Note: Upward Bound is a TRIO program funded by the United States Department of Education to provide academic support services to low-income, first generation college bound high school students. The mission statement and program goals (objectives in the U.S. Department of Education framework) are specified by federal regulations and policies and cannot be altered without approval from a program officer at the U.S. Department of Education.
I. Mission Statement
The mission of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education.
Department Goals (Performance Objectives dictated by the U.S. Department of Education)
- Academic Performance Grade Point Average (GPA): 60% of participants served during the project year will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a four-point scale at the end of the school year.
- Academic Performance Test: 40% of UB seniors served during the project year, will have achieved at the proficient level on state assessments in reading/language arts and math.
- Secondary School Retention and Graduation: 90% of project participants served during the project year will continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level, or will have graduated from secondary school with a regular secondary school diploma.
- Secondary School Graduation: 50% of all current and prior year UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate that year with a regular secondary school diploma.
- Postsecondary Enrollment: 70% of all current and prior UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will enroll in a program of postsecondary education by the fall term immediately after high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester).
- Postsecondary Completion: 37% of participants who enrolled in a program of postsecondary education, by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or by the next academic term (e.g. spring term) as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment, will attain either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree within six years following graduation from high school.
The date of last review was December 2018.
II. Departmental Accomplishments
- Awarded Upward Bound Math and Science supplemental funding from the U. S. Department of Education.
- Established a Go Fund me account for Upward Bound participants affected by the Camp Fire.
- Implemented STEM work study internships for 10 participants.
- Upward Bound Class of 2019 – On June 18, 2019, we celebrated our graduating class of 2019. Graduates received last minute guidance and resources from their Upward Bound advisor on how to navigate their first year at their respective college and finalized financial aid award letters, course selection, housing payments and summer orientation registration. We are excited that 37 of the 101 graduates (37%) will enroll at CSU, Chico in the fall. The following list indicates which colleges our graduates will attend in the fall of 2019.
Institution | Number of Students |
Air Force Community College | 1 |
American River College | 2 |
Butte College | 15 |
Cal Poly Pomona | 1 |
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | 1 |
California State University, Chico | 37 |
California State University, Northridge | 1 |
Fresno City College | 1 |
Humboldt State University | 1 |
Lane Community College | 1 |
Macomb College | 1 |
Oregon State University | 1 |
Sacramento City College | 1 |
Sacramento State University | 6 |
San Diego State University | 1 |
San Jose State University | 1 |
Santa Monica College | 1 |
Shasta College | 1 |
Sonoma State University | 1 |
UC Berkeley | 2 |
UC Davis | 7 |
UC Irvine | 2 |
UC Merced | 2 |
UC Santa Barbara | 2 |
United States Navy | 1 |
University of Nevada, Reno | 1 |
Yuba College | 9 |
- Offered innovative SAT test preparation – In the spring of 2019, the program partnered with Educational Testing Centers, Inc. (ETC). ETC offers innovative online instruction that allowed 30 students (high school juniors) to enroll in an online course taught by two trained instructors. This course met for two hours every Sunday for six weeks. ETC provided each student with a workbook and textbook and students were able to ask questions in real time. They could even contact the instructors via virtual office hours if they needed further instruction or clarification on certain areas. Based on an extensive evaluation, participants reported feeling more prepared for the SAT test. Upward Bound plans to once again partner with ETC in the fall of 2019 and offer 30-40 students the opportunity to enroll in these sequential workshops.
Highlights:
- Awarded Upward Bound Math and Science supplemental funding from the U. S. Department of Education. – The U. S. Department of Education invited existing Upward Bound grantees to apply for supplemental $40,000 grants to expand STEM activities to all Upward Bound participants. CSUC applied for and was awarded four grants totaling $160,000. The funds were used to increase math and science tutoring during the academic year for students struggling in those subject areas. Participants were encouraged to sign up for two hours of tutoring each week, instead of one session. The program also purchased a class set of VEX robotics kits to replace the outdated Lego robot kits currently being used during the Upward Bound summer program. Additionally, the funds were utilized towards wages for a computer science instructor during the summer program as well as a STEM based college tour for participants with perfect tutoring attendance during the academic year.
- Established a Go Fund me account for Upward Bound participants affected by the Camp Fire. – 26 current Upward Bound participants were directly impacted by the devastating Camp Fire on November 8, 2018. Of those 26 Paradise High School students, 23 lost their homes and all of their possessions. Upward Bound staff was able to account for all 26 students within 3 days of the fire and confirm that they and their families had escaped and were safe. The project established a Go Fund me account within one week of the fire and raised in excess of $13,000 from TRIO folks across the country. Each participant received more than $500. Additionally, the project was able to provide each student with a new backpack and school supplies to get them started again once they resumed classes in January. Together with Upward Bound summer program teachers and staff, we hosted Paradise students to a pizza night and bowling in order for them to stay connected with us and each other. Unfortunately, 4 participants moved out of the target area and we were no longer able to serve them. Although our Paradise students are now dispersed throughout Northern California, they continue to receive services from our program and we are excited to resume our partnership with Paradise High School in the fall of 2019.
- Implemented STEM work study internships for 10 participants. – The work experience opportunities available to participants from the Original and Upward Bound II programs were extended to 10 students from the Math and Science and STEM programs during the 2019 summer program. With approval and additional funding from the U. S. Department of Education, project staff set out to find STEM specific work sites for 10 students attending the summer program. Participants were placed in sites according to their career interests. Those interested in engineering, were placed within the City of Chico Public Works and interned directly under the supervision of the City’s senior civil engineer on current city funded projects. Two participants with an interest in the medical field were placed at Chico Eye Center, where they worked closely with optometrists and center staff. One lucky student with an interest in science was placed at Fish Bio, an international fisheries and environmental consulting company dedicated to advancing the research, monitoring and conservation of fishes around the world. Our Upward Bound participants actively assists with research and data collection on a daily basis. Four students worked at aviation industry related internships. Sel-Tech and Air Spray Aviation specialize in manufacturing and fabrication of parts and systems for a variety of aircraft, especially air tanker and air attack aircraft to fight wildfires.
III. Changes in Policies and Procedures
Due to the new minimum wage law established in California that indicated salaried employees must make double the hourly minimum rate, all permanent salaried Upward Bound staff, with the exception of the Director and Assistant Director, became hourly employees. This was a dramatic change for the program that required extensive planning and shifting of responsibilities. Participants and parents were notified that newly hourly staff were only available during regular business hours, which is a complete shift from previous practice. All events/activities throughout the year were rescheduled during business hours to avoid excessive overtime. The project applied for and was approved to operate under a special summer schedule for the 2019 summer program. All hourly employees worked four 10 hour days, which allowed them to work until 7 p.m. daily and avoid overtime. All summer overtime hours were established prior to the summer program and discussed with hourly employees. Any additional overtime hours, had to first be approved by the Project Director.
IV. Resources Summary
Resource Allocation:
Original Upward Bound Grant
June 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019
125 participants
- 2018-2019 allocation: $656,347
- Program expenses: $643,472
- Projected carry forward: $12,875
Upward Bound II Grant
September 1, 2018 – August 31, 2019
76 participants
- 2018-2019 allocation: $413,528
- Program expenses: $413,528
- Projected carry forward: $0.00
Upward Bound Math & Science
September 1, 2018 – August 31, 2019
56 participants
- 2018-2019 allocation: $315,155
- Program expenses: $304,785
- Projected carry forward: $10,370
Upward Bound STEM
October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019
60 participants
- 2018-2019 allocation: $315,155
- Program expenses: $315,155
- Projected carry forward: $0
Summer Foods Service Program
June 1, 2017 – May 31, 2018
220 participants
- 2017-2018 allocation: $40,554.68
- Program expenses:$40,554.68
- Projected carry forward: $0.00
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
64 eligible participants from Colusa, Glenn, Sutter and Yuba counties
- 2018-2019 allocation: $63,455
- Program expenses: $63,455
- Projected carry forward: $0.00
Amy Kee Scholarship Endowment
- 2018-2019 total: $16,743.54
- 2018-2019 contributions: $2,114.00
Total funds for 2018-2019: $1,820,938.22
Human Resources:
Maria Rivera-Xiong made the difficult decision to leave her position as Program Advisor for the Upward Bound STEM program in October of 2018. She began her career with Upward Bound in 2008 as a Resident Advisor and eventually moved up to Lead Resident Advisor, Clerical Assistant and ultimately Program Advisor after graduating from CSU, Chico. In her time with us, she developed lasting relationships with her students and established a close connection to counseling staff at her respective high schools.
In November of 2018, Madison Bassow was hired as the Program Advisor for the Original Upward Bound Program to oversee Orland, Hamilton City, Lindhurst and Yuba City High Schools. Madison is a Chico native, who went on to attend and graduate from California State University, Channel Islands in 2018. Madison brings extensive experience to our program, having worked with a comprehensive student support program at CSUCI for four years. In that time, she developed and facilitated workshops for first generation students from low income backgrounds and helped guide them through their undergraduate career. Aside from the caseload of students she is responsible for managing, Madison will also oversee the work-based learning groups (task teams) for students during the summer program. Here, participants learn first time job skills and soft skills that will better prepare them for employment opportunities in the future.
