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

A Blueprint for Success
The summary reports are used by the EIF school-based staff to measure their performance versus key
target outcomes, which result in increased accountability. Further, the collected data are also useful
in generating student-level reports, which are used for college and scholarship matching, among other
purposes. Evaluation reports gleaned from surveys are used to improve programming by soliciting
general feedback and quantifying the results through rating scales that can be tracked over time.
Education is Freedom aims to create a college-going culture across each school community and
equip middle and high school students with the tools needed to overcome barriers to successful college
entry and completion. While there is strong emphasis on college completion, the organization is
still working on enhancing its program to better serve students through college. Two years ago, EIF
began efforts to track students through college and are putting more focus on that now. However,
the challenge remains in tracking previous cohorts of students in order to have a clearer sense of the
longitudinal impact that the program has on students.
College & University Partnerships
Although students are considered graduates of the EIF program upon high school completion, they
continue to receive support directly from EIF staff during college and through formal partnerships
with specific colleges and universities. For instance, EIF helps students secure college funding
through university and external scholarship partners. EIF’s university partners have dedicated exclusive,
merit-based scholarships to EIF students (estimated value over $12 million), and some also provide
college planning and/or retention services for EIF students. EIF has developed scholarship partnerships
with several institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, University of North
Texas, University of North Texas at Dallas, Texas A&M University-Commerce, and Jarvis Christian
College. As EIF continues to build new partnerships, the organization is incorporating a College
Success component to their agreements, by which institutions provide retention services to EIF students
who are also scholarship recipients. The agreements vary by university; some universities merge
EIF students into existing retention programs and others maintain a cohort of EIF students within
their programs. Formalizing these agreements with university partners allows EIF to direct students
and connect them with the numerous resources on campus. This is important because EIF does not
want to duplicate services already offered to students on campus. EIF is further able to assist with
college student success by monitoring their academic performance and degree progression with student
permission via signed FERPA waivers.
Evidence of Success
According to EIF staff, students who participate in the program throughout high school are more
likely to stay in high school and complete each grade, have higher GPAs, take Advanced Placement
classes, graduate from high school, and apply to and enter college. Data from the EIF 2010 Annual
Report indicated that, in the 2009-2010 academic year, EIF served 2,359 high school seniors across
15 of its 16 high schools (1 high school was redesigned, and included only grades 9-11) and 94 per-
Educational Policy Institute 68 www.educationalpolicy.org