Transcript: ACAC Powerpoint, American College Application Campaign April 9, 2014 (MS Word)

PSC-ED-OS

Moderator: Greg Darnieder

04-09-14/10:00 am CT

Confirmation #4951381

Page 1

PSC-ED-OS

Moderator: GregDarnieder

April9,2014

10:00amCT

Coordinator:Welcomeandthankyouallforstandingby.

Atthistimeallparticipantsareinalisten-onlymode.

Afterthepresentation,wewillconductaquestion-and-answersession.Toaskaquestion,pleasepressstarandthen1.

Today’scallisbeingrecorded.Ifyouhaveanyobjections,youmaydisconnectatthispoint.

NowIwillturnthemeetingovertoyourhost,Mr.GregDarnieder.

Sir,youmaybegin.

GregDarnieder:Thankyouverymuch,(Madison).Iappreciateit.

Thankyou,everyone,forcallingintoday.AndwehaveanexcitingconversationaheadofusaroundtheAmericanCollegeApplicationCampaignthat’scomingoutoftheAmericanCouncilonEducation,ACE.AndMelissaCapertonwho’saseniorassociateatACEandLisaKingwho’saconsultantwiththeMichiganCollegeAccessNetworkwillbeengagingusinjustafewminutes.

Justacoupleofquickannouncementsbeforewejumpintotoday’sdiscussion.

ThefirstisareminderthatwaspartofwhatwesentoutthatthestateofficialsinColoradothisFridayareconductingaWebinaronthetoolsthattheyhavecreatedtobuildastate-wideFAFSAcompletionsystem.AndsoIencourageyoutosharethatwithotherstateofficialswherethat’spertinentandalsoforyourselvestodialinthisFridayintothatconversation -- toolsthatwillhopefullysavestatessignificantamountsoftimeintermsofbuildingtheirFAFSAcompletioneffortsacrossthecountry.

Secondisifanyofyouarecollectingfinancialaidawardlettersaspartofjustwhatyoudo,Iwouldlovetohearfromyou.Andifyou’dbewillingtojustsendmeanemailafterwards,Iwouldappreciateit.AndI’llfollowupwithyouintermsofaprojectthat’sunderway.Youknow,thedepartmentjoinedwithotherfederalagenciestoaddressthisandcreatedatemplatearoundfinancialaidawardletters,sojustatemplateforourhigher-edinstitutionstoutilizealittleoverayearago.Andthere’ssomeinterestingworkdevelopingacrossthecountryonthisandwe’dliketotieanyofyoureffortsintothatifit’sofinterest.

I’vebeenmentioningtheFirstLadytakingoneofthenextstepsinherCollegeAccessinitiative.Andnextweek,she - wewillbeannouncinginthenextcoupleofdayswhereshe’llbejoiningagroupofstudentswhoarecomingtoDCforacollegetour.Andsothatwillbehappeningnextweekandwe’llsendoutinformationaboutthatintheverynearfuture.

Quickannouncementaboutnextweek,ourcallwillbeonThursday.Andwe’regoingto - it’llbethefirstofacoupleofmiddle-gradesconversationsthatI’vesetup.Andwe’dencourageyoutotuneintothat,sametime,onApril,whatisit,the17th.Andsoit’llbethefirstofacouplemiddle-gradesconversations.

Allright.Sowiththat - andthankyou,bytheway,forthoseofyouwho’vebeenreachingouttomewithsuggestionsonothertopicsandpresenters.Pleasecontinuetosendmeideas.

Intheworksaswell -- IthinkImentionedthislastweek -- isaseriesfromourOfficeofCareer,TechnicalandAdultEducation -- theoldOVAEofficenowcalledOCTAE,O-C-T-A-E -- AndseriesofpresentationsonCareerandTechnicalEducationthattheywillbehelpingtofacilitateandassuch.

Sowiththat,let’sjumpintotoday’sconversationaroundthisveryinterestingcampaign.I’vehadtheprivilegeofsittingontheAdvisoryBoardsincethebeginningasthiswasdevelopedoverthelastcoupleofyears.Andsoit’ssomethingthattypicallydoesn’thappenuntiltheendofthecalendaryear.And - butit’s - andit’sApril.Butit’ssomethingthatnecessitatesacertainamountoforganizingandkindofreadinesstojumponitoncetheschoolyearstartsinSeptember - August,September,thisfall.

Andsowithallofthat,letmeturnthisovertoMelissa,MelissaCaperton,again,seniorassociateatACEandwho’sleadingtheAmericanCollegeApplicationCampaign.

Melissa?

MelissaCaperton:Hi,goodmorning,everyone.

Greg,thanksfortheintroductionandalsoforinvitingustobeapartoftheAffinityGroupcalls.

WearereallyexcitedtohavetheopportunitytosharewithyouallinformationabouttheAmericanCollegeApplicationCampaign,orACAC,andMichigan’simplementationoftheinitiative.

AsGregmentioned,I’mwiththeNationalACACteamhousedattheAmericanCouncilonEducation.ButIcametoACEfromtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaSystemOfficewhereIworkedwithGEARUPNorthCarolina.IwasdirectorofthatprojectandcoordinatorforNorthCarolina’sCollegeApplicationWeekProgramasitwasgrowingfromapilotinitiativetoastate-wideinitiative.

AndImentionedthatbecauseasI’llshareinamoment,NorthCarolinaisactuallywherethisnownationalprogramgotitsstartmanymoonsago.

Ifyouallwillfliptothefirstslidethatsays,“WhyACAC?”atthetopofit,we’regoingtostayonthisslideforamomenttotalkthroughthisgraph.ButIalsowantedtosharewithsomebackgroundinformationaboutACACandhowitcametobe.

Thegoalofourprogramistoincreasethenumberofstudentswhoarepursuingpostsecondaryeducation,whetherthat’sacertificate,atwo-yeardegreeorafour-yeardegreeafterhighschool.Andwehaveaparticularfocusonfirst-generationstudents,studentsfromlow-incomefamiliesandstudentswhomightnototherwisehavecollegeontheirradar.

Andoureventisdesignedtohelphighschoolseniorsnavigatethecollegeadmissionsprocessthroughhands-onassistanceandreallyensurethateachparticipatingstudentsubmitsatleastoneadmissionsapplicationduringtheevent.

You’llseeinamomentthestatesthatwearecurrentlyengagedwiththroughthecampaign.ButasImentioned,itgotitsstartatoneGEARUPhighschoolinNorthCarolina.

TheideafortheprogramcameaboutafterNorthCarolinahadalotofsuccesswithitsFAFSADayinitiative.ForthoseofyouthatareCollegeGoalstates,FAFSADayisverysimilarwherestudentsreceiveassistanceincompletingandsubmittingtheirFAFSA.

ButwhatwenoticedinNorthCarolinawasthatwhilewewereincreasingthenumberofstudentswhoweresubmittingFAFSAs,thereweresignificantnumberofthosestudentswhohadnotyetappliedtocollege.AndthisisFebruaryoftheirsenioryear.SotheideacameabouttocreateaninitiativesimilartoFAFSADaybutinsteadfocusonthecollegeapplicationprocessandheldobviouslyearlierintheschoolyear.

