Scholarships

• The Achievers program has awarded scholarships to almost 2,500 low-income students.
  
  
• Almost two-thirds of Achievers scholars have enrolled in four-year colleges and universities, and these numbers have improved as the program has evolved. Seventy-three percent of the most recent class of Achievers enrolled directly in four-year colleges and universities.
  
  
• These students also stay enrolled at higher than average rates. One study found that 80 percent of Achievers who went directly to a four-year college were still enrolled three years later. Almost all these students were enrolled full time, at least in part because they don’t have to work to pay tuition and other expenses.
  
  
• Forty-four percent of Achievers scholars graduate from college in five years, compared to 15 percent of a national sample of students who come from similar backgrounds but don’t have scholarships.

High School Redesign

• Most Achievers schools have made significant progress toward implementing structural reform and revamping school culture to emphasize college preparedness.
  
  
• All 12 comprehensive high schools have converted into small learning communities, and in the majority of these schools the commitment to seeing redesign through is strong. That commitment is weaker in three or four of those schools, and it’s possible that some or all of them may revert to their old structures when they stop receiving funds from the program.
  
  
• Most schools have replaced remedial classes with a requirement that struggling students take additional classes in their area of need. The percentage of students taking college-preparatory courses has increased at almost all Achievers schools, and the majority of schools report an increase in the number of students enrolling in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes.
  
  
• Twelve Achievers schools have advisories, an innovative approach to fostering relationships at school. In advisories, the same group of students meets with the same teacher every day, which helps guarantee that no students fall through the cracks. Most small learning communities also have formal systems in place to help teachers share information about students who are struggling.
  
  
• The majority of small learning communities have scheduled time for teachers to work together on a range of issues, including assessing students’ work and examining their own teaching practices. A few of the communities have implemented a program that lets teachers visit their colleagues classes to get new ideas and give feedback.

However, some of the key statistical indicators have not improved as quickly as we would have liked. For example, the test scores at Achievers schools are up, but not appreciably more than scores throughout the state. Graduation rates are down slightly. Nevertheless, more graduates from Achievers schools are attending college, and it is important to note that most of the small learning communities have existed for only a year or two, and the process of creating them was disruptive in many ways. Over the next several years, we expect to see improvements in test scores, graduation rates, and college attendance rates.

Next: Key Lessons