I. Mission Statement
II. Acomplishments
Expanded Tutor Training – Chico State students are hired to tutor Upward Bound participants virtually throughout the school year. This year has marked our return to weekly in-person trainings to enhance our tutors’ expertise. Training topics included:
- Learning Styles - Provides tutors with the tools to assess and identify students’ learning styles and provide them best practices for learning.
- Coffee Chat Table - Allows tutors to share their tutoring style and knowledge. Tutors articulate areas of strength, growth, and strategies that have helped their tutoring sessions be successful.
- Fishbowl Activity - Tutors identify online resources to assist students in their learning and growth.
- Directive and Non-Directive Approach - Assist tutors in identifying their tutoring approach to meet students’ academic needs.
Class of 2023 – The Upward Bound graduating class of 2023 includes 87 students. 97% of these students will enroll in college in the fall. Of those, 31% will attend Chico State. Additionally, two of our graduates have been accepted to the University of Southern California. Olivia Quintana (Chico High School) and Jonathan Rangel (Pleasant Valley High School) will both enroll at USC in the fall. We couldn’t be prouder of our graduating class of 2023.
Gates Scholar – Casandra Perez-Mohedano (Hamilton High School, Class of 2023) has been awarded the prestigious Gates Scholarship! This unique scholarship will cover the cost of Casandra’s college education throughout her entire career. Casandra will attend UC Davis in the fall and plans to eventually attend medical school.
Parent Workshops - This year marked the return of fully in-person workshops offered in English, Spanish and Hmong to parents of high school 12th grade participants. UB staff offered financial literacy and FAFSA completion assistance to 70 Upward Bound seniors and their parents on October 3 and 6, 2022. Fifty seniors and their parents also attended bilingual college application workshops on October 25 and 26, 2022, where UB and CSUC Admissions staff assisted students in submitting their college applications.
High School Support - Upward Bound staff supported 16 target high schools in the service area by sharing their college and financial aid application expertise. Bilingual UB staff attended FAFSA and college application workshops and provided individual assistance to all seniors and their parents in submitting applications.
III. Diversity Efforts
Serving Undocumented Students - Through a statewide pilot program, 2023 marked the first year that a select number of TRIO programs in California were able to start offering services to undocumented students. Two of the CSUC UB grants were allowed in the pilot program (Original Upward Bound and Upward Bound II). Program staff led an informational campaign at all target high schools in the area informing faculty, staff, parents and students that undocumented students could now seek Upward Bound services. We hope to increase the number of undocumented students we serve in 2024, and to provide program staff training on how best to support the needs of undocumented students.
Bilingual Staff - Parent education is a critical Upward Bound program component. It is imperative that program staff can provide detailed college application and financial literacy information to parents in their native language. We are proud to have hired bilingual staff in the past year that will allow us to expand communication with parents. Currently, there are five professional staff members who speak Spanish and three professional staff who speak Hmong. All workshops and orientations are always offered in Hmong, Spanish and English to allow parents the ability to communicate and ask questions in their preferred language.
Increase Male Student Participation - Project staff continue to expand recruitment presentations to targeted groups in an effort to increase the number of male students that apply for Upward Bound services. For the past five years, the average gender breakdown has been approximately 70% female and only 30% male. This past year, the number of male students served by the program inched up to 34%. Reaching out to coaches, counselors and faculty and encouraging males to apply has resulted in an increase in applications from male students. Those efforts will continue into the next recruitment cycle.
IV. Program Statistics and Assessment for Past Year
The following six performance objectives are dictated by the U. S. Department of Education.
- Academic Performance Grade Point Average (GPA): Participants served during the project year will have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better at the end of the school year.
- Academic Performance Test: Graduating seniors served during the project year, will have achieved at the proficient level on state assessments in reading/language arts and math.
- High School Graduation: 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.
- Rigorous Curriculum (A-G Completion): Participants will complete a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate that year with a regular secondary school diploma.
- College Enrollment: Participants will enroll in college by the fall term immediately after high school graduation.
- College Completion: Participants who enrolled in college, by the fall term immediately following high school graduation will attain either an associate or bachelor’s degree within six years following graduation from high school.
UB | Original UB | UB II | UB Math Science | UB STEM | ||||
Statistic | Goal | Actual | Goal | Actual | Goal | Actual | Goal | Actual |
1. GPA | 60% | 88% | 63% | 88% | 70% | 93% | 70% | 92% |
2. Standardized Test | 40% | *26% | 30% | 39% | 55% | 60% | 55% | *37% |
3. Graduation | 90% | 98% | 90% | 100% | 90% | 100% | 90% | 100% |
4. A-G Completion | 50% | 69% | 45% | 79% | 60% | 81% | 60% | 91% |
5. College Enrollment | 70% | 72% | 70% | 85% | 75% | 81% | 75% | 87% |
6. College Completion | 37% | 57% | 37% | 52% | 50% | 56% | 50% | 62% |
* The Original UB and UB STEM programs did not meet performance goals for the number of graduating students who achieved at the proficient level in math and reading/language arts upon high school graduation. During and after the pandemic, the number of high school students choosing not to take the standardized state test (CAASP) increased dramatically. In order to improve these percentages, Upward Bound will offer a proctored CAASP test to incoming high school juniors during the 2023 summer program. Staff will also provide useful test preparation strategies and explain how performing well on the exam benefits students.
V. Key Objectives for Next Academic Year
Expand Undocumented Student Recruitment - For decades, project staff have had to inform school personnel, parents, and students that we weren’t able to provide services to undocumented students, given our federal funding source. We’re ecstatic to now have the authority to serve this population, but undoing decades of saying “no” is proving difficult. Project staff will be increasing efforts to inform partners of this change in policy. With the use of social media campaigns, targeted recruitment directed at students and informing agencies that serve undocumented students, the project aims to drastically increase the number of undocumented students in the program.
Increase UBAA Participation - The Upward Bound Alumni Association (UBAA) serves as a recognized student organization at Chico State. Since its inception in 1994, this student organization has provided Upward Bound students enrolled at Chico State an opportunity to maintain a sense of community first established while in Upward Bound as high school students. UBAA members participate in civic engagement opportunities, fundraise for scholarships they award to incoming UB students and serve on student panels informing current Upward Bound students of their college experience. Since the pandemic, the number of UBAA members has dwindled. Project staff will work to better inform project graduates enrolling at Chico State of UBAA benefits and events with the goal of increasing its membership in 2023-2024.
Seek External Funding - Although UB received approval to serve undocumented students, the project isn’t able to provide these students with the monetary stipends provided to current participants due to federal regulations. Project staff aim to connect with the CSUC Office of Advancement to assist in fundraising campaigns that would garner funding for stipends that could be awarded to undocumented students in our project.
Enhance Partnership with CSUC Office of Admissions - Upward Bound partnered with the Office of Admissions to increase outreach and education to local service area high schools. This exciting collaboration began with the Marysville Joint Unified School District and consisted of UB staff visiting Marysville and Lindhurst high schools to share information about our services, but also to inform students about how they can prepare for college. Topics included A-G course completion, financial aid and college application assistance and scholarship information. Project staff will continue to collaborate with the Office of Admissions as well as other campus partners to expand the program in 2023-2024 to other high school in our service area.