SC GEAR UP
Weekly Memo - 2/1 to 2/7
Happy Monday!
Good Afternoon SC GEAR UP!
I hope everyone had a restful weekend and enjoyed the "Big Game" last night. Remember to keep me posted on your weekly schedule and major issues that arise. I will be in and out of the office this week preparing for a funeral. If you need me, please text or email.
Capacity Building
Its departure week. Please remember to get contact info for your attendees and make sure Vickie has emergency contact numbers for them. Check in with them before departure and ask them to notify you upon arrival as well. We are all watching the weather, but I would certainly advise them to pack an extra change of clothes. Anytime you travel to the northeast in deep Winter, you have to prepare for some travel delays. Everything should be fine.
Finance
Surveys
I'm assuming that everyone made the survey deadline. If you have a school that did not, please send me an email. We will also need an explanation from the Coach as to why they were unable to fulfill that part of their job responsibilities.
Tutoring
Gotta keep monitoring the tutoring programs. Remember, if there is a kid who is failing, that is not attending a tutoring program, your coach will need to document that contact was made and why the student isn't coming. I get asked every other week about tutoring. I just want to be in a position to say the GC is doing all they possibly can.
College Application Month / College Goal South Carolina
FYI - I still have one school that has not turned in their College Application Month data to Catherine. We need that to present to the Commission next month. Please get that to her ASAP. Thank you for working with the other schools in your areas to get those reports it to her.
Continue to work with your pilot College Goal Sites to be sure they have what they need for February. If you need something from us, Catherine can assist you.
New PD Opporunity
This was in last week's memo. I think it's a good opportunity for someone. It's not really a GEAR UP thing, but it could help GEAR UP in the future. The Carmen Nylund Foundation is offering the grant for one education leader to participate in the prestigious Learning Forward Academy (LFA) program that will begin July 2015 and finish December 2017. Academy participants will work collaboratively to gain knowledge to solve significant student learning problems in their own school systems. During the intensive 2 ½ year program, participants will engage in twelve face-to-face, team-based days of learning in Toronto, Washington DC, Vancouver and Orlando, telephone and web-based discussions and access to an experienced coach. If you know someone who you think may be interested, Rae McPherson, former Project Manager for SC GEAR UP, has offered to help them extensively with the application herself. Details were in the email I sent out last week.
Comparison School Follow-Up
Please follow-up with the Comparison schools you suggested and made contact with for us. We need more schools. If we can do something/offer something/remove a requirement that gets them to commit, let me know.
COMPASS Follow-up
I didn't get a COMPASS report from everyone last week. Please make sure i get that soon if I didn't get one from you. I want to know:
- Date of last meeting/contact on subject and who attended
- Date of COMPASS administration
- Technical college that will partner with high school through project
- Plan for Dual Enrollment Course delivery
- Plan for Developmental or "GEAR UP University Transition Course"
- Have you discussed if this "Transition Course" could be offered with Carnegie Unit
- Have you begun to project a budget/cost for program
- Issues you are encountering at any level
If you know who will need to review the request from the DOE level, please let me know. We can hopefully set up a meeting to pre-empt that request if it will help. Also, please take note of the qualifications/credentials of your instructors in case that is a sticking point.
Objectives for 2014-15
The SCGU Grant objective for 10th grade will be that 80% of our students will pass Biology by the end of 10th grade. As of first semester, I believe Vermadel has us at 38%.
Summer Plans
Social Media Update
The SC GEAR UP Facebook and Twitter are now both up!!!! Please have the coaches encourage students to like and follow SC GEAR UP on social media. We can do better on Twitter and certainly on Facebook.
I can't stress enough how much we need to beef up the social media!!! This is a great way to keep everyone informed on what we are doing. We are also working on the websites each week. We need that support folks!