SoinNovemberof2005,inaruralpartofNorthCarolina,wehostedthefirstCollegeApplicationDayProgramwherestudents,duringtheschoolday,applytocollegewithassistancefromfolkslikeschoolcounselors,CollegeAccessprofessionalsandcollegeadmissionsrepresentatives,onhandtoassistthemthroughtheprocess.

Andsincethen,andthroughsupportivefoundationslikeLumina,Kresge,GatesandBankofAmerica,we’vereallystartedtogrowthisinitiativeannuallytoincludemorestates,schoolsandstudents.

Sogoingbacktothequestionatthetopofthisslide,“WhyDoWeDoThis?”I’msureeveryoneonthecallwasfamiliarwithPresidentObama’s2020goalthattheUnitedStateswillonceagainleadtheworldinthepercentofcollegegraduates.Luminahasasimilargoal.Theycallittheirbiggoal,whichisthatwewillreach60%degreeattainmentintheUnitedStatesbytheyear2025.

Andthegraphthatyouseeonthisslideshowsyouhowwe’reprogressingtowardthatgoalasanation,withthegreenlineindicatingwherewewillbein2025ifwecontinuetoproducecollegegraduatesatthecurrentrateofgrowth.Thatredlineindicatesthetrajectorythatweneedtobeoninordertoreachthat60%goalbytheyear2025.

AsyoucanseeandasI’msureallofyouallknow,thereiscertainlyworkthatneedstobedone.Andengagingstudents,particularlyfirst-generationstudentsandstudentsfromlow-incomefamiliesintheprocessthroughacollegeapplicationprogramisonesolutionthatcanbeincorporated,wehope,intoalargerCollegeAccessstrategytoworktowardachievingthisgoal.

Aquicknoteaboutthisgraphicbeforewemoveon.Luminareleasestheseeveryyeartoshowournationalprogress.Buttheyalsocreatetheseforeachstate.Soifyou’reinterestedinlearningmoreaboutyourstatesprogress,visittheLuminaFoundationswebsiteandlookfortheStrongerNationReportreferencedonthisslide.Andyou’llfindsomeadditionalinformationthere.

Ifyouallwillfliptothenextslidethatsays,“ACACImpact”atthetop,you’llseetheresultsthatwehavejustgatheredfromourmostrecentcampaignhostedthispastfall.Asyoucanseewehad39statesintheDistrictofColumbiahostingcollegeapplicationprograms.Werecentlysurveyedthosestates.Andtheyreported,asyoucansee,over2,500highschool’shostingprogramsfortheirstudents.Duringthose,wehadover153,000studentssubmittingalmost220,000collegeapplications.

Andthegreatnewsisthattheseapplicationsareturningintocollegeenrollments.NorthCarolina,asyoucanseeontheslide,sendstheirnamesofstudentswhoparticipateintheirCollegeApplicationWeekProgramtotheNationalStudentClearinghouseeachyear.Andtheyfoundannuallythatbetween68%and79%ofparticipantsenrollincollegethefollowingfall.Weknowotherstatesareplanningtousetheclearinghousetotrackthesetypesofoutcomesaswell.Andwelookforwardtoseeingthoseresultsandreportingthemastheybecomeavailable.

Ifyou’llfliptothenextslide,hereI’veoutlinedsomeofthebasiccomponentsofacollegeapplicationprogram.AlthoughIdowanttonotethatweencouragestatesandhighschoolstoreallymakethistheirownastheyknowtheneedsandthecultureoftheirstate,theirhighschoolsandstudents(unintelligible).Butfirst,asIsaidearlierinthatfirstbullet,thisisaprogramagainthat’sfocusedonfirst-generationstudents,studentsfromlow-incomefamiliesandstudentswhodon’tnecessarilyhavecollegeontheirradar.Whileanystudentscanparticipateinacollegeapplicationprogram,theprimarytargetgrouparethosestudentswhomaynotapplytocollegewithoutaneventlikethis.

Toensurethatourstudentsaresubmittingapplicationsearlyintheschoolyear,weaskstatesandhighschoolstohosttheirprogramsinthefall.Typicallywe’llseestates,asGregmentioned,hosttheircollegeapplicationprogramsinOctoberorNovember.Moststateswillidentifyaweekinthefall,althoughsomecertainlydolongerperiodsoftimelikeamonth.Butwhileastatemightidentifyaweekoramonth,eachparticipatinghighschooltypicallyonlyhostsaprogramforoneortwodaysduringthestate’sdesignatedtimeperiod.That’stypicallydependentonthepopulationsizeoftheschoolandcomputeravailability.

Toensurethatwehavehighlevelsofparticipation,wedoaskschoolstohosttheirprogramsduringtheschoolday.Wecertainlydon’twanttransportationchallenges,after-schoolactivities,jobsorothercommitmentsstudentsmayhavetobeareasonthatastudentdoesn’tparticipateintheprogram.

Thisisnotaboutreinventingthewheel.Instead,wereallyhopethattheinitiativeisanaturaladditiontowhatstatesandschoolsarealreadydoinginregardtohelpingstudentsgettocollege.

Sotoassistwiththat,weattheNationalOfficehaveavarietyofactivitiesthatwerecommendschoolsimplementbefore,duringandaftertheeventtohelppreparestudentsandtohelpsupportstudentsthroughouttheprocess.AndI’llhighlightafewofthosemomentarily.

Andfinally,Iknowaquestionalotofstatesandschoolshaveis,howmuchisthisgoingtocost?Thisreallyisalow-cost/no-costeventthatcanbesustained.Weencourageschoolstousevolunteers,whetherit’scommunityrepresentatives,retirededucators,especiallyadmissionsstafffromlocalcollegesanduniversitiestoassistwiththeschool’seventandtobeonhandtoworkwithstudentsasthey’resubmittingtheircollegeapplications.

Ifyou’llfliptothenextslidethathasagraphiconit,thisisagraphicthatoutlineshowthecampaignisimplementedinparticipatingstates.Atthetoplevel,you’llseethestatelevelofimplementation.Eachstatewillidentifyaleadagencyororganizationthatcoordinatestheplanningoftheprogram.We’vereallyseenvariationsintermsofwhattypeofgroupleadsthecollegeapplicationeventinstates.We’veseenhigher-edtakethelead,K12,statefinancialassistanceagenciesandCollegeAccessprogramsliketheStateNCANorCollegeAdvisingCorps.

Butoncethatagencyororganizationthatwillreallychampiontheeventisidentified,weaskthattheyconveneastate-widesteeringcommitteecomprisedofkeyeducationstakeholdersinthestate.Andduringpilotyears,asI’lltalkmoreaboutinamoment,ourteamworkswiththesteeringcommitteeastheyworkthroughthevariouslogisticsofplanningandimplementingacollegeapplicationprogram.

Movingdowntothemiddleoftheslide,you’llseetheschoollevelofimplementation.Eachparticipatinghighschoolidentifiesasitecoordinator.ThatindividualistypicallyaschoolcounselororaCollegeAccessprofessional.Andtheyareresponsibleforplanningandimplementingthecollegeapplicationprogramattheirschool.

Andthenfinally,atthebottomofthisslide,you’llseethethirdlevelofimplementationisatthestudentlevelwithstudentssubmittingapplicationstothecollegesoftheirchoice.

