Georgia Perimeter College DeKalb County Schools

							Georgia Perimeter College
& DeKalb County Schools
Partnering to Address High School
 Dropout/Graduation Issues and
  Increase College Enrollments
                      Academy
   Robert Wigfall, Director
   Gina Gavin, Assistant Director
   Dr. Margaret Venable, Assistant Vice President, Educational
    Outreach/Educational Affairs, Georgia Perimeter College
   Dr. Dennis Harkins, Clarkston Campus Provost, Georgia
    Perimeter College
   Dr. Virginia Michelich, Vice President, Educational Affairs,
    Georgia Perimeter College
   Dr. Anthony Tricoli, President, Georgia Perimeter College
   Dr. Garry McGiboney, Deputy Superintendent, DeKalb
    County Schools
   Dr. Jim Mullins, Director of Governmental Relations and
    Special Projects, DeKalb County Schools
   Dr. Crawford Lewis, Superintendent, DeKalb County Schools
Background
   2004-05 GPC snapshot:
       Total Headcount 20,000+ (nonresidential 2-year college)
       45% White
       34.5% Black
       10% Asian
       6% Multiracial
       4% Hispanic
       16% Non-US citizens
       62% female
       55% part-time
       average age 25.4; median age 23
       6 campuses/sites in the Atlanta metropolitan area
       3rd largest institution in the University System of Georgia
Background
   September 2006 DeKalb County Schools
    snapshot:
       101,817 students enrolled
       75.6 % African American
       10.1 % White
       3.2 % Asian
       8.5 % Hispanic
       2.5 % Other
                 Academy
   DeKalb County Charter School, opened in August of
    2005 on Clarkston Campus of GPC
   A replication of a very successful early college
    model in Portland, Oregon, targeting HS students
    who have not been successful in traditional
    classrooms so far
   Part of Bill & Melinda Gates Early College Initiative
    with start-up funds from Portland Community
    College (Gates Foundation Intermediary)
                 Academy
   Students take GPC college classes and earn
    college credits and HS diploma credits
    simultaneously to complete their HS diploma.
   Students work with an assigned “Resource
    Specialist” (counselor) throughout their time
    in the Academy
                     Academy
   Who are the Students?
         DeKalb Co. School System students (ages 16 through
          20) who have not been successful in traditional high
          schools – typically behind in credits for their age but
          capable of completing the HS diploma through
          college classes by age 21
         Students capable of succeeding in college courses
          after a semester of remediation (minimum 8th grade
          reading level required for admission to Academy)
                     Academy
   Who are the Students? (As of Fall 2006)
         87.9 % Black/African-American; 4.6 % Multiracial;
          2.3 % White/Caucasian; 2.3% Other; 1.7 % American
          Indian/Alaskan Native; 1.1 % Asian/Pacific Islander
         36% female; 54% male
         Average age on entering Academy, 17 years old
         33.5 % were still enrolled in HS but were planning to
          drop out; 30.1 % were no longer attending HS; 11.4 %
          were in HS but were not on schedule to graduate; 4 %
          were in HS but were not attending regularly
                     Academy
   Who are the Students?
         Day and evening (late afternoon) students
          many work at least part-time
         a few are parents
         some have family and/or medical issues
         many have financial issues
                   Academy
   New students enter each fall and spring semester
    (currently no real funding for summer school)
   First semester of review/remediation coursework is
    spent as a learning community of 18 students per
    group studying basic reading, writing, mathematics
    as well as study skills and career development
   Students must earn grades of “C” or better to
    transition into mainstream college classes
   Students take college placement exams near the end
    of this first semester
                      Academy Stats:
   Despite the lack of a high school diploma, the
    Gateway to College Academy early college students
    perform very well on college placement tests:
       In Fall 2006, 38 % of the newly admitted students placed
        into collegiate English
       24 % of the students placed into collegiate Math (Fall
        2006)
       19 % of the students placed out of all learning support
        requirements (Fall 2006)
                   Academy Stats:
   Overall, for the first academic year (2005-06), the
    Gateway to College Academy’s GHSGT results
    stack up well compared to other alternative schools:

            Engl./Lang Arts     Math      Writing (Fall)
Gateway           92% pass      71%          100%
Open Campus       77%           63%           76%
DeKalb Alt. Day 58%             74%           75%
DeKalb Alt. Nite 70%            89%          (N <5)
                    Academy
   Funding:
       $350,000 start-up funding from Portland
        Community College, intermediary for Bill and
        Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with the
        Carnegie Corporation of NY, the Ford
        Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
       $400,000 charter school implementation grant
        funds (federal funds through GA Dept. of Ed.),
        also used to defray initial costs of starting school
                    Academy
   Funding:
       K-12 FTE dollars obtained as a DeKalb County
        charter school at alternative education funding
        rate
       Approx. $8800/student annually estimated
        earnings per student last year; ~$10,800/student
        annually estimated for FY07
                      Academy
   Additional Budget Information
       Students pay student fees (approx. $242/semester) but the
        Academy pays for books and tuition expenses on behalf
        of the students
       All textbooks are loaned and “recycled” as they are in a
        traditional high school
       FT tuition costs Academy approx. $1040/semester per
        student
       Accel (Joint Enrollment version of HOPE) pays tuition
        for some courses (but no “double dipping”)
                    Academy
   Additional Budget Information
       GPC provides remodeled space for the Academy
        including utilities, custodial services, protective
        services, office and classroom furniture, etc.
       GPC’s Foundation has established a new
        scholarship fund to help students who have
        financial difficulties with fees, summer tuition,
        transportation and/or living expenses
                    Academy Staffing:
For 2006-07 staff, the Academy has:
      Director & Assistant Director
      Intake Outreach Specialist, Secretary and PT Records
       Coord.
      4 Resource Specialists and a Head Resource Specialist
      2 Math Instructors & 2 English Instructors
      Several PT tutors and lab facilitators
DeKalb Early College Academy
(DECA)
   DeKalb County School (not a charter school)
   Opened in August of 2006 with
    approximately 100 9th grade students
   Housed primarily in a wing of nearby
    Avondale High School
DeKalb Early College Academy
(DECA)
   By the time students enter 11th grade, they
    will be ready to enter college-level courses on
    the Clarkston campus of GPC where they will
    earn dual credits toward both an associate’s
    degree and their high school diploma
   Within 5 years of entering DECA, students
    will be able to complete both their high school
    diplomas and earn at least 60 college credits
    toward an associate’s degree.
DeKalb Early College Academy
(DECA)
   Bill & Melinda Gates Early College High School
    Initiative ( P-16 Initiatives Office of the Board of
    Regents is the funding intermediary for DECA)
   The target population for DECA is rising 9th graders
    who historically have lower than average high
    school and college attendance or graduation rates
    and/or students who do not traditionally perform
    well on standardized tests
DeKalb Early College Academy
(DECA)
   Classes within DECA are small and the
    Academy itself will never exceed a total
    enrollment of 400 students including those
    students who have transitioned to the college
    campus
   A variety of activities and services are
    provided to students beginning in 9th grade to
    help ensure that students are ready for college
    classes in 11th grade