UW-Extension pre-college programs target minority youth
Continuing education programs on 26 University of Wisconsin campuses, offered in partnership with UW-Extension, help minority students transition successfully from high school to college.
The programs are designed to help students of color and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds graduate from high school with the skills necessary to be successful at a UW institution.
Patricia Pearson. Photo by S.C. JOHNSON
Recent figures from the National Center for Education Statistics indicate that more than 60% of all high school graduates nationwide will go on to college directly after graduating from high school. What the numbers don't tell, however, is that a smaller percentage of students of color enroll in college right after high school than their Caucasian classmates. Likewise, there is a gap between students from high- and low-income families in their immediate enrollment rates.
Stepping Stones
Patricia Pearson looks back at her high school experience and thinks about how close she came to being "left behind" in the classroom. "I was overlooked by many teachers when I raised my hand to answer questions, rarely invited by community leaders to participate in community projects, and never informed about pre-college programs until my last year of high school, which was almost too late," she says. "I was not from an affluent family, but from an economically disadvantaged background."
Pearson, now a senior information systems analyst on the e-commerce technical team at S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. in Racine, was lucky enough to stumble across UW-Parkside's continuing education pre-college program Stepping Stones. The Stepping Stones program provides workshops, mentoring, financial aid assistance, ACT preparation and tutoring.
"During my senior year [in high school], UW-Parkside's pre-college staff played a major role in encouraging me to attend college, guided me through the college selection and admission process, and assisted me in securing an S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. scholarship and other sources of financial aid," Pearson explains.
Pearson graduated from UW-Parkside in 2002 with a double major in management information systems and Spanish.
Alphonso Chavez, Ashley Oviedo, EXPLORE counselor Lauren Jung and Sylvia Oviedo work together on an education activity at the Aurora Center in Berlin. Photo by WAYNE BRABENDER
Explore
Traveling around the United States from spring through fall makes it difficult for children of migrant families to keep up with schoolwork. It also limits their exposure to career opportunities and participation in school-enrichment experiences. Because of this disjointed academic schedule, students need summer tutoring to help decrease the negative impacts of frequent travel.
Since 2000, the UW-Stevens Point Extension has offered the EXPLORE program for children of migrant workers in central Wisconsin. EXPLORE provides enrichment activities, academic tutoring and career exploration opportunities that help students in grades 3 through 10 achieve academic success now, while also learning about college and career opportunities for the future. Students keep up with schoolwork through EXPLORE's on-site tutoring sessions and computer-based English tutorials.
ACT preparation
Southeast Asian students tend to receive low scores on the English and reading portions of the ACT college-entrance exam. Earlier this year, the UW-Marathon County Office of Continuing Education held two weekend sessions of ACT preparation studies for 39 students, 38 of whom were Southeast Asian. — Amy Pikalek
Stepping Stones Impacts
Of the 213 students who completed the Stepping Stones program from 2000 to 2004:
- 100% of the seniors graduated from high school and applied to institutions of higher learning.
- 92% enrolled in a postsecondary institution. Of these, 90% attend a Wisconsin school, the majority of which are UW System campuses.
For more information: Mary Day, (262) 595-2416 or Mary.Day@uwp.edu
Explore Impacts
According to an evaluation completed by participants at the end of the 2002 EXPLORE program:
- 89% felt the program was a good experience.
- 82% said the program increased their interest in learning about college or careers.
Additionally:
- 83% of parents of EXPLORE participants observed that their children showed an increased interest in careers and college after participating in the program.
For more information: Wayne Sorenson, (715) 346-4069 or wsorenso@uwsp.edu
ACT Preparation Impacts
According to comparisons between pre-and post-test scores and participant evaluations:
- Significant improvements were made in the reading and English sections for those students who scored the lowest (49% correct or less) on the pre-tests.
- On the English test, students who received scores of 33% or less correct improved by an average of 7 points on the post-test.
- On the reading section, the lowest-scoring students improved by an average of 4.4 points on the post-test.
For more information: Vickie Richmond-Hawkins, (715) 261-6309 or vrhawkin@uwc.edu