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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Academic Advisers as a Resource for Middle School College Preparation Programs Stacey Wiist, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
There is a significant need for college preparation to begin as early as middle school for all students. I am currently an eighth-grade teacher getting my master's degree in higher education student affairs and therefore am able to see the challenge from both the school and college perspective. There are currently many programs available and active to help middle school students begin the transition to college, but these programs do not reach a large number of students nor are college personnel aware of these efforts. There is a definite need for more communication and training between colleges and middle schools. This article provides information about middle school college preparation resources that are currently available for teachers to use, descriptions of middle school college preparation programs currently being used, the role academic advisers can play in communication between middle schools and colleges, and a brief discussion of research that is available on college preparation at the middle school level and its effects on one's collegiate development. Student development theorists are often in conflict on how early collegiate and career preparation should begin. Chickering's seven vectors of student development, for example, state that students usually do not develop their purpose in this world until they have established an identity (Chickering & Reisser, 1993). Most people would agree that middle school students have not yet had enough time or experiences to establish an identity. Yet other researchers would say early school experiences impact the development of purpose. Camblin (2003) states, “The middle grades classroom influences whether students see themselves as smart and worthy of taking challenging courses in high school. As they develop an adult self-concept, self-esteem, and racial identity, students make decisions about how academic achievement, certain careers, and college fit into this self-perception” (¶ 6). If we do not begin preparation in middle school, how will students know to explore classes and programs offered in high school that may help them decide on future college majors and careers? In addition, students often do not take academics very seriously in middle school, causing them to lose opportunities to take honors courses or even participate in extracurricular activities. This is especially evident in students from lower income backgrounds and first-generation students (Camblin, 2003). Research suggests that students in these groups do not complete college at the same rate as others because of lack of opportunities that begin in middle school (Camblin, 2003). Most middle school teachers are very interested in doing whatever they can to help prepare students for future careers. The difficulty lies in the fact that most teachers are often not trained to provide any type of college preparation besides the content area in which they teach. If academic advisers were aware of some of the resources available, they could possibly share this information with teachers and schools. There are many resources that already exist, but advisers and teachers alike are often unaware of their existence. There are some fairly easy things that academic advisers can do to help this middle school college preparation movement. Advisers can provide teachers with information and resources that they can easily use to help students begin making college and career choices. Something as simple as college campus posters to hang in the classroom can create an environment that gives students direction they may not have at home. It has been found that school culture has a large impact on aspirations and achievement (McClafferty, McDonough, & Nunez, 2002). Another quick solution would be to share lesson ideas that relate to career and identity development geared for middle school students. Colleges could even provide lessons that are being taught in first-year experience courses so that middle school teachers could modify them to fit the age group. The last simple solution would be for academic advisers to reach out to all middle schools to encourage college visit field trips. When a group of eighth-graders from Philadelphia visited Johns Hopkins University, students initiated questions such as, “What kind of grades does it take to get into Johns Hopkins? How much does it cost? Is financial aid available? Do they have many bilingual or minority students?” (Plank & Mac Iver, 1998). During their college visit, these students were able to visit the residence halls, cafeterias, the library, and several classrooms (Plank & Mac Iver, 1998). This experience can have a lasting effect on students who may not otherwise have been exposed to college, and it may help them to create a goal to make it to college. As a middle school teacher who has taught for six years, I have never received an invitation to bring my class to a college. It could be because I work in an upper- to middle-class district, but that does not necessarily mean that all of my students are getting college preparation and guidance at home. There are many effective efforts being done by colleges to bridge the gap between middle schools and colleges. These programs can be successful only though a partnership between middle school educators and college personnel. An example of this partnership exists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a program called Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE). This program begins with students as they enter sixth grade and continues until the student graduates from high school. Their goal for middle school students is to assist with the preparation and transition to high school. They also provide summer workshops at the university that give students the opportunity to fine-tune skills in areas such as mathematics, reading, writing, science, and more. Students practice these skills as they learn about different careers such as aviation, law, newspaper publishing, and many more. Students also meet with advisers and mentors and go through career guidance. Students who are accepted to this program are generally first-generation students and low-income students (University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2006). Another program called