1. California State University
Middle School Counselor Conference
KEEPING IT REAL: CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES
Wednesday April 16, 2008

2. Academic Excellence and College Access for ALL Students
HISTORY
•The 1998 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act established the
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR
UP) to enhance the college-going rates of low-income students.
•Enabling legislation stipulates that colleges and universities should partner
with middle schools “to increase the number of low-income students prepared
to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.”
•Nationwide, this middle school reform program has served over 2.3 million
students in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and three territories in its first
six-year grant cycle.

3. PROGRAM GOAL
“To develop and sustain the organizational capacity of
middle schools to prepare all students for high school
and higher education through a statewide network of
support for the adults who influence middle school
students, specifically their counselors, faculty, school
leaders and families. As a result of this expanded
capacity, a higher proportion of students, particularly
from backgrounds and communities that have not
historically pursued a college education, will enroll and
succeed in higher education.”

4. GEAR UP IN CALIFORNIA
•Since 1999, the State program and the 68 partnership projects
have impacted over 1/3 of the 1200 middle schools in California,
with the State grant serving over 233,000 students in 229 schools
in 88 school districts.
•The state model is designed to create a sustainable college-going
culture by working with whole schools through the adults that
have the greatest impact in student life and experience:
principals, teachers, counselors, families and community
members.

5. Resources for Middle Grades
Counselors and Families
“The greatest barrier to learning is not
what students know but what teachers,
counselors and families believe.”
~ Wade Nobles

6. • PROGRAM RESOURCES
• Counseling Institute: One-day workshops to encourage
counseling staff in their role as college advocates and to
provide resources to promote academic planning for all
students (March 2008)
• The complete pocket guide for California Colleges &
Universities: accessible inventory of all California Higher
Education institutions. Over 33,000 distributed statewide.
More information visit: www.castategearup.org
• GEAR UP “Kids On Campus: A Journey that Changes
Lives”. Over 3,500 distributed statewide. DVD available in
May 2008 in English and Spanish.

7. • Hosted by castategearup.org
• Customized for Audience
• Menu Pages
• Short and Detailed Answers
• Links to websites and partners
• Flexible site navigation to match users need

8. • The Resources and Materials Clearinghouse:
a single source from which information,
materials and resources can be accessed to
support middle grades educators in meaningful
conversations about college and career
planning.
• Available in three formats: CD version, College
Corner kiosk and at the GEAR UP website

9. Ideas for Using the GEAR UP
Clearinghouse
For Educators
• Access current information and frequently asked questions
about college preparation
• Assist students in college and financial aid exploration activities
• Demonstrate educator support resources on-line
• Explore and identify on-line student support resources for a
variety of topics
• Research lesson plans, activities, and instructional methods
utilized by other educators around the world
• WWW.CASTATEGEARUP.ORG

10. Ideas for Using the GEAR UP
Clearinghouse
For Families
• Provide answers to grade-specific frequently asked questions
• Show families how to assist students in exploring colleges and
financial aid opportunities
• Familiarize families with computers and demonstrate the
importance of technology
• Encourage families to explore and utilize resources available
• on-line
• Teach families how to use and navigate the school website
WWW.CASTATEGEARUP.ORG

11. New in the Fifth Edition of the Clearinghouse:
• Updated website for easier access to specific information
• Updated content and Professional Development Calendar
• ‘Customizable’ materials for individual school logos
•Now Available on Home Page:
Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions
PowerPoint presentations in English and Spanish
Curriculum lesson plans
…COMING IN JUNE 2008

12. The official website for college and career planning in California
Developed in collaboration with:
California Community Colleges (CCC)
California State University (CSU)
University of California (UC)
Association of Independent California Colleges
and Universities (AICCU)
California Department of Education (CDE)
218 public and private universities are represented
californiacolleges.edu is FREE to all users

13. • Use California’s FREE
online source for college
and career planning –
• CaliforniaColleges.edu
• Access resources
specifically designed for
families and educators
from the bottom of the
home page.

14. Download a training
manual to familiarize
yourself
CaliforniaColleges.edu
Print out the Career
Exploration worksheet
to use with your
students.
Order materials for
your students and
their families.
A-G course planning
charts in 5 languages
and the entire College:
Making It Happen
publications in English
and Spanish.

15. Counselor and Family Resources
For new and engaging lesson plans to use with
students: check the Educator Tools and
Resource page at californiacolleges.edu in the
coming months
For easy to understand information for families
about the California ScholarShare program
check the “Finance” section in May 2008

16. “In California, the achievement gap is defined as the disparity
between white students and other ethnic groups as well as
between English learners and native English speakers;
socioeconomically disadvantaged and non disadvantaged;
and students with disabilities…”
~State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell
Family Services to address the achievement gap:
• FAMILY INITIATIVES PROJECT
• PARENT INSTITUTE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION

17. The ELEVATION of a Nation Begins in the Homes of Its People.
~ African Proverb

18. FAMILY INITIATIVES PROJECT
Keeping It Real…
• Brings together families, schools and communities as
equal partners in the education process.
• Family gatherings provide information, resources and
tools to support families as advocates for their students.
• Services based on recommendations from GEAR UP
school leadership teams and the unique contributions of
each school community.
• Facilitators and volunteers are recruited from within the
school community whenever possible, and are trained by
California GEAR UP.

