U. S. Department of Education awards $1.25 million grant to Midland College

MC Upward Bound program receives continuance grant

Rebecca C. Bell
Dean, Community Relations & Special Events
 

The Midland College Upward Bound (UB) program provides opportunities for high school students to succeed in precollege performance and ultimately in higher education pursuits. UB serves young people from low-income families and those from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of the program is to increase the rate at which participants complete high school and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.

Midland College was recently notified that the U. S. Department of Education has awarded the program another $250,000 for the 2012-2013 school year, and if all requirements are met at the end that program year, MC will receive an additional $250,000 each year for the following four years. In order to continue to receive funding, the program must meet the following approved objectives each year:80% of participants served during the project year will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a four-point scale at the end of the school year. 85% of UB seniors served during the project year will have achieved at the proficient level on state assessments in reading/language arts and math.

85% of project participants served during the project year will continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level, or will have graduated from secondary school with a regular secondary school diploma. 75% of all current and prior year UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate in that school year with a regular secondary school diploma.

70% of all current and prior UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will enroll in a program of postsecondary education by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester). 50% of participants who enrolled in a program of postsecondary education, by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or by the next academic term (e.g. spring term) as a result of acceptance by deferred enrollment, will attain either an associate's or bachelor's degree within six years following graduation from high school.

“We plan to achieve these objectives by providing support services such as, weekly academic advising, supplemental instruction in core subjects, tutoring, study skills seminars, college visits, weekend and summer academic program and postsecondary monitoring of high school graduates,” noted Midland College Upward Bound Director Pervis Evans. “Even though our goals for the years to come are ambitious, I am confident that they are attainable based upon past success and the high level of support and commitment the program has from Midland College, Midland ISD and other community partners.”

Midland College first received funding for Upward Bound in 1999, and for the past 13 years has held tremendous success with its objectives. The program serves approximately 50 ninth- through twelfth-grade MISD students each year with the purpose of encouraging these students to remain in high school and then enroll in college. The MC program currently boasts 100 percent pass rate on the high school TAKS test among the UB students, and 94 percent of the past participants have enrolled in college.

Evans said, “It’s all about giving students opportunities and empowering them. Many of our participants have enormous personal and family obstacles to overcome. I’ve found that if we listen, the students eventually will open up to us; if we can find out their challenges, we can help them academically.”

For more information contact Midland College Upward Bound Director Pervis Evans at (432) 686-4221 or pevans@midland.edu Further information about Midland College’s Upward Bound program can be found at www.midland.edu/upwardbound