GEAR UP Kentucky in Fayette County

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal program. Kentucky received a state GEAR UP grant in September 2000.

GEAR UP was created for students from low-income backgrounds. GEAR UP benefits students by giving them activities that are designed to make them aware of college and prepares them to take those courses in school that prepares them to go to college. GEAR UP provides funds for academic and support programs for students and works with schools and school districts to improve student performance and encourage education beyond high school.

GEAR UP Kentucky serves nearly 20,000 seventh, eighth and ninth grade students in more than 60 schools across the state. Last school year, middle school students who began participating in GEAR UP activities in the fall of 2000, are enrolled in corresponding GEAR UP high schools. At the same time, the program continues to provide services for all the students in the program including those at the high Schools.

Gear Up Five Priority Areas

1. Think College (Awareness): GEAR UP stresses the importance of completing high school and going to college. Students learn about college through a special class, summer programs, visits to college and special projects about how to choose a career.
2. Study Hard (Rigor): GEAR UP works with schools to make sure that all middle school students are ready to take certain courses that they need in high school. Courses include Algebra, Science — earth science, biology and chemistry, language arts — English and writing, Foreign Languages such as Spanish and French.
3. Parents and Children Talk (Engagement): GEAR UP helps students and their families to talk about how to get ready for college. The program helps parents understand all the possibilities students have when they plan for college early. Parents and guardians can learn more about college from workshops, printed information, home visits from school staff.
4. Money for College (Access): Any GEAR UP student who gets ready for college can get a grant or scholarship to attend. These are just a few programs that offer financial assistance for students who want to go to college. Other financial aid opportunities are: Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), Kentucky College Access Program Grants (CAP grant), Kentucky Tuition Assistance Program, Federal Pell Grant.
5. Help to Succeed in School (Support): GEAR UP helps students to succeed in school. GEAR UP schools have many services and program staff or volunteers to work with students. For example: tutors, special help with studying and taking tests, ESS and mentors.

GEAR UP Kentucky benefits parents by providing:

• Information for teachers and counselors about college for low- income students.
• Leadership training through the Prichard Committee, please call Lou Ann Ramos for more information at 859-233-9849.
• Training for teachers and counselors.

GEAR UP Kentucky benefits to students:

• GEAR UP Kentucky College 101 or Expos.
• Information about how to apply for college.
• Information about how to apply for financial aid and scholarships.

GEAR UP encourages students to stay in school and study hard. It helps prepare them to take the right courses in high school and get ready for college. GEAR UP activities emphasize that going to college is important, even if student's family does not have a lot of income. GEAR UP has five main concerns: AWARENESS, RIGOR, ENGAGEMENT, ACCESS and SUPPORT. Students must participate in GEAR UP activities. GEAR UP is also for parents. They attend meetings, workshops and conferences to learn how to get their children ready before it is too late. Students who start taking part in GEAR UP in the seventh grade will stay in the program until they graduate from high school.

Student information and confidentiality

When the U.S. Department of Education awarded Kentucky the state GEAR UP grant, it designated the Council on Postsecondary Education to administer the grant and collect information about students participating in the program and their academic progress toward getting ready for college. The information that is collected indicates to GEAR UP staff and the U.S. Department of Education how effective Gear UP is getting students ready for college. The U.S. Department of Education uses the information to decide whether to continue giving the grant to the state of Kentucky.

What information does GEAR UP collect about students? GEAR UP school staff collects information in four broad areas:

• Personal information: students' name, gender, race/ethnicity, free/reduced lunch status, ESL status, handicapped status.
• School performance information: students' grades at midyear, placement in advanced classes, number of absences.
• GEAR UP Participation information: students', parents', and teachers' participation in GEAR UP participation.
• Surveys: results from surveys of GEAR UP students, parents, and teachers regarding knowledge of college opportunities and plans for college.

GEAR UP Kentucky does not release information or report findings about specific or individual students to anyone. The information collected is reported and analyzed only as totals. Surveys are anonymous-survey answers are not linked with the students' names or school records or their parents.

GEAR UP Kentucky does not require schools to obtain release forms from GEAR UP parents and guardians because only schools based staff (teachers, counselors, and principals in GEAR Up schools) have information that identifies students such as, students' names, identification numbers and dates of birth.

GEAR UP Kentucky has created a secure web-based system to collect important information about its students. The system uses the highest level of security allowed by the US federal law. It is protected by passwords and only GEAR UP school staff with passwords can enter student information. There is no information on the site that identifies students by name and student confidentiality is absolutely maintained.

We encourage parents to contact the school principal or GEAR UP program coordinator (Angela Roberts) to learn more about the program.

EPAS through Gear Up Kentucky

What is the Educational Planning and Assessment System?

EPAS is:

• Not a test.
• Not an instructional program.

EPAS is:

• A common tool used across GEAR UP schools locally and nationally, to identify student strengths and weaknesses, to monitor student progress and to measure the effectiveness of GEAR UP supported remedies.
• A collection of tools to evaluate student’s readiness for college over time.

What are the components of EPAS?

• EXPLORE for 8th grade provides a baseline from which to measure the effectiveness of GEAR UP supported programs for students.
• PLAN for 10th grade is a measure of student growth midpoint in their high school program, and of their progress toward college readiness.
• DISCOVER for Middle School (DMS) is designed for middle school students to help them make the transition into high school and to develop their IGP and plan early for college and career.

What are The Benefits of EPAS?

• Identifies the skills students have and those that they need to learn to be successful
• Components are connected one to the other, making it easier to monitor student progress
• Provides Pathways to Transitions to give teachers suggestions to help advance student skills
• Provides tools for working with parents on academic planning (individual graduation plan)
• Provides students with organizational tools to help them make career and academic decisions
• Helps students prepare for and do better on ACT

How can GEAR UP Kentucky Schools Participate?

• Call your Program Coordinator TODAY!
• Order your school packets early
• Attend EPAS training this fall

Last update: 3/7/2008 4:12:28 PM     Printer friendly view