Ifyou’llflipagaintothenextslidethatsays,“ACACSupport”atthetop,Iwantedtosharewithyouallthetrainingandresourcesandtechnicalassistancethatourteamprovidesateachofthoselevelsofimplementation.Andthroughfoundationfunding,weareabletoprovidethesupporttostatesandschoolsforfree.

Atthestatelevel,duringpilotyears,amemberofourteamwilltraveltostatestobeapartoftheirstate-widesteeringcommitteemeetingandtoassistwith,asIsaid,workingthroughthevariouslogisticsofimplementingasuccessfulprogramatthestatelevel.

Wehavealsodevelopedhow-toguideforstatelevelimplementationthatwecallourStateCoordinatorManual.Andthatincludeseffectivepractices,templates,timelinesandotherresourcesthatstatescanuse.Thatmanualisavailableonourwebsite.AndI’veincludedthelinktoitonthebottomleft-handside.

Inaddition,eachyear,weconveneourstatecoordinatorsforanationalmeetingtoshareeffectivepractices,toallowthemtonetworkandreallybuildanationalcommunityaroundthisprogram.AndweareveryfortunatethisyeartohaveUSAFundshostingourconvening.Andwe’rereallyexcitedforthatbecauseit’sgivingustheopportunitytoengageourcollegeapplicationcoordinatorswithfolkswhoarecoordinatingtheCollegeGoalProgramatthestatelevelandcontinuetomoveforwardandworktoward,intentionally,connectingthecollegeapplicationprocesstoFAFSAcompletion.

AndsothatwillbehostedinJune.

Attheschoollevel,movingdowntheslide,duringpilotyearsagain,ourteamwilltraintheidentifiedsitecoordinatorsfromparticipatinghighschoolstohelpthemwithplanningandimplementingtheircollegeapplicationprograms.Wealsohaveasitecoordinatormanual.Again,it’savailableonourwebsiteattheaddressyouseethere.Andstatescaneditandcustomizethattemplatetoreflecttheirimplementationoftheinitiative.Andoncethatisdone,themanualsaredistributedtoparticipatinghighschools.

Andfinally,movingdowntostudents,activitiesinoursitecoordinatormanualandinourtrainingofsitecoordinatorsarereallyintendedtosupportstudentsthroughouttheprocess,asyoucanseefromthelistonthisslide.Inregardtoawarenessbuilding,gettingthewordoutabouttheevent,CollegeDoorDecoratingContest,bulletinboards,etcetera,areeasy,funwaystostartgettingthisonstudents’radars.

Movingdowntoadvising,ensuringthatstudentsareresearchingcollegespriortotheevent.WeencouragetheuseofCollegeBoardsBigFuturetohelpstudentsfindcollegesthatareagoodfitandmatchforthem.Butalsoimportanttoadvisingstudentsishelpingthemunderstandtheapplicationfeewaivers.Aretheyeligibleforafeewaiver,youknow,howthoseworkandhowusingafeewaivercouldimpacttheapplicationprocess.

AssistingwithapplicationcompletionobviouslytakesplaceonthedayofACACevent.Onaverage,weseestudentsapplyto1.5colleges.Butwehopethattheywillsubmitmoreoutsideoftheevent.Thisissortoflightingthefire,ifyouwill.They’renowfamiliarwiththeprocess.Theyknowadultsthattheycanturnto,toassistthemiftheyneedadditionalhelp.Sowehopethatthey’llcontinuetoapplyevenaftertheevent.

Engagingparentsandcommunity,keepingfamiliesinformedandengagedintheprocessisobviouslycriticaltoanyCollegeAccessinitiative.Forourprogram,whetherit’scommunicatingtheinformationabouttheevent,includingpreparationforitthroughthingslikephoneblast,lettersusingtheschool’smarqueeinformation(nights),thosetypesofthings.

AndasImentionedearlier,wereallystronglyencourageschoolstoengagevolunteersfortheirprogram.Soparentsandcommunitymemberscancertainlyhelpfillthatrole.

Andthenfinally,helpingstudentsmakedecisionsandplanahead.Astrongmessagethatweaskschoolstopushtheirstudentsisthattheprocessdoesnotstopwhentheyhit“Submit”ontheircollegeapplication.Theyobviouslyneedtofollowthroughtheapplicationitself,youknow,makingsurerecommendationletters,transcripts,etcetera,aresubmitted.

Inaddition,asIsaidearlier,we’retryingtobeveryintentionalwithconnectingcompletingcollegeapplicationstoFAFSAcompletion.Sowe’veencouragedschoolstohavestudentsregisterfortheirFAFSAPINaftertheysubmittheircollegeapplicationandalsomakeannouncementsregardingtheirstate’scollegegoalorFAFSAcompletionevents.

Andwealsowanttomakesurethatthemomentumcontinuesinthespring.Sohelpingstudentsunderstandandnavigatethosefinancialaidawardletters,makingdecisionsaccordinglyandofcoursecelebratingtheircollegeselectiondecisionthroughacelebratoryevent.IknowthatSecretaryDuncanhasencouragedhighschoolstohostcollegesigningdays.That’sagreatwaytodoit.Andwe’veincludedthatrecommendationinoursitecoordinatormanualaswell.

Ifyouallwillfliptothenextslide,you’llseeamapofparticipatingACACstates.ThemaroonstatesinDCareour40partnersthathostedcollegeapplicationprogramslastfall.Thesesevensortofmustardorgold-coloredstateshaveallcommittedtohostingprogramsthisfall.Andweareinconversationswiththeremainingfourstatesinbluetobeengagedthisfallaswell.

Flippingtothenextslide,you’llseeourwebsiteaddressatthetop.Ifyouareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutaparticularstate’sprogram,pleasevisitourwebsite.Scrolldowntothemapthatyouseehere.Itisaninteractivemap.Soifyouclickonastate,you’llbetakentotheirstateprofilepagewhichincludesinformationabouthowtocontactthestatecoordinatorandalsootherdatapointsregardingthestate’scollegeapplicationprogram.Otherwise,youcanfeelfreetoreachouttomeandIcanhelpconnectyou.

Movingtothenextslide -- andthisismyfinalslidebeforeIturnitovertoLisa -- Idowanttopointoutthatatthenationallevel,wepracticewhatwepreachinregardstocollaboration.Listedonthisslide,asGregmentionedearlier,areourACACsteeringcommitteemembers.Asyoucanseewehavestrongsupportatthenationallevelfromavarietyoforganizations.Andthebuy-infromthesecolleagues,includingourfriend,Greg,hasreallyallowedACACtogrowtoincludemorestatesandhighschoolseachyear.

Inadditiontothesteeringcommittee,wealsohaveanadvisoryboardonwhichLisaKingserves.Andyou’llbehearingfromherinamoment.Andtheyreallyprovideguidanceandsupportasweexpandaswell.Weobviouslyareverygratefulfortheknowledgeandadvicethatboththesteeringcommitteeandadvisoryboardhaveprovidedusovertheyears.

Sothat’sanoverviewofthenationalprogram.I’mveryhappytohaveLisajoinusforthiscall.She’sreallydoneanamazingjobcoordinatingandimplementingMichigan’sCollegeApplicationProgram.Andwe’refortunatetohavehershareherinsightandexpertisewithustoday.

Sowiththat,Lisa,I’llturnitovertoyou.