GEAR UP is one in which “middle-school children can participate in a variety of programs to help develop their enthusiasm for and interest in going to college. Many of these programs provide students with the opportunity to attend workshops and/or conferences and build relationships with college mentors” (Heisel, 2005). Some of the results of GEAR UP reported by the state of New Jersey include increased retention in high school and college, increased New Jersey State testing scores, raised participants' awareness of and aspirations for college, and increased participants' enrollment in college (Heisel, 2005). The article on New Jersey's GEAR UP program also offered student perspectives on the program and why it has helped them. Students explained that the program provided assistance in raising their grades in their course work, increased their interest and achievement in different academic disciplines by providing different instructional techniques, and provided hands-on experience in many different areas. Students also reported that they received college information and preparation, had the opportunity to meet new peers, and were provided with recreational and cultural opportunities (Heisel, 2005). Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is another program that has attempted and been successful in creating a school culture that prepares students for higher education. It is one of the most prevalent programs of its kind in the country (AVID, 2006). AVID is a program that is available for students from fifth grade to twelfth grade who are recommended by teachers for their potential to one day make it to college despite their odds. Usually these are students who are earning grades of B, C, or D and who try hard, but may not necessarily be meeting their full potential. Many of these students may be first-generation college students. The AVID program is an elective that students take in high school once they are selected into the program. In this elective course, students learn note taking, organization, and study skills to help prepare them for rigorous courses. They will also receive information about how to be accepted to and succeed in college. According to AVID (2006), 2,300 middle schools and high schools from thirty-six different states and fifteen different countries are involved in the AVID program. The results of this program are notable: “Since 1990, nearly 40,000 AVID students have graduated from high school and gone on to college. Ninety-four percent of AVID students report enrolling in college, with 77 percent of those in four-year institutions and 17 percent in community colleges” (AVID, 2006). There are also online materials available, such as Drive of Your Life, which is an interactive Web site that takes students through a career interest survey. As students complete a set of questions, they are allowed to choose accessories for a virtual car that they build and eventually drive through different life experiences. At the end of the career interest survey, the Web site offers ideas about what high school courses could help a student to learn more about the careers they found that match their interests (The Indiana Youth Institute, 2005). All of these programs provide excellent experience and an opportunity for students to become aware of the resources that are available to them. At the same time, these programs can be successful only if educators across levels work together to get students involved with the programs. How do first-generation students find out about programs like PEOPLE, GEAR UP, or AVID? The answer is that most likely a middle school or high school teacher or guidance counselor recommended that the student fill out the application. How did the teachers and counselors know about the program? This is why it is important for college administrators and personnel to improve the communication with middle schools. The first step is to make contact with local schools and provide resources about college that can be given to parents, displayed in schools, or used by teachers to help their students begin college preparation. The second step is to determine what type of program, such as PEOPLE, would benefit the community in which the institution belongs. Advisers are most likely the staff members to begin these initiatives. Once a program is put into place, it is possible that additional staff members may be needed to continue the operation of the program. It must be understood that all of these steps should be completed in partnership with advisers, collegiate outreach programs, high school counselors and teachers, middle school counselors and teachers, parents, and other relevant student affairs and academic affairs professionals, depending on each university's organizational system. Although there should be a push to ensure that students of low-income families and first-generation students be a part of this programming, there are many other students who could also benefit from a pre-collegiate program beginning in middle school. Overall, I believe that most of the resources needed for a program like this are available, but there seems to be a lack of communication among the different groups involved. If academic advisers could aid in the communication with teachers and counselors in middle and high schools, then it is possible that more students who may not otherwise have gone to college will do so. References AVID. (2006). AVID 101: (What AVID is). Retrieved November 27, 2006, from http://www.avidonline.org/info/?tabid=3&ID=556 Camblin, S. J. (2003). The middle grades: Putting all students on track for college. Retrieved March 29, 2006, from http://www.prel.org/products/pcn_/middle-grades.htm Chickering, A. W., & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Heisel, M. (2005). New Jersey GEAR UP: Gaining early awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs. Retrieved March 29, 2006, from http://www.state.nj.us/highereducation//GearUpEval.pdf The Indiana Youth Institute. (2005). Drive of your life: Test careers for the one and only you. Retrieved April 22, 2006, from https://www.driveofyourlife.org/launch.html McClafferty, K. A., McDonough, P. M., & Nunez, A. (2002, April). What is a college culture? Facilitating college preparation through organizational change. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. Plank, S. B., & Mac Iver, D. J. (1998, February). Aiming poor urban kids toward college. The Education Digest, 63, 34–36. University of Wisconsin–Madