MARYLAND GEAR UP
Background
The State of Maryland is currently in the sixth year of an extended five-year “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs” (GEAR UP) grant. The grant provides early intervention services for low-income students to prepare them to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Currently, GEAR UP services are provided to approximately 2400 students in eighteen high schools located throughout Maryland. Cohort students are currently in the eleventh grade.
As the Maryland GEAR UP program is a statewide program, the nine funded sites (eighteen high schools), develop their programs to meet the needs of their geographical areas and student populations. Although many program elements are the same across the state, strategies may vary according to the needs and resources of a particular region. The Continuation Plans, submitted annually, outline common programmatic elements across the state while making note of the fact that strategies and implementation will vary according to the needs of the students.
In the early years of the Maryland GEAR UP program, efforts were focused on familiarizing students with the reality of college – the economic case statement, the wide variety of options available, the financial options, and the middle and high school requirements. Emphasis from the eighth grade to the present focused on academic enhancement and support, alternative instructional delivery systems, successful transition to high school, academic program planning, developing success strategies for counselors and teachers, and financial aid information for parents.
The focus of the sixth year of GEAR UP funding extends the academic success focus while also preparing students for the college entrance procedures, timelines, search strategies and financial aid options and procedures. The focus for the parents, counselors and teachers is on how to support the students through accessing information and familiarizing the target audience with the resources available through the local areas, on-line, and through the State.
Maryland GEAR UP Objectives
The sixth year plan for Maryland GEAR UP was developed based on the objectives for a GEAR UP Project as they were presented in the GEAR UP “Request for Proposal in 1999. These objectives have provided a framework for the program and associated activities since the inception of the Maryland grant.
· Promoting equal access to education and educational excellence through concerted partnership efforts on behalf of low income students;
· Helping ensure that all students have access to rigorous courses that prepare them for college;
· Providing information early to students and parents about college options, required courses, and financial aid, including providing students with 21st. Century Scholar Certificates indicating Federal financial aid options;
· Developing a solid academic foundation for college through challenging courses, well prepared teachers, and modern learning tools;
· Promoting, as needed, reforms and improvements in the school curriculum as well as in teaching and learning methods;
· Promoting strategies and activities for increased parent involvement in preparing students for college;
· Providing intensive, individualized and coordinated support to students that includes mentoring, counseling, and tutoring;
· Providing ongoing staff training and professional development opportunities to help teachers raise expectations for all students;
· Establishing strong partnerships that involve long-term commitment and a meaningful role for each partner in improving student’s preparation for college;
· Building local and State efforts and encouraging local and State investment to sustain GEAR UP activities and services beyond the Federal grant period;
· Designing comprehensive projects, informed by research, on effective practices that include careful evaluations to enable continuous improvement and guide project replication.
Status of Grant
GEAR UP is currently in the sixth year of implementation. Approval is being sought to use the grant balance to provide GEAR UP support for the student cohort through their senior year. Tentative approval has been given. In addition, the Office of General Counsel, U.S. Office of Education, has ruled that Maryland may enter the competitive grant process during April, 2005 for a second six year grant. The Request for Proposal for this grant can be viewed by accessing http://edicsweb.ed.gov/browsecoll.cfm?pkg_serial_num=2642 .
Maryland GEAR UP Scholarship
Each grant year, Maryland is allocated $600,000 for scholarship support for GEAR UP students. In 2003-04, in anticipation of the need to complete the planning for GEAR UP scholarship administration, a joint agreement was approved between the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) whereby scholarship administration would be the responsibility of MHEC. Scholarship guidelines have been developed and approved by the Commission and the trust, held by the Maryland Department of the Treasury, will transfer to the Maryland Higher Education Commission for administration in January,2006.