LisaKing:Thanks,Melissa.

Andifyouwanttofliptoyournextslide,it’llbethefirstonethatsays,“LeadAgencyMichiganCollegeAccessNetwork.”

SoasMelissamentioned,eachstatepicksaleadagency,andinMichigan,ourorganizationhasservedasthatsince2011.Wearea501(c)(3)non-profit.Hopefully - maybeyou’refamiliarofthatorganization.Butwe’retheCollegeAccessnetworkthat’sworkingtoincreasecollegereadiness,participationandcompletionratesinourstate,particularlywiththefocusonourlow-incomestudents,first-generationstudentsandstudentswithcolor.

SoitwasanaturalfitwhenweheardabouttheinitiativethatMCANreallytaketheleadforourstates.Andyoucanjustseeintheslidethere’sanumberofstrategiesthatwe’redoingtoimprovethecollegecompletionratesinMichigan.AndCollegeApplicationWeekforusfallsunderoneofourstate-wideinitiativesthatyouseethereinboldthatfitnaturally.We(unintelligible)GoalState,ifyouknowthatcampaign.Sowewantedtobringitinandjustaddittooursuiteofresourcestosupportourstate.

SoasMelissasaid,wereallybelieveitcomplementsthelargercollege-goingculturethatwe’recreatinginMichigan.Andit’snotthatwe’reoperatingthisoneinitiativeinisolation.

I’mgoingtofliptothenextslide.

Forourstatewiththeconceptandgoals,eachstatedoesgettohavealittlebitof,youknow,whatworksbestforthem.Soit’ssimilartowhatMelissajustsharedthough,youknow,we’relookingathowdowebreakdowntheapplicationprocess.Sowewantaweekdedicatedtothatapplicationpiece.Weemphasizetoourhighschoolsthatthereisgoingtobethatbiggerworkthat’sdonebeforetheweekmakingsurethestudentisontrackwithfindingtheright - thebestfitforthem,youknow,preppingforthatresearchprocessthattheweekitselfisfocusedonphysicallycompletingtheapplicationandbuildingtheirconfidencetoapplysomewhere

Wealsoknowthatifit’sdonelocally,ishelpingreinforcethecollege-goingculturestrategiesthatourcommunitieshave.Andwereallywanttocelebratethecollegeapplicationseason.SowetypicallyholditthefirstweekofNovemberinMichigan.Andwelookatitforusasawaytoreallyconcludetheseasonandcelebratethehardworkofthestudents.

WehavesomeinstitutionsinourstatethathaveaNovember1stdeadlinefortheirapplicationsforearlyadmittance.Sothere’sanumberofstudentswhoaretryingtomeetthatNovember1stdeadline.SowefeellikeitfitsnaturallytosaythantheveryfirstweekofNovember.Let’sfocusonapplicationseasontomakesurewe’regettingkindofeveryoneelseorthosewhoaren’talreadyconsideringitandmaynothavethattypeofdeadlineontheirradarthatwe’vereallybeenfocusingonconcludingtheapplicationseasoninearlNovember.

Andwehavethatsamegoalofmakingsureeveryoneofourgraduatinghighschoolseniorshasthatopportunitytoapply.We’veencouragedourhighschoolstomakesurethattheactivitiesareduringtheschooldayandtime,thateveryseniorknowsthattheyhavethatdesignatedtime,spacetodoatleastoneapplication,andtomakesureourschoolsarehavingthatspecialfocusontheirlow-incomeandfirst-generationcollege-goingstudentstohelpreachthepopulationthatwewanttoreach.

Ifyou’dallfliptothenextslide,forourstructure,howwelook,westartedin2011asapilotstate.MCANhasbeenservingasstate-widecoordinator,asaleadagency.Andwhatwedoasthatleadagencyisprovidethehousingmaterialsforourhighschoolsitecoordinators.SowetakethatmanualthatMelissareferenced,andthenwetweakittofitMichiganneedstoincludeMichigandeadlineandresourcesourhighschoolswouldneedtobeawareofandstudentswouldneedtobeawareofandreallybuilditoutwithkindofourbrandandourfocus.

Weprovidetrainingtothesitecoordinatorsthattheycanwalkintotheschoolyearandseamlesslyplanoutaneventandhopethatitdoesn’ttaketoomuchoftheirtimeandeffortandmoneybecausetheycanjusttakeourtoolsandplugthemintowhatthey’realreadydoingintheirschools.

Wealsoofferavolunteertraining.ThisistypicallyaWebinarwherewe’redoingmoreoversightforthevolunteersofwhattoexpectatahighschoolandhowtobehaveandhowtosupportthestudents.Theywouldhavetogetindividualneedsandrequirementsofwhattheirtasksaregoingtobefromthehighschool.Butwecanatleastgivethemthatlargerpictureofwhat’sthepurposeoftheweekandwhat,youknow,shouldIbedoingandexpectingwhenImetahighschool.

Wealsoassistwithlargerstate-widemarketingcommunications,soreachingouttoourmediastate-wideandanythingtheycandonationally,providingPSAsandpostersandbannersand(pieces)tohelpbuildthatpresencejustintheStateofMichigantohelptherestofourcommunitiesknowthatit’sCollegeApplicationWeekinourstate.Andthenwefacilitateastate-widesteeringcommittee.

AndI’llshowyouwho’sonthatcommitteeinjustamoment.Butthatcommittee,itisabroadmembershipofK12,higher-ed,CollegeAccessleadersacrossourstate,sothatwereallyhavetheexpertswhoaretouchingallaspectsoftheapplicationprocess.Sowe’reableto,youknow,tapthosewhoaretiedtoourcollegesanduniversitiestohelpusunderstand,youknow,whatdoesthisimpactlookliketothemasweincreaseourapplicationnumbers,youknow,howdowegetdatafromthem,youknow,what - they’retypicallyourtopvolunteersthatgointohighschools.Soeveryindividualonthatcommitteebringsacriticalcomponenttomakingourweeksuccessful.

Theyprovidethatlargeroversight.Soaswe’regrowing - andyou’llseeournumbersinalittlebit.Youknow,aswegrow,makingsurethatwe’redoingitappropriatelyand,youknow,we’renotputtingalargerburdensuddenlyonourcounselorsorcollegesandreallylookingat,youknow,whatourgoalsareandhowwewanttoincreaseournumbers.

Theyhelpwiththeresourcesthatwe’redeveloping,sowhatelsewemightneedtobeprovidedtooursitecoordinatorsand,youknow,howtheycontinuethatstate-wideoutreach.Weevaluatetheimpacteveryyearandlookattheaggregatedatathatcomesin.AndjusthelpbuildalargerpublicawarenessinMichigan.

Soifyougotoyournextslidethatsays,“MichiganSteeringCommittee”atthetop,thisiswhomakesupourcommittee.Andasyoucansee,wehave,youknow,ourdirectorsofadmissionfromourstateuniversities,aswellasourcommunitycolleges.Ourprivatecollegeshavea - what’scalledMichiganCollegesFoundationAssociation.Thepre-collegeprogramslikeGEARUPandTRIOarerepresented;ourassociationofourprincipals.Sothe(Unintelligible)Foundationisthere.WeevenhaverepresentativefromtheSenate,youknow.Soyoureallydotouchallaspectsofwhowouldhavearoleorinvestmentintheapplicationprocessandhelpingourstudentscompletetheapplicationprocesssuccessfully.

Anddependingon,youknow,whoyouarerightnowonthiscall,itmightbethatyou’relookingtotapintoyourstate’sefforts.Soyoumaysay,“Ohmyorganizationwouldreallybe,youknow,anexperttofitontheirsteeringcommittee.”Anditmightbeyouthatthenultimatelyservesthatroleonthesteeringcommitteeinprovidingguidancebecauseyou’re,youknow,aprincipaloryou’reaGEARUPcoordinator.Soyoureallywanttoseewhatthatcurrentinfrastructureisandseehowyoucantapin,youknow,orifit’sanewstatethatwe’relookingtoexplore,howyoumighthelpusgrowinthosecorestates.

ForMichigan,whenwefirststarted,wetappedintoourcurrentinfrastructure.Sothiscommitteeidentified,youknow,howcouldweseamlesslyinYear1testthisoutandmakeitgrow.SowetappedintoourNationalCollegeAdvisingCorpsmembers.Atthattime,backin2011,wehadabout37advisors - oradvisorsin37highschools.Soweutilizedthemtoreallytestthisoutinourstateandseehowitworks.

Thatisabigpilotnumber.Moststatesdon’ttypicallystart,youknow,over30.They’reusuallystartingwithfiveorten.Butitwoulddependonjustyourinfrastructureandwhatyouhaveavailable.

Andtheninourstate,we’vebeenabletogrowquicklybecausewehavelocalcollegeaccessnetworksacrossthestate.Sowethentapintoourlocalnetworkstoreachingouttomorehighschools.Soyou’llseeournumbersasthey’vegrownoverthelastthreeyearsinacoupleofslides.Butreallylookingathowdowekindoftappartnersthatarealreadypre-existingandbuildingintotheworkthatwasthereversusstartingfromscratch.

Ifyou’llgotoyournextslidewhereitsays,“KeyPartnersattheLocalLevel,”thisistoshowyouthenwhatahighschooltypicallysees.Forthesitecoordinators,youknow,youhaveyourhighschoolswhoserve(aswellas)sitecoordinators.Andthat’sbecauseit’sthecaptiveaudience.It’swherethestudentsare.AsMelissamentioned,wewanttheactivitieshappeningduringtheschooldaysothere’snotthosebarriersliketransportationand,youknow,after-schooljobsoractivitiesthatcomeandgetintheway.Soourhighschoolsobviouslyarethekeypartnersinplanningtheprocess,butalsomakingsuretheapplicationprocessgoesthroughsmoothly,soconfirmingtranscriptsthatareneededforstudents.

Ourvolunteers,(unintelligible)postsecondaryinstitutionsarethenextkeypersonthatyou’regoingtohavelocallythatarehelpinguswithdatacollectionandmakingsurethatstudentsarecompletingtheirprocesssuccessfully.Ourpostsecondaryinstitutions,inadditiontobeingvolunteers,they’rehelpinguswithpaperapplicationsthatweneed.Wehighlyencourageandpushthatourhostsitesusecomputerlabsanddotheapplicationsonline.Butwe’vejust - there’salwaysahandfulofschoolseachyearthatrunintosituationswherepaperapplicationsareneeded.Sowetrytoprepareforthatthebestwecan.Sometimesit’sanactofweatherthat’scausedpoweroutages.Butthoseyoucan’tpredictfor.Butsomeschoolsknowthere’salackingInternetaccessibilityorcomputersthatareavailable,andtheyneedtohavepaperapplicationsavailablefortheirstudents.

Wealsoworkwithourpostsecondaryinstitutionstoconsiderwaivingtheirfeesorhelpingcommunicatethefeewaiverprocessifthere’soneinplaceattheirinstitution.AndthenalsoallofourinstitutionsaccepttheNACACfeewaiver.Soweworkwiththemtomakesurewe’recommunicatingthattoourhighschoolsandthestudentssothathopefullytheapplicationfeewouldnotbeabarriertoanystudents.

Andthenforus,inMichigan,wehavethatinfrastructureofourlocalcollegeaccessnetwork.Sothey’reakeypartnerinhelpingrecruithighschools,recruitingourvolunteers.Andtheyprovidesomelargerguidanceandareabletotakeawaymaybesomeofthatplanningburdenfromthehighschools.Soifyou’rehavingtoputregionalinfrastructurelikethat,youknow,they’reabletodomediaoutreachandthinkingthroughkindofwhatmaybefivehighschoolsintheirregionallhaveasactivities,andthentoreallyhelpthosehighschoolsgrowmorequicklythanwhatsomeoftheonesthatdon’thaveanLCANhavebeenabletodo.

Ifyougothenextslide,thisisthefirstonewithachart.Thisshowsourby-the-numbersforMichigan.Soyou’relookingat2011ingreen,’12andthen’13.Sowe’vebeenabletoreallydoubleournumbersjustabouteachyear.Wehad37highschoolsthefirstyear.Andthenwewereabletojumpitupto73inYear2.Andthenthispastyearin2013,wehadjustover200.Andwe’vesetagoalforourselvestokeepdoublingthosenumbers.Andwewanttohit400thisyear.Butagain,we’vebeenabletoreallygrowthisquicklybecausewetappedthatcurrent - existinginfrastructure.Weweren’tjustkindofblanketlytryingtogetthenearly1,000highschoolsthatareinMichigantosignon.Wetargetedgroupsthatweknewhadtheirhandswithhighschoolstogetthemonboard.

Thenextslide,bythenumbers,ithassixbarchartstherethatcouldhavelumpedintogether,too.Thisshowsyouthedatathenofourseniorsthathaveparticipatedeachyearandthenthenumberofapplicationsthey’vesubmitted.Andjustlikewe’reseeingnationally,inMichigan,eachyearisabout1.5or1.4applicationsperstudentaswego.AndIanticipateit’lllookthesamethisyearaswell.

Weaskourhostsitestoturninthebasicnumbersofhowmanystudentsareparticipating,howmanyapplicationsarecompletedandthentheirnumberofgraduatingseniors.Butinourstate,we’realsointerested - andthisisbasedinoursteeringcommittee.Weaskforthingslikehowmanyapplicationswenttoafour-yearinstitution,atwo-year,apublic,aprivate,becausewewanttobeableto,forourstatepurposes,diveintoseewherestudentsreallyaregoingandtoseewhattypeofimpacttheymightbemakingonourcommunitycollegesversusothersandjusttohavethatbiggergauge.

Buteachstatecankindofpickbeyondthebasicnumberofapplications,numberofstudentdataofhowmuchmoreyouwanttodiveinto.Andalotofthatwilldependonwhattypeofdatathat’savailableatyourstatelevelofwhatyoucanreallygetyourhandson.

InMichigan,everyinstitutionhastheirownapplicationprocessthat’snottiedintoonesystem.Sothatmakesitalittlebitchallengingforus.Andthat’swhywe’vehadtoaskourhostsitestophysicallytrackitforustosaywherethosestudentsareapplyingifwewanttoknowthatinformation.

Ifyougotothenextslide,thiswilljustgiveyouasenseofwhatplanninglookslikeatourstate-wideleveloverthecalendaryear.Sothat’sa2014state-wideplanning.

