A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

A Blueprint for Success
income, 95 percent are racial/ethnic minorities, and many are the first in their family to attend college.
In addition to the high school-based services, EIF provides college integration services to high
school graduates and has recently incorporated a middle school component to begin raising college
awareness earlier in students’ lives.
EIF’s sequenced model includes a pilot middle school program, an intensive high school program,
and college integration services for EIF graduates. EIF equips students for life after high school, so
they are prepared for the workforce and ready to sustain themselves, their communities, and the
economy.
Goals
EIF staff works with students in each high school campus. One of their goals is to voluntarily enroll
at least 25 percent of the student body at each high school and 40 percent of the senior class at each
school over each academic year. Other specific targeted outcome goals are:
90 percent of EIF seniors will graduate from high school
80 percent will apply to college
80 percent of college applicants will be admitted
70 percent will apply for public financial aid (FAFSA and TASFA)
50 percent will apply for external, private scholarships
70 percent will pursue a post-secondary education
Among the long-term impacts EIF hopes to achieve are:
Create a college-going culture across each school community
Promote high school completion among urban students
Equip middle school and high school students to overcome barriers to successful college
entry and completion
Assist students in navigating and completing the college entrance and funding processes
Empower parents and guardians to become active participants in their students’ success.
Admissions & Selection
Education is Freedom has an open enrollment policy. All middle school and high school students
attending participating schools in the Dallas ISD are eligible to enroll in EIF through the end of
their sophomore year. At the high school level, students self-select into the program. All students
who complete the enrollment agreement are accepted into the program. The enrollment agreement
holds them to high standards for attendance and behavior, a maximum of three unexcused absences
per year, and no more than one school suspension. Additionally, students are expected to earn and
maintain at least an 80 percent grade average by the end of their junior year, which increases their
chances of being admitted to college and receiving scholarships. That said, students are not asked to
Educational Policy Institute 63 www.educationalpolicy.org