Facilities/Equipment:
- The campus wide electrical shutdown in June of 2019 coincided with the start of our summer residential program. Although the BMU had been reserved six months prior to the start of the program, staff had to quickly find an off-campus alternative. We continue to be so grateful for the partnership we have built with Bidwell Presbyterian Church, as they quickly stepped in and accommodated our group of 230 students and staff on a Sunday afternoon with an air-conditioned facility.
- This summer we were once again able to utilize Shasta and Lassen residence halls for our summer program. University Housing has also allowed us to use the University Hub as a study space for our students and because of its close proximity to the dormitories, students are able to easily move back and forth from their dorm to the U Hub.
V. Program Assessment of Past Year
Program Objectives:
- Academic Performance Grade Point Average (GPA): 60% of participants served during the project year will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better on a four-point scale at the end of the school year.
Exceeded – 94% of the 317 participants served during the project year, had a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better. - Academic Performance Test: 40% of UB seniors served during the project year, will have achieved at the proficient level on state assessments in reading/language arts and math.
Exceeded – 74% of the UB seniors served during the 2017-2018 project year achieved proficiency before graduating high school. - Secondary School Retention and Graduation: 90% of project participants served during the project year will continue in school for the next academic year, at the next grade level, or will have graduated from secondary school with a regular secondary school diploma.
Exceeded – 100% of participants served during the 2017-2018 academic year continued in school at the next grade level or graduated with a diploma. - Secondary School Graduation: 50% of all current and prior year UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate that year with a regular secondary school diploma.
Exceeded – 88% of participants graduated high school having completed A-G coursework. - Postsecondary Enrollment: 73% of all current and prior UB participants, who at the time of entrance into the project had an expected high school graduation date in the school year, will enroll in a program of postsecondary education by the fall term immediately after high school graduation or will have received notification, by the fall term immediately following high school, from an institution of higher education, of acceptance but deferred enrollment until the next academic semester (e.g. spring semester).
Exceeded – 93% of graduates in 2018 enrolled in college immediately following high school. - Postsecondary Completion: 37% of participants who enrolled in a program of postsecondary education, by the fall term immediately following high school graduation or by the next academic term (e.g. spring term) as a result of acceptance but deferred enrollment, will attain either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree within six years following graduation from high school.
Exceeded - 50% of participants received their degree within six years, although the data shows that the majority of the remaining participants were still enrolled in their seventh year.
Ongoing Assessment Efforts:
Demographic Reporting
A total of 317 participants were served during the 2018-2019 academic year by the four Upward Bound programs. See breakdown by program below.
Original Upward Bound – 125 participants
Upward Bound II – 76 participants
Upward Bound Math & Science – 56 participants
Upward Bound STEM – 60 participants
Ethnicity Breakdown
The ethnicity breakdown is similar to previous years and reflects the low-income/first generation population of the six-county service area in Northern California.
VI. Analysis
More Strategic College Admissions Test Preparation – For the past five years, we’ve provided a SAT or ACT test preparation course and a proctored exam for all incoming high school juniors during the summer program. Because our students attend their regular classes Monday through Thursday, the test preparation workshops are always offered on a Friday morning. This has not been the most effective method and time to provide this information since students are tired from attending class all week. We are excited to partner with ETC again this year and see if perhaps we discontinue the test preparation workshops during the summer and instead focus on providing a more structured online test preparation course during the academic year.
Low Male Enrollment – For the past five years, we have seen a decline in the number of male applicants that seek out our services. This concern has been a source of much deliberation and thought as we try and figure out how to increase the number of male students in our program. This past year, we increased the number of presentations at each target school, but we have not yet been able to connect with coaches so that we can offer presentation to male athletes in particular. We feel that this would be a great target population since our program offers free weekly tutoring to all participants, and would go hand in hand with students wanting to increase their grade to ensure participation in school sports. We also plan to host a Counselor Conference in the fall of 2019, so that we can emphasize this need to counselors and principals.
VII. Program Objectives for Next Academic Year
Increase college credit courses during the 2020 summer program – In 2018, we offered the first course for college credit during the six-week summer residential program. We partnered with Butte Community College to offer a medical terminology course that participants with an interest in medicine could enroll in. The instructor is incredibly dynamic and works so well with each student. Because of this success, we would like to offer an introductory computer science course for students interested in that area and have those students also gain three college credits by the end of the summer program. We will begin contacting prospective instructors in the fall of 2019 to hopefully have everything in place for June 2020.
Increase Male Enrollment – Project staff will make a concerted effort to make inroads with two coaches at each target school, with the goal of increasing male enrollment in our program. Additionally, there has been more turnover with target school counseling staff, and our staff is making efforts to establish a relationship with those new individuals as well as inform them of our services, requirements and the need for male applicants.