SoourcommitteemeetsalwaysforthefirsttimeinearlyMarch.Andweplanoutkindofwhatthatcalendaryearisgoingtolooklike.Ourgoalisalwaystokickoffrecruitmentforhostsitesbythe1stofApril.Andwewereactuallyalittleearlythisyear,whichwasgreat,togetitoutthere.Andwetrytogethighschoolssignedupbymid-Maybeforethatsummerbreakhappensandweareabletoreallygetaholdofthem.Thatwayweknowwhooursitesare.Theycankindofendtheschoolyearandwespendthesummerplanningourresources.Andweprovidethemwiththingslikebannersandpostersandbraceletsandmagnets.Butweneedtohavethatcountofhowmanyhighschoolsarewetalkingabout.Isit37orarewetalking400?

Soforus,wereallyhavetodothatrecruitmentearlysothatwecandotheplanning(unintelligible)duringthesummeranddevelopthoseresources.AndthenwhentheycomebackinAugust - attheendofAugust,we’reabletoshipeverythingouttothemthatwe’vecreatedandstartourtrainingprocessforthehostsites.

AndthenreallyinSeptemberiswhenitkicksoverandit’sbusyforthehighschools,(unintelligible)inplanningmode.Andwe’reatthestate-wideleveljusttherekindofwaitingforwhattechnicalassistancethatahighschoolmightneedand,youknow,fillingthingsand - fillinginthatneedasitpopsup.Andwedoourvolunteertraininginthefallaswellonceit’sclosertoactualapplicationweek.

Andthenforus,thisyearisNovember3rdthroughthe7thinMichigan.Sooursiteswill,youknow,haveeverythingplannedout.Usuallyby1stofOctober,wegetaschedulefromthemandthentheyspendOctoberrecruitingtheirvolunteersandsecuringthem.AndthenweaskfordatatocomebackbytheendofNovembersothatwecanputtogetherafinalreportandevaluatetheyearandprepforthenextyear.

Soeventhoughit’soneweekinNovember,itreallyisnearlyayearlongprocessforoursteeringcommitteeandourselves.Wereallyonlymeetthough,rightnow,bymonthly.We’rethinkingaboutmovingittoquarterlynowthatwe’reintoourfourthyearandwereallyhaveawell-oiledmachineofwho’sdoingwhatrolefromthatcommitteeandhowtomakeourselvesgrow.Butinthefirstcoupleofyears,weweremeetingmonthlyandthenbimonthly.

Andthenifyougotothenextslide,thisiswhatasampleschedulelookslike.IknowthisisaquestionIalwaysgetwhenI’mouttalkingaboutcollegeapplicationweekinourstate.Justwhatdotheyevenlooklikeinaschoolbuilding?Sothisisaquicksnapshotofwhatyouseeatthehighschoollevel.Eachschoolwillpickwhatschedulefitstheirneedsbestandtheirscheduleandwheretheirseniorsare.

Soifyou’realuckyschool,allofyourseniorshavearequiredcourse,whetherit’sEnglishclassorastudyhall.They’lltypicallymaybetapthatrequiredcourseandsay,“Okay,let’sworkwiththeEnglishteachertopullourstudentsout,getthemdowntothemedialab,completetheirapplication.”Ifyoudon’thavearequiredcourse,thenwhatyou’lloftenseeisjustbylastnameorbyhomeroom.Andthentheseniorsknowkindofwhatthatallottedtimeslotisforthembecauseit’seitherbasedononeoftheirphysicalclassperiodsortheirlastnames.

Our - oneofourhighschools,BayCityCentral,acoupleofyearsago,theyhadaschedulethatwasMonday,TuesdayandWednesdaywherethey(unintelligible)bylastname.Anditwas30-shiftof - orthreeshiftsof30seniorseachday.Andthiswasthempullingouttheirseniorswhohadn’tdoneapplicationsyet.Soanybodywhohaddonetheapplication,theykindofsaid,“You’regoingtobeTier2.Youknow,let’smakesureeveryoneelsehasanopportunityfirstandthenwe’llcomebacktoyouifyou’vedonetheapplications,”justtoprioritizesincetheyhadsuchhighnumbersofaseniorpopulation.

AndthenThursdaywasavailableasamakeupdayoriftheywantedtodoasecondorthirdapplication.Andthentheyhadacelebrationattheendoftheirweekfortheirseniorswithapizzaparty.

Andthenoneofoursmallerschools,CarsonCity-Crystalwithjust80seniors,youknow,theydiditwithshiftof23seniorsbylastnamethroughoutMondayandTuesday.AndIsharetheseschedulesandshowyou - asMelissasaidearlier,thisisn’treallylikeafive-dayaweek,8:00pmto2:00pminitiativewherethewholeschoolisbeingtakenover.Itreallyisthattheseniorsaredoingapplicationsformaybeanhourortwo.Andit’sonedayortwodaysoutofthewholeweekthataschoolisactuallyhavingtheirbigcelebration.

Whatwe’llalsoseethat(unintelligible)physicalapplicationcompletionpartoftheweekarelargerwaystocelebratetheapplicationprocess.Soalotofschoolswilldopeerweeksandhavethemwearing,youknow,collegeT-shiresordressingupincertainoccupationsthroughouttheweek.They’lldodifferentscavengerhuntsthroughoutthebuildingtofindateacherwhoattendedatwo-yearuniversityorsomebodywholivedoffcampusoroncampusandhaveprizesandthingsforthestudents.Andthosearewaysthattheyalsoengagetheunderclassmensothatitcangobeyondreachingtheseniorswiththeactualapplicationprocess.

Andwiththat,that’sthelastofmyformalstuff.Sowecanthen,Greg,goaheadandopenitupforquestions.

GregDarnieder:Great.Thanks,Lisa.Andthanks,Melissa.Thanksforpaintingthisverybroadnationalpictureatthefrontendofthisandthenliterallyendingattheschoollevel.Muchappreciatedandthanksforalltheworkthatyou’vebeendoingbehindthis.

So,(Madison),wecangivethedirectionsforpeopletocallinandaskquestions.Andwhilethosecomein,I’llaskthefirstquestionbacktoMelissaandLisa.

Butcanyougivetheinstructionplease?

Coordinator:Sure,sir.

Wewillnowbeginthequestion-and-answersession.

Ifyouwouldliketoaskaquestion,pleasepressstarandthen1.Pleaseunmuteyourphoneandrecordyournameclearlywhenprompted.

Towithdrawyourrequest,pleasepressstarandthen2.

Onemomentpleaseforthefirstquestion.

GregDarnieder:Sowhilewe’rewaitingforthefirstquestion,thisisreallyaquestiontobothofyou.Intermsof,youknow,thisconversationthat’sgoing - beengoingaroundthecountryaroundmatchandfit,soI’mcuriousmaybe,Melissa,fromyourstandpointasthisworkhasdeveloped,hasitgonebeyondjustgettingstudentstofilloutapplications?Andaresomecommunitiesbeginningto,youknow,embracethesedeeperissuesaroundmatchandfit,andmaybefitbeing,youknow,themorecomprehensiveanddeeperchallengethatwehaveinadvisingfirst-generationstudents?

