Publications
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: 2020 GEAR UP Student College Aspiration Results Summary
This report is focused on GEAR UP students’ characteristics, service participation and performance, disaggregated by their college aspirations (i.e., yes, maybe, and no). The report aims to help program staff have a better understanding of college aspiration gaps and address GEAR UP students’ needs. Data presented in this report found that GEAR UP students indicating yes or maybe they would go to college after high school had better academic performance, greater attendance, and fewer campus discipline incidents than did GEAR UP students indicating they would not go to college.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: Annual Evaluation Report 2019–2020
In 2019–2020, the program’s third federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 8th grade students (n = 2,546) across 11 middle schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings suggest that students, teachers, and parents had a positive perspective on the role of the program services in college preparation.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: 2019 Fall Student Focus Group Results Summary
This report describes findings generated from student focus groups across five GEAR UP campuses in the Fall 2019 semester. The focus group participants described their perspectives of the GEAR UP program, experiences with the GEAR UP activities, and plans for future education. Findings obtained from the 2019 fall student focus groups echoed those obtained from focus group interviews with students and teachers in the 2018-2019 school year.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: Annual Evaluation Report 2018–2019
In 2018–2019, the program’s second federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 7th-grade students (n = 2,536) across 11 middle schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings suggest that students, teachers, and parents had a positive perspective on the role of the program services in college preparation.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: Annual Evaluation Report 2017-2018
This evaluation report presents a baseline description of outcomes for the 2017-2018 school year, the first year of GEAR UP Austin implementation in AISD. Specifically, the report describes program implementation, students' participation in GEAR UP Austin, and baseline student academic and college preparation outcomes.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: 2019 Spring Staff Focus Group Results Summary
The purpose of the staff focus groups was to gather information about staff perspectives on the GEAR UP program, their experiences with the GEAR UP program, and their support for student college preparation. Most of the focus group participants across five GEAR UP campuses understood the GEAR UP program. Many staff provided positive comments about the GEAR UP activities and GEAR UP facilitators. Staff reported they supported students’ college preparation and expected their students to go to college.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Austin: 2018 Fall Student Focus Group Results Summary
To gather information about student perspectives of the GEAR UP program, the AISD evaluation team conducted students focus groups with students at six GEAR UP campuses in the fall of 2018. This report presents summary of findings related to students' feedback in the following areas: (a) understanding of the GEAR UP program, (b) GEAR UP facilitators, (c) GEAR UP activities, (d) intention to attend college, (e) teacher expectations, and (f) any other information students wanted to know about college.
From Gateway to Project Lead the Way: Tracking Middle School Engineering Participants into High School
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) administers a national engineering program in middle schools, called Gateway, and in high schools, called Project Lead the Way (PLTW). In this summary, the PLTW courses taken during high school were examined for two cohorts of students who participated in the Gateway program at some point in their middle school years (eighth graders in 2011–2012 and 2012–2013). Overall, more than half of Gateway 8th grade students in 2011–2012 (57%) and 2012–2013 (56%) attended a PLTW high school. Of…
Career and Technical Education Student Certification Exam Results 2017-2018: How Students Performed in Their Certification Exams
Earning an industry certification provides Career and Technical Education (CTE) students with a beginning point in a particular career field. With certification earned, students can demonstrate skills and competencies needed in the job market. This report presents findings related to CTE students’ participation in and passing status of certification exams.
Career and Technical Education 2017 Student Survey Results Summary
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Student Survey, administered in Spring 2017, was designed to gather students’ feedback about their experiences taking the advanced CTE courses offered in their specific career pathway. Students who participated in the Austin Independent School District’s (AISD) CTE Student Survey highly rated the courses they had taken in their career pathway and the opportunities to gain hands-on experiences ready for their life, college, and career.