1 Key Connections: The Role of Teachers and Parents in College Access among Underrepresented Urban Youth NCAN Annual Conference San Francisco, CA September 16, 2009 Lynn Harbinson Project Manager, E=mc² Partnership Dewayne Morgan Research Analyst, University System of Maryland

2 The Crisis  U.S. ranks 21 st out of 27 advanced economies in high school graduation rates (67%) (We were #1 a few decades ago.)  U.S. ranks 11 th in college completion rates for year olds (We were #1 a few decades ago.)  A lower percentage of 25 to 34 year olds have a college degree than 35 to 44 year olds (One of only two countries with this characteristic.)  Fastest growing ethnic groups have lowest education success rates

3 Baltimore and Its City School System  201 schools  13,500 teachers, administrators and staff  Approximately 82,200 students in the BCPSS  23% of all people in Baltimore live below the poverty level  9% percent of all city residents over the age of 25 have less than a 9th grade education  22.2% of Baltimore’s residents dropped out of school between the 9th to 12th grades without earning a high school diploma

4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION E=mc² is about ensuring quality teacher education and student achievement by developing communities of educators and learners through supportive, institutionalized relationships among K-16 professionals and students.

5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: FEA COMPONTENT As the only international pre-collegiate program for prospective teachers, the Future Educators Association (FEA) has the mission to provide middle and high school students with opportunities to explore careers in education.

6 CHALLENGES AND EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS FEA SPONSOR TEACHER  $1, Annual Support  Yearly Action Plan  Data Collection  Meetings Once a week  Installation Ceremony in Fall  Minimum of fifteen (15) active members  Two (2) Student Teaching Activities  Three (3) Community Related Projects  Ten(10) College Visits  One (1) High School and/ or Middle School Visit  Three (3) Professional Development  Participation in Math Olympiad Program  At least one (1) student in every event at City and/or State Wide Conference  Ten (10) Students register and attend State and/or City Wide Conference

7 STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT  Summer Camp Experience  Robotics League  Math Olympiad  Computer Simulations and Programming  University Campus Visits  Business Engagement and Presentations  City-Wide Conference  Way-To-Go Maryland

8 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT  University Campus Visits  City-Wide FEA Conference  Way-To-Go Maryland

9 INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT Future Educator Association clubs framed in the USM’s college access policy development and commitment…

10 INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT  How did the institution define its achievement gap?  What is the institution proposing to do to address its achievement gap?  What has the institution determined to be the measures of success in closing the achievement gap?  What is the institution's timeline for closing the achievement gap?  What resources does the institution have and need for success?

11 Institutional Support: Lessons Learned  Campus teams (not an individual representative) are vital—including financial aid and admissions directors, faculty, deans and other administrators  System leadership is an important motivator  In a system, institutions can learn from each other and must share best practices