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GE Grant News and Data
A heart-felt thank you goes out to GE from Southside's faculty, students, and community for the $700,000.00 the GE Foundation has donated to Southside over the past 5 years and for the $300,000.00 awarded this spring for the next 2 years. This totals $1,000,000.00 over a 7 year span. We thank GE for this financial support which has allowed us to purchase software, computers, smartboards, test prep materials, and much more as well as set up the Read180 classroom and offer 3 summer programs to our students - Freshman Transition Class, Upperclassman Seminars, and Freshman Camp. Thanks to GE's support and the support of the instructional coaches at Hughes Academy and Tanglewood Middle School, for 3 weeks in June we successfully piloted our first Summer Transition Course for incoming Freshmen. The course included sessions in math, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and our new Read180 lab. End of course evaluations by students were very positive about what they had learned and the benefits of continuing the program. Our August seminars for Upperclassmen drew more students than ever. The seminars in addition to providing schedules, locks and lockers, and workshops for the SAT and Exit Exams, included class pictures and a College and Career Fair. 16 colleges participated in the events. We also had the largest group yet (108) for our 4-day Freshman Camp in August. We again offered sessions such as An Introduction to Southside, Goal Setting, Graphing Calculators, Critical Thinking, Geometry, Schedules, lockers and organizations, and Details and Inference. We added College Expectations, a career interest survey, class pictures, and Robotics. We are very excited about Southside's new READ180 lab. Sixty freshmen will be scheduled into the lab with EnglishI and Reading double-blocked. The class is very structured with time allotted for whole group instruction, individual reading, computer-based instruction, small group instruction, and whole group wrap-up. We purchased 60 licenses for the first year, and when significant gains are verified, we plan to purchase an additional 60 so that these students may continue the process as sophomores and a new group of freshmen can begin the process. FAQ Sheet for Closing the Gap Grant Goals: To increase the percentage of freshmen successfully completing their first year of high school, graduating in 4 years, and entering postsecondary education. Our target groups for the GE grant: Target group– Freshmen entering high school for the first time excluding IB and non-diploma Special Ed. They will be followed throughout their 4 years at SHS. Although not in the target group, IB and non-diploma special education students do participate in most of the GE grant programs. Number of Target Students (9th-12th grade) 04-05 453 05–06 503 % Freshmen promoted to 10th grade (Target Group) 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 46.31% 59.16% 62% 62.9% Graduation Rate – This year’s class will be the first group graduating after 4 full years with the GE grant. 02-03 03-04 04-05 59.16% 62% 62.9% College Bound Rate = % of Target Group enrolling in post secondary education for the fall semester after graduation. Year Regular Students (SHS) SC National 1998 41% 55% 70% 1999 40% 55% 69% 2000 56% 54% 70% 2002 57.96% 53% 71% 2003 77.2% 2004 72.2% 2005 70% ** State & Nat’l rates are from Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Timeline for GE Grants Freshman Success Grant covered Jan. - Dec. '02. ($100,000.00) Closing the Gap Grant covered July, '02 - June, '06. ($400,000.00) First Closing the Gap Administrative Grant covered Jan, '04 - June, '05. ($100,000.00) Second Closing the Gap Administrative Grant covered July, '05 - June, '06. ($100,000.00) Closing the Gap Sustainability Grant will cover July, '06 - June, '08. ($300,000.00) Total = $1,000,000.00 GE Sponsored Summer Programs Freshman Transition Class is a 3-week summer course providing acceleration in reading, writing, and math skills for students identified as performing below grade level prior to entering high school. 2004 enrolled 16 (pilot year) 2005 enrolled 55 including 3 LEP (Limited English Proficiency) Freshman Camp is 4-days in August before school starts when freshmen receive an introduction to high school: schedules, rules, faculty, extra curricular activities, study and time management skills, goal setting. They receive their student agenda with a planning calendar, student handbook, and study aids. 2002 59 (overlapped with summer school) 2003 104 2004 108 2005 160 Upperclass Seminars are offered for 3-days in early August and include a college fair, help with college applications and essays, and help preparing for HSAP, SAT, or ACT. Students also receive their schedules on these days. 10th-12th 2002 219 2003 178 (overlapped with summer school) 2004 271 2005 283 Other GE Programs Vertical Teaming – involves Southside working with its major feeder middle and elementary schools to try to find solutions to common concerns. Southside’s major feeder middle schools are Hughes Academy, Tanglewoood Middle, and Beck Academy. Vertical Teaming also includes working with local colleges to make that transition easier for our graduates. Southside works with Clemson University, Greenville Tech, and Furman University. Clemson as a result of our GE grant includes Southside students in the Clemson Emerging Scholars Program. Feeder School Survey – Fall 2003 – 520 students surveyed Elementary School: Greenville has 50 elementary schools. SHS has at least 1 student from 46 of them. SHS has a significant number from at least 16. 12% of our students changed elementary schools at least 3 times. Some changed as many as 8 times. Middle School: Greenville has 18 middle schools. SHS has students from all of them. SHS has a significant number from at least 8 – even though the district shows us with only 3 feeder schools. 18% of our students changed middle schools at least once. Some changed as many as 4 times. GE Tutoring/Mentoring – The GE Gas Turbine African American Forum began tutoring/mentoring SHS students after school more than 10 years ago. Currently they volunteer on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to work with students needing assistance. GE Tutoring for 05-06: as of April 20, 2006 250 students for a total of 1054 visits for a total of 811 hours and 40 minutes with 34 GE tutors GE Tutoring for 04-05: 172 students for a total of 643 visits for a total of 811 hours and 40 minutes with 21 GE tutors GE Tutoring for 02-03: 185 students for a total of 708 visits for a total of 888 hours and 22 minutes with 31 GE tutors Students receiving Tutoring through Homework Assistance or by teachers in 04-05: 9th grade – 149; 10th grade- 155; 11th grade – 77; 12th grade – 50. Technology – Mini-labs-For the first several years, the grant has provided the technology for 3 mini-labs available for student use with teacher supervision before and after school since many of our students do not have computer access at home. Next year, in the new building, the mini-labs will be combined into one lab available for student use before and after school and for classes to sign up to use during the school day. Computer Science Lab – Funds have also been used to purchase software and upgrade computers for advanced students to use programs such as CAD. Tutorial Software & Online Programs – Funds purchased HSAP Online licenses for students to prepare for the Exit Exam, Larson’s PreAlgebra/Algebra, Passkey to help with reading, writing, math, science and social studies College Exploration and Planning – Summer Programs – College magazines are provided for students and used in summer workshops. During School - Individual conferencing is provided in the GE Program Coordinator’s Office and the coordinator assists with providing materials for PAWS where students plan for their post high school education and careers. Professional Development Opportunities – provided by GE. Speakers – Dr. Harvey Silver worked with the faculty the first year of the grant developing brain-based research strategies for use in the classroom to more effectively help students with different learning styles. He will return this fall for a follow-up one day workshop. Focus Learning Training – is another system of classroom strategies for teachers to use to help students. Since our feeder middle school teachers were being trained, GE helped to provide the training for SHS teachers so that incoming freshman would be comfortable and recognize the teaching methods being used. |