MelissaCaperton:It’sagreatquestionandcertainlysomethingthatwe’vestartedincorporatingintotheactivitiesthatweencouragehighschoolstodowithstudentspriortotheeventaspartofthatresearchprocess.Wereallywantstudentstowalkintothecomputerlabonthedayoftheeventknowingwherethey’regoingtoapplyandtheinformationtheyneedtosubmitthatapplication.

We - Iknowsomestatesdohavesomeresearchtoolsspecifictothestateuniversitiesandcolleges.ButwehavefoundCollegeBoard’sBigFutureProgram,whichisanonlinesearchtoolwherestudentscanlookatavarietyofdifferentmatchandfitcharacteristics,so,youknow,doIwanttogotolargeschoolorsmallschool,dotheyhavemymajorornot,butalsothinkingaboutthatacademicpiece,isthisamatchformeintermsofmyacademicrecord.

Inoursitecoordinatormanual,wedohaveaworksheetthatschoolscanusewiththeirstudentsduringthatresearchprocesstohelpthemfindthecollegesanduniversitiesthatdohavethatmatchorfittothemthattheycanthenapplytoduringtheweek.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Lisa,anycomments?

LisaKing:Yes,justtoadd - Imean,MelissamentionedforMichigan,we’reastatethat’sfortunatetohavea - what’scalledtheMichiganCollegeAccessPortal.AnditallowsstudentstoresearchthebestmatchandfitforMichigancollegesanduniversities.Sowemakesureoursitecoordinatorsareawareofthisresourceandprovideatrainingiftheyneedtolearnhowtouseitandgettheirstudentsregisteredandonthatsystemthroughoutthemonthleadinguptocollegeapplicationweekfor.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Great.I’dalsothrowinFSA’sfinancialaidtoolkitresources,anotherplaceforpeopletoturnto.

So,(Madison),dowehavethefirstquestion?

(Madison),dowehavethefirstquestion?

Okay.Well,I’llaskanotherone.

SoI’mcurious;youknow,frontpageoftheNewYorkTimestodayhasanarticleonhighlyselectiveuniversitiesandtheincreasednumberofapplicationsthey’rereceiving,whichisdrivingdowntheiracceptanceratepercentagesandthesuch.SoI’mcuriouswhat’sbeentheresponseofhigher-edtobothwithinMichiganbutalsoacrossthecountrytothisinitiative?

MelissaCaperton:That’soneofthereasonswereallyencouragethestate-widesteeringcommitteesothatwehavefolksfromhigher-edatthetable,sothatthey’reawarethatthisishappeningandthattherecouldbeanincreasednumberofapplicationscominginfromschoolsparticipatinginthat.

IthinkfrommyexperienceinNorthCarolina,theresponsehasbeenextremelypositive,especiallyfromcommunitycolleges.Studentsarenowapplyingtoschool - tocommunitycollegesearlierintheschoolyearthantheyotherwisetypicallywould.Thatcansometimesbeleftuntil,youknow,springandevensummerinsomecases.

SoinNorthCarolina,theresponsehasbeenextremelypositiveinregardtotheabilitytoaccessstudentsthattheymaynototherwisegetapplicationsfrom.

Lisa,didyouwanttotalktothatinMichigan?

LisaKing:Yes.Becauseour,youknow - andourcommittee(unintelligible)collegesanduniversitiesaroundthecommitteeforus.Ourstateuniversitieshavebeenabletopulldatatomonitoreachyearofkindofwhatapplicationslooklikeweektoweekleadinguptocollegeapplicationweek(unintelligible).Andwhatwe’refindingisthatitispullingin - theywereafraidthatitwouldmakepeoplewait,thattheywould - youknow,anotherapplicationwillcomeinuntilthisweek.They’regoingtowaitforafeewaiveror,youknow,feewaiverfees.Andsotheythoughttheyweregoingtolosemoneyanditwasgoingtoputahighburdenontheweek.

Butwhatwe’reseeingisthattheapplicationnumbersaretrendingthesametheweeksleadingupto,likethey’veseenforthepastfiveyears,tenyears.Andthenthere’saspiketheweekof.Sowearepullinginnewapplicationsforthem.

Soit’sbeenfeelingreassuringtothem.Buttheyhada - wehadtoworktogethertopullthatdataandlookatittomakesure,okay,it’snot - studentsaren’twaitingand,youknow,it’snotputtingafinancialburdenonusinternallyineachofouradmissiondepartment.

AndwhatI’mfindingisaspartofourconversation,themoreIwastalkingtohighschoolsortrainingthem,that’ssomethingourcollegeshaveaskedustodoandjustkindofemphasize,youknow,we’renottellingstudentstowaituntilthefirstweekofNovember,thattheyshouldstillhelppeopletodoapplicationsleadinguptotheweekandthataswellkindofgettingeverybodyelsewho’snotontrackorisn’ttypicallythinkingaboutthatcollegeapplication.

Sowe’vedecidedtomakesurethewaywetrainandtalk,helpemphasizethatimportantpieceforourcollegepartners.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Dowehavecallersonthelinewithquestions,(Madison)?

Coordinator:Yes,sir.

OurfirstquestioncomesfromthelineofMs.(JulieEnton).

Ma’am,yourlineisnowopen.

(JulieEnton):Thankyou.

MyquestionisforLisa.Youmentionedthatyouaskyourhostsitestosubmitapplicationandstudentdata.Canyousharewhatformatyoufoundsuccessfulingatheringthatdataandifyouhadanystruggleswithcollectingthedataandgettingitbackin?

LisaKing:Sure.Ourfirstcoupleofyears,itwasIthink(cell)forms.Sonothingfancy.Andthenjustlastyear,weactuallychangedittoanonlinesurveythrough - weusedGoogleFormstocreate(Excels)free.Butyoucoulduseanysurveyplatformandtheyjustprovidetheirbasicinformationandsubmitit.Andthenthatallowedittotallyforme.Soitsavedustimeonthebackend.

Andwe,youknow,wehaven’tdonealottoincentivizethem.They - andforwhateverreason -- andI’mthankfulforthis -- ourhighschoolsarejustwillingtogiveoverthedatabecauseit’sa - they’rebenefitingfromtheprogramandgettingfreeresources.SoIthinktheallseeitas,“Okay,I’vegotthesepostersforfreeandIgotallthesupport.It’sjustmydutynowattheendoftheprocesstosendovermynumbers.”

Sowe - ofthe208,wehad182or187 -- I’mforgettingthenumbernow -- thatactuallyreportedourdata.Sowehavehighnumberswhenitcomestoreportingback.AndIknowsomestateswilldoincentivetothesitecoordinatorslikeiPadorsubjectofdrawingtogettheirdataback.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Next.

(JulieEnton):Fromthehighschool,doyouknowhowtheschoolsaregatheringthatdata,likearetheyusingsign-inandsign-outsheetsordotheyhavesomeothersortofelectronicsystemthat...

((Crosstalk))

LisaKing:Yes.Andso - forMichigan,it’svarious.SomeofthemjustuseanExcelform,sign-in/sign-outsheetthatweprovideatemplatesothattheycanjustdoitbyhand.Otherswilluse - wehaveanagreementwithParchmentinMichigan.Sothey’reabletogothenontoParchmentandpullareportbasedonwhichstudentsrequestedtranscripts.Andthey’reabletogiveusthedatathatway.