19. PROJECT TOPICS
Five Week Sessions:
• Understanding the Middle School Years
• Family Dynamics and Positive Communication
• How to Motivate Your Student Academically
• How the School System Functions
• The Road to The University/Family Celebration

20. Family University
FAMILY UNIVERSITY:
A Weekend Family Gathering
Project Topics:
• Understanding the Middle School Years and
Positive Communication
• Steps to follow and available resources to attend
college
• Families make a difference
• Celebration and Next steps

21. MAKING THE CONNECTION
A continuous process of schools building
relationships with families
Why It Works…

22. How To Promote a
FIP Family Gathering
PROMOTING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT:
CREATE THE BUZZ…
• Principal invitation to families
• Additional postcard to African American families
• Phone calls to families
• Principal automated calls to all families
• Principal invites feeder schools
• Counselors invite targeted families
• Students invite families for extra credit
• Club advisors and organizations invite member’s families (AVID,
athletic clubs, band, after school programs, etc.)
• Student involvement (create and distribute posters and flyers)
• Promote FIP at other school events (sports games, open house)
• Signage-Banner, Marquee
• Announcements (Newsletter, calendar, website)

23. IDEAS FOR REACHING
FAMILIES
REACHING ALL FAMILIES…
“It Takes a Village”…
4. MOBILIZE THE COMMUNITY to support family gatherings
5. MAKE THE CONNECTION: Address family survival needs and
Community Challenges
6. PROVIDE INCENTIVES: Meals, door prizes, childcare and
transportation
7. TAKE IT TO THE STREETS: Community-based organizations,
businesses (Local newsletters, announcements, flyers, posters,
booth sign-ups)
8. MAKE IT PERSONAL: Phone calls and Home visits
9. SPREAD THE WORD: PSAs, newspaper, program broadcast,
TV, Radio, Recruit DJ to “Adopt the Cause”

24. Attract and Motivate Families:
Be Creative!!
• Address real problems and issues
• Incorporate open-ended questions and learning
activities
• Understand the basic attributes of school
performance
• Support the physical, mental, emotional and
social needs of ALL students

25. The ELEVATION of a Nation Begins in the Homes
of Its People.
~ African Proverb
The future and strength of our economy, democracy
and society as a whole depends on our ability to
educate EVERY CHILD WELL and to prepare
them to take control of our society.
KEEP IT REAL…..

26. Parent Institute for
Quality Education
www.piqe.org

27. MISSION
To bring
schools,
parents, and
business
community
together as
equal
partners in the
education of
every child
Illustration: S Guevara.

28. VISION
A community in which
parents and teachers
collaborate to transform
each child’s educational
environment, both at
home and at school, so
that all children can
achieve their greatest
academic potential.
Illustration: S Guevara.

29. PHILOSOPHY  All parents love their children
and want a better future for
them
 Every child can learn and
deserves the opportunity to
attend and complete a college
education
 Parents and teachers need to
work together to ensure the
educational success of every
Illustration: S Guevara. child
 For children, learning is a
natural process that parents
and teachers facilitate.

30. PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Nine-Week Program
• Elementary School Level
• Middle School Level
• High School Level
Follow-Up Program
Teacher Workshop
Family Financial Literacy

31. PIQE Nine-Week Program
Planning Session
6 Core Weekly Classes
Parents’ Graduation! Principal’s Dialogue

32. Adolescence: A Positive
Time of Change Communication
and Growth Enhances Self-
Esteem
Middle How to Motivate
Teenagers to Read.
School
Curriculum Obstacles that Get in the
Way of Success in
How the School School
The Road
to College System Functions
in Middle/High
School

33. Electing parents to Boards
Parent Institute’s FIVE of Education
Step Model for Parent
Empowerment Conducting action research
by parents to impact policy
Connecting parents to the
decision making school
committees
Connecting the parent to the
school & university community
Connecting parents to the
child

34. CSU - PIQE Agreement
 On Feb. 7, 2006, PIQE signed a historic
agreement with the California State University
(CSU) system
 CSU Chancellor pledged $575,000 for 3 years
 Nine-Week classes implemented in 15 schools in
each of the 23 campus regions
 Each child of a PIQE graduate will receive a
“college identification card”

35. COLLEGE ADMISSION
CERTIFICATE
Presented to:
_____________________________________________
For the successful completion of the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)
nine-week Parent Involvement Program by their parent(s), the child(ren) listed below is/are conditionally admitted to one
of the California State University’s campuses upon graduation from high school and upon meeting the admissions
requirements of the California State University.
_______________________ ________________________
_______________________ ________________________
_______________________ ________________________
This _______ day of __________________, 2007
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
Charles B. Reed, Chancellor CSU Campus President David Valladolid, President
California State University PIQE

36. Results
More than 400,000 parent graduates in California since
October 1987 from 1,500 Elementary, Middle, and High
Schools. The PIQE Program has been taught in 16
languages by facilitators from each of the different
communities…

37. Elaborated by: Illustrations: S Guevara.
Book: “MI HIJA, MI HIJO, EL AGUILA, LA PALOMA”
David Valladolid Author: Ana Castillo; Dutton Books, New York.
Emilia Alvarez
2006