3 new federal gear-up grants go to KU and partners

August 12, 1999

3 NEW FEDERAL GEAR-UP GRANTS GO TO KU AND PARTNERS

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas will administer three GEAR UP partnership grants announced Aug. 9 by President Clinton to encourage disadvantaged junior high and high school students to stay in school and prepare for college. The KU partnership grants are all renewable for five years and designed to provide services to these students through their high school graduation. The five-year programs also serve the parents and teachers.

In the first year, each of the three grants will serve

312 Kansas City, Kan., sixth- and seventh-grade students whose families live in residences of the Kansas City, Kan., Housing Authority.
KU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences received $190,893 to tutor junior high school students in math, English and science. The program offers the students and their parents exposure to a university setting. KU Dean's Scholars, high-ability minority students, will assist in mentoring the junior high students. Maritza Machado-Williams and Beverly Davenport Sypher are co-researchers for the grant. Machado-Williams is director of KU's Supportive Education Services program and Sypher is an associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of communication studies.
260 Kansas City, Kan., seventh-grade students in Coronado and West middle schools. The $208,000 School of Education GEAR UP grant will offer tutoring and mentoring for students, professional development activities for teachers and workshops for parents. Ngondi Kamatuka is the principal researcher. Kamatuka is KU's director of Educational Opportunity Programs, federal education programs that include Upward Bound.
481 Topeka sixth-grade students from one of three middle schools -- Eisenhower, Chase or Robinson. Over five years, the program, "Pathways to Success," will eventually involve about 2,000 students in the three middle schools and two high schools -- Highland Park and Topeka.

A $333,606 grant funds the pathways program for the first year. The focus will be on intensive reading interventions, mentor relationships, goal setting and achievement, professional development for teachers and structuring courses to ensure they are rigorous and learner-friendly. Donald D. Deshler, Jean B. Schumaker and Jim Knight are the principal researchers. Deshler is director of KU's Center for Research on Learning and a professor of special education. Schumaker is associate director and Knight is a research associate.

The grants were funded through the U.S. Department of Education "Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs." GEAR UP builds pathways to college by providing multi-year competitive grants to states and to local partnerships between colleges, low-income middle and high schools and at least two other organizations, such as businesses, community-based religious or parent groups and student organizations.

Partners match funding through in-kind services and use of facilities, resources and supplies. Partners for the grant with the Kansas City, Kan., Housing Authority include Kansas City, Kan., USD 500; Keys for Networking Inc., Topeka; Junior Achievement for Middle America Inc. of Kansas City, Mo.; Mental Health Association of the Heartland of Kansas City, Kan.; and Kansas African-American Commission in the Kansas human resources department, Topeka.

The School of Education GEAR UP partners include F.L. Schlagle High School, Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City Kansas Community College Career Center; Kansas City Kansas Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Bottling Company of Lenexa.

Pathways to Success partners include Topeka USD 501; Hewlett Packard Telementary Center at Colorado State University in Gunnison; Topeka YMCA; Corporation for National Service, Topeka; Kansas Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs and the African-American Advisory Commission, both in the Kansas human resources department, Topeka; KPL, Topeka; Larkin Group, consulting engineers, Kansas City, Mo.; Brown Foundation, Topeka; Kansas State Community Service Program, Topeka; St. Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Mo.; and the Topeka Alliance of Black School Educators.

Contact: Mary Jane Dunlap, University Relations, (785) 864-8853

-30-

| KU Home Page | KUfacts | KU University Relations' Home Page | KU News

This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus. Copyright 1999, the University of Kansas Office of University Relations, Lawrence, KS, U.S.A. Images may be reused with notice of copyright, but not altered. KU news releases may be reprinted without permission.
kurelations@ukans.edu, (785) 864-3256.