1. Committed College
Coach Program
Board of Lucas County Commissioners
Commissioner Skeldon Wozniak

2. Problem Issues
• There is low college enrollment among
graduating Toledo Public School/
Lucas County students
• Many college students do not return
for their second year of college
• Low rate of college enrollment for
adults completing their GED

3. Educational Attainment
in Lucas County
• 17.1% of the adult residents do not have a high
school diploma
• Less than 14% of adult residents have a
bachelor’s degree
• Only 7.3% have an associates degree
• 22% have not completed their college degree
• Therefore, 71% of Lucas County adults do not
have a college degree
Ohio Department of Development

4. More Stats
• Ohio’s graduation rate was 74.3% in 2006
• In Toledo Public Schools approximately 50% of
the graduates will attend a 2 or 4 year college
(Toledo Promise Scholarship Study)
• Nationally, every year, 1 in 3 young adults—
more than 1.2 million people—drops out of
high school
• 50% of adult GED students state they intend to
pursue a postsecondary education
– Only 27% actually enroll in postsecondary
education (Reach Higher America)

5. Ohio ranks lower than National
Averages
• Ohio adults have less postsecondary education
than the national average.
– In 2004 23.3% of Ohio adults had a bachelors
degree or higher which is lower than the national
average of 27%
• “It would take an additional 287,865 {Ohio}
residents with an associate degree or higher
today to have a population with education levels
comparable to the nation’s.” (Ohio Policy Matters)

6. College Drop-Out Problem
• Many students do not return after their first
year of college (national statistics)
• In 2-yr colleges – 50% will not return for
2nd year
• In 4-yr colleges – 30% will not return for
2nd year
• In 4-yr colleges – fewer than 50% complete
their degree (Toledo
Promise Scholarship Concept Study)

7. Toledo’s College Culture
• Less than 14% of Toledo Residents have a bachelor’s
degree or higher (Ohio Department of Development)
• Reliance on high paying manufacturing jobs after high
school is on the decline in Toledo
• Adolescents in Toledo mistakenly believe they can get a
high paying job after high school graduation
• Parents who didn’t go to college have a greater
tendency not to promote college to their children
• Parents that have not gone to college are less familiar
with the steps to send their child to college
(Toledo Promise Scholarship Concept Report)

8. Educational Levels Affect Economic
Well-Being
• Toledo unemployment rates exceeds the state and
national average. (WTOL Website)
– Aug. 2009 unemployment rate
• National 9.7
• Toledo 13.2
• Toledo’s poverty rate of 22.6% exceeds national
and state averages (City-Data Website)
• Toledo was ranked the 8th poorest city in the US
(US Census Bureau)

9. Toledo Public Schools
• Low income student population has increased
within Toledo Public School (TPS)
• 70% of the TPS students qualify for free/reduced
lunch
• Children living in poverty tend:
– Begin school with lower levels of academic
readiness
– Achieve lower test scores
– Less likely to pursue post-secondary education
(Toledo Promise Scholarship Concept Study)

10. Changing the Culture
• The Community needs to believe college is an attainable
goal
• Families need encouragement through the college going
process
• Families need to be exposed to college atmosphere
• Families need to be connected with resources
• Families need someone to help them navigate along the
way
• Need “buy-in” from the schools, parents, and
community

11. Committed College Coach
• Coaching program
– Accompanying website for additional information &
career interest resource
• Purpose
– Increase high school graduates enrollment in post-
secondary education
– Increase college student retention rate
– Change the college-going culture in Lucas County
• Coordinate with existing programs not replace
them
• This is only a small piece in changing the culture

12. Committed College Coach
• Committed College Coach is someone who will commit
to encouraging and helping the adolescent on their path
to college
– They do not have to have attended college
themselves
– Commit to the youth from grade 5 through their
sophomore year in college
• Coach declares their intent to be committed to the
adolescent through signing the Committed College
Coach Declaration (guardian signs also)
• Complete Coach/Student Action Steps each semester

13. Why So Long?
• Why starting so early?
– “Interventions must begin around the 5th grade in
order to be effective” (Big Brother/Big Sister Mentoring Toward College)
– Youths often have difficulty transitioning from
elementary school to middle school (United Way of Northeast
Florida)
– Difficult transition to middle school is a risk factor
for dropping out of school (Michigan Department of Education)
• Why not stop at 12th grade?
– High rate of dropout after the first year of college
– Adolescent needs support/encouragement while
adjusting to a new college environment

15. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

16. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

17. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

18. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

19. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

21. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

22. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

23. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

24. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

25. Coach & Student
Activity Schedule

26. Budget Considerations
• Program coordinator salary
• Cost of running & maintaining
Committed College Coach Website
• Cost of printed package material
• Cost of yearly kick-off event
• Cost of transportation to college visits
• Cost of coach training sessions

27. Challenges
• Who will teach the college coaches?
– Develop information sessions for the coaches specific to each
year
• Who will monitor that coach/student activities are
being completed?
• What if youth is unable to identify someone to be their
coach?
• What if the coach quits?

28. Why Not All Lucas County Schools?
• Need to start with only one school district
– Need to test the program in one school district
before implementing in all Lucas County school
districts
• Toledo Public School District has the
highest number of students in a dense area

29. Philosophy
• Psychosocial Theory – Erik Erickson
– The most basic value that underlies psychosocial theory is
that all individuals are innately worthy
– All individuals have the capacity to learn and adapt to change
their social & physical environment
• Person-Centered Approach – Carl Rogers
– Rogers believed that humans are basically good
– He argued that we have an innate drive to reach an optimal
sense of ourselves & satisfaction with our lives
– People require interactions with others & most people must
be accepted in order to achieve self-actualization

30. Committed College Coach
Philosophy
• Every youth deserves at least one person in
their life who cares about them and wants
to see them succeed.
• Through acceptance & encouragement,
adolescents will achieve their optimal goals

31. Committed College Coach
A highly educated community has
greater health, welfare, and
economic outcomes
Thank you for you time &
consideration