ThatwastheeasiestwayforschoolsthatwereutilizingParchmentintheirbuilding.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Dowehaveanextquestion?

Coordinator:Sir,atthistime,therearenofurtherquestionsinqueue.

GregDarnieder:Okay.Letmejumpinherethen.Butifyouhaveaquestion,wehaveacoupleofminutesleft.

I’mwonderingwhetheranydistrictshavetakenthistoactually - Idon’tknowifpolicyistherightwordbut,youknow,begintorequiretheirseniorstofilloutXnumberofcollegeapplications,youknow,thattheyfilloutaminimumofthreeorfive.

WehadapresentationfromNobleStreetCharterontheAffinitycallafewmonthsago,andIthinktheyrequirenineapplications,youknow,intodifferentlevelsofacademicrigor,stretchschoolsandsafeschoolsand,youknow,targetschoolsandsuch.

Areyouseeinganyevidenceofdistrictstakingfurtherstepsbeyondjust,youknow,asingleortwoapplications?

LisaKing:IknowinMichigan,there’ssomeindividualhighschools.TheyhavelikeathreebyHalloweenthattheytrytodo.ButIhaven’tseenitkindofina - forus,alargerdistrict-wideofmultiplebuildingsalladaptingittogether.

GregDarnieder:Okay.

MelissaCaperton:Yes.I’mnotfamiliarorawareofanypolicieslikethatnationally.But,again,youknow,thisIthink,ifaschoolordistrictisinterestedinimplementingsomethinglikethat,isarealnaturalfittohelpthemachievethosegoals.

GregDarnieder:Yes.Yes.

Didwegetaquestionthatcomein?

Coordinator:Yes,sir.

OurnextquestioncomesfromthelineofMs.(GeralynMeyers).

Ma’am,yourlineisnowopen.

(GeralynMeyers):Hello.

WemissedmostoftheWebinar.Andwe’rejustwonderinghowwecangetaccesstothis.Wehadsometechnicalissuesthismorning.Andwe’rejustveryinterestedingettingsomeresourcesandthenthathandbookyousaid - youreferredto.I’minterestedinhowwecangetcopiesofthosethings.

GregDarnieder:ebsite,likeallpast...

(GeralynMeyers):Okay.

GregDarnieder:...conversationsareposted.AndthatshouldbeuptomorroworonFridayatthelatest.Andyou’llbeabletodownloadnotonlythePowerPointthatMelissaandLisahavebeenspeakingfrom,butalsoyoucouldheartheactualconversation.Andthere’llbeatranscriptpostedtothatsite.

Sojustasaremindertoeveryone,inmind,theystartedasmonthlycallsandthenhaveemergedoverthelasthalfyearorsointoweeklycalls.Butallofthemarepostedthere.Andsoitbecomesanicepotentialresource,dependingonthetopicyou’reinterestedinanddependingonyourposition,whetherit’sattheschoollevelorastateleveloradistrictlevelorapolicylevel,youknow,certaintopicswillbeofinteresttoagreaterextentthanothers.

Soitwillallbepostedthereinthenextdayortwo.

(GeralynMeyers):Okay,thankyou.Andwecanalsodownloadthehandbookthere.

GregDarnieder:Well,there’llbethelinkthensothatyoucangotothehandbook.And...

(GeralynMeyers):Okay.

GregDarnieder:...theverylastpageofthepresentationagainhasbothMelissaandLisa’scontactinformation.Soifyouwantedtoreachouttothemdirectly,you’llhavethataswell.

(GeralynMeyers):Fabulous.

Andjust - didanyofyour - theuniversitiesinMichigan,didtheyreduceorwasit - obviouslyifastudentcanqualifyforafeewaiver,theycanqualifyforafeewaiver.Butdidtheydoanyincentiveinanyoftheiruniversitiesthatthey - youknow,thatyoucouldapplyforfreethat...

((Crosstalk))

LisaKing:Yes.Wehad - Ihad - I’msorryIdidn’tincludethatslide.Thatwouldhavebeenaperfectonetoinclude.

Ithinkthisyearitwasaround15or18ofourinstitutionsthateithercompletelywaivedbothonlineandpaperapplicationfeesortheydidsometypeofvariationofwaivingoneortheother.

MelissaCaperton:AndifIcouldjustspeaktothat,wedoacrossthenationhave,youknow,somecollegesanduniversitiesthatwillwaivetheirfeeforall.Forpublicuniversities,wereallydodiscouragethat.Alotofthemdodependonthosefeestosupporttheiradmissionsoffice.Butcertainlyencourageschoolcounselorstoworkwithstudentssothattheyunderstandiftheyareeligibleforafeewaiverandthat,youknow,thosearereallyintendedforstudentswhoreallyneedthemandusetheCollegeBoardortheNACACfeewaiver.

(GeralynMeyers):Okay.Okay.

GregDarnieder:Great.Thankyouallverymuch.

Well,we’realmostatthetopofthehour.SoletmejustthankagainMelissaandLisaforyourtimetodayandsharingthiswithus.Thisisfabulous.Hopefully - weappreciatethelinkagetoeveryonebeingabletofindoutwithintheirstateswho’skindofleadingthiseffort,andappreciateyourcontactinformationagainattheendsopeoplecanfollowupdirectlywithyou.

Justacoupleofquickreminders.Sonextweek,Thursday -- sowe’reswitchingfromWednesdaystoThursdaysforthenextseveralweeksactually -- we’llhavethefirstconversationwith - aroundmiddle-gradesanditsrelationshiptobuildingacollege - apostsecondaryeducationstrategybutstartingasasecondaryschoolstrategyinthemiddle-grades.AndDebbieKasakwho’stheExecutiveDirectorfortheNationalForumtoacceleratemiddle-gradesreform,theyareanI3recipientofoursunderaninitiativecalledSchoolstoWatch.AndsoshewillbeourpresenternextThursday.I’dencourageyoutotapinortospreadthistootherswhomighthaveaparticularinterestinthemiddle-grades.AndasIsaid,that’llbethefirstofacouplemiddle-gradespresentations.

Theweekafterthat,we’llbehearingfromtwoprofessorsatHarvard,MandySavitz-RomerandSusanBouffardwhohavewrittenabookaroundadevelopmentalapproachtocollegeaccessandsuccess.Anditfocusesonadolescentdevelopmentintermsofidentity,motivation,self-regulationthat’srelevanttocollegereadiness.Andweanticipateactuallyoneoftheschoolsthatthey’reworkingwithonthistobepartofthatpresentation.It’s - I’vereadtheirbook.Ithinkit’sabsolutelyrightonandatremendouscontributiontoourwork,yourworkasyou’dgoaboutdoingit.

Sowe’dencourageyoutosetasideApril24th,Thursday,forthatconversationaswell.

Sowiththat,thanksagain.Again,ifyou - anyofyouarecollectingfinancialaidawardletters,I’dlovetohearfromyou.Andwe’llfollowupwithyouseparately.

ThanksfortuningintodayandhopefullyI’lltalkwithyounextweek.

(Madison),thankyou.

Coordinator:Thankyou.

Woman:Thankyou.

Woman:Thankyou.

Coordinator:Andthatconcludestoday’sconference.Thankyouallforparticipating.Youmaynowdisconnect.

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