| Quote of the Month | |
"Now I know the difference between college-eligible and college-ready."
~RFC College-Readiness Institute participant
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| RFC Board of Directors | | Ramon Richards, Chair
Fannie Mae
Linda Mann, Vice-Chair
United States Tennis Association Eastern
Larry Gill, Secretary
Citizant, Inc.
Dexter Tucker, Treasurer
Virtual Enterprise
Robert Clayton
The Clayton Group
Segun Eubanks
National Education Association
Linda Fennell
DC Department of Transportation
Amber Hamilton
Rebuilding Together, Inc.
Terri Hankins
Freddie Mac
Deborah Insel
Reach for College!
Wesley Lawson
Former RFC Student
North Carolina Central University
Julia Keleher
U.S. Department of Education
Nancy Poon Lue
The Advisory Board Company
Carrie Schoell
University of Maryland
Patrick Tierney
Holland and Knight, LLP |
| Thank you to our Funders! | |
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Freddie Mac Foundation
Harman Family Foundation
Hattie M. Strong Foundation
The Herb Block Foundation
DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education
Prince George's County 'Community First' Fund
USTA Eastern Junior Tennis Foundation
USTA Serves
World Bank Community Connection
Many Individual Donors |
| Help More Students Get to College |
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| Greetings!
College- and career-readiness are very important as we prepare all our young people for success after high school. Even though RFC has been preparing students for postsecondary success for years, this summer we added another component to help students further.
We presented an intensive College-Readiness Institute for educators, in partnership with the Community College of DC. Bringing together high school and college faculty in professional development, we think this Institute will help more students make a successful transition to college. |
Inaugural RFC College-Readiness Institute a Success
33 high school educators attend professional development Institute
Tamara Clemmons, Freshman Academy Coordinator at Wilson High, and Sanjay Mitchell, College Counselor at Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School, share ideas at the RFC College-Readiness Institute. | Reach for College!, in partnership with the Community College of DC (CCDC), presented a five-day Institute in August, providing professional development for high school educators in college-readiness. Thirty-three teachers and counselors from public schools and public charter schools participated in the Institute to learn more about incorporating college-readiness expectations and skills into their work with students.
30 speakers over the five days presented on a range of topics:
- the new Common Core college-readiness standards
- increasing academic rigor in high school reading and writing
- using technology in the classroom to engage students and enhance their skills
- the habits of mind needed to be successful in college
- the critical thinking skills needed in college
The speakers included Dr. Mort Sherman, Superintendent of the Alexandria City Schools, Dr. Jonathan Gueverra, CEO of CCDC, college faculty from CCDC, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University, as well as master high school teachers and counselors from DC and the surrounding area. Together, the speakers and the participants represented grades 9-16 of the educational pipeline. One of the goals of the Institute was to help educators smooth the transition from high school to college by better aligning the expectations and knowledge of students so they can more successfully make this crucial passage.
Nationally, about 40% of students require remedial classes upon entering college. For DC students the percentage is nearly double that. The ultimate goal is to reduce the need for college remediation through professional development that strengthens the high school-through-college educational process.
Participants in one session learned how to create websites for their classes. |
In an anonymous evaluation at the end of the Institute, participants gave the week high marks. 93% of participants said they thought all these Institute goals were met:
- Provided with information you can utilize professionally or personally.
- The opportunity to meet and collaborate with other educators.
- Provided practical strategies and tools to prepare students for success in postsecondary education.
One educator wrote on the evaluation, 'now I know the difference between college-eligible and college-ready.' Another wrote, 'I didn't expect to leave with info and strategies that will change my philosophy and performance, but I did.'
Further, the participants said they want to reconvene in the fall to discuss with each other how things are going in applying the lessons and strategies from the Institute.
Sherema Copes, Counselor at Dunbar High, receives certificate to teach Freshman Orientation from CCDC CEO, Dr. Jonathan Gueverra. |
Participants were awarded a certificate by CCDC enabling them to be Adjunct Professors to teach the CCDC Freshman Orientation Course. They were also awarded Continuing Education Units.
The Institute was supported by grants from the The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Freddie Mac Foundation and The Herb Block Foundation in addition to a participant registration fee. |
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Ten Reach for College! Seniors Given Scholarships at 3rd Annual Celebration
One $1,000 and nine $750 scholarships provided to students
2010 Reach for College! Scholarship students (first row) ShaDon Brame, Tarnequa Smith, Mercedes Butler, (second row) Atasia Stevenson, Tanesha Hicks, Shareese Forster, (top row) Ashton McNair, Jacobi Green, Courtney Foushee at the Scholarship Dinner. (The tenth recipient, Michelle Moten, was not in attendance since she was at her college orientation.)
 | Ten RFC students from three DC high schools received scholarships at a celebratory dinner in June. This 3rd Annual 'feel good' event also honored the students' families, a counselor from one of the schools, Sandra Carter, and former RFC Co-Director, Brenda Harvey, all of whom helped propel these students to aim higher.
The students were from H.D. Woodson, Hospitality Public Charter and Washington, Math, Science and Technology Public Charter. They had GPA's ranging from 2.6 to 4.2 and will be attending colleges and universities in seven states, from Xavier University in Louisiana to Trinity University in D.C. All scholarships were awarded based on need and students were selected for their essays responding to the prompt, "Why I Have Chosen to go to College."
Excerpts from two of the winning essays
"Being the oldest of four, I want to set a great example for my younger siblings. Neither my mother or my grandmother attended college so the pressure is on me to continue my education and become a pediatrician. My mother has told all of us that we are capable of attaining greatness and I believe her every time she says it to us."
~Mercedes Butler, from Woodson High, going to Xavier University
"I am very happy that I have made the choice to further my education because that was not always my decision. I was just going to go in the world of work and try to survive making the minimum wage. I always said to myself 'college is not for me'. I have figured out that I was very wrong; college is for anyone who wants to further their education and have a successful career."
~Ashton McNair, from Hospitality PCS, going to Norfolk State University
Previous scholarship recipients are continuing their success with 75% of them continuing their their studies in college.
What RFC does to help students
Reach for College! provides a curriculum of five books to schools to make students aware of the benefits of college and to walk them through the steps of the college application process. In the 2009-2010 school year the program was provided to over 2,400 students in DC and Prince George's County, MD. Reach for College! trains teachers from the school to teach the curriculum and supports the teachers and the school throughout the year with in-class assistance and college tours for the students. |
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Deb Insel
Executive Director |
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