, totaling $119,981, to expand programs and services that help raise college aspirations and encourage student participation in Oklahoma’s Promise.
Scholarships
GEAR UP encourages students to take advantage of a unique program for eighth-, ninth- and 10th-grade Oklahoma students that will help pay for their college education if their family’s income is $50,000 or less – Oklahoma's Promise.
To make sure students get ready for college while they are still in high school, the program requires students to take certain high school courses. To be eligible, students will have to pass the required courses* and make good grades (at least a 2.5 GPA). The 17 required courses include:
- Four units of English
- Three units of lab science **
- Three units of math
- Three units of history and citizenship skills (including one unit of American history and two units from the subjects of history, government, geography, economics, civics, and/or non-Western culture)
- Two units of foreign language or computer technology
- One additional unit from the subjects above
- One unit of fine arts or speech**
*Students graduating from a high school not accredited by the Oklahoma State Board of Education or a recognized accrediting agency must also achieve a composite ACT score of 22 or higher.
**Students graduating high school in 2007, 2008 and 2009 may have two (2) lab science units and two (2) additional units.
Besides staying on top of the books, students also have to show that they're in control outside the classroom. That means staying away from trouble like gangs, drugs and alcohol.
Once a student reaches the program’s goals, Oklahoma’s Promise will pay his/her tuition at an Oklahoma public two-year college or four-year university. Oklahoma’s Promise will also cover at least a portion of tuition at an Oklahoma accredited private college or university or for courses offered at public technology centers that qualify for credit from a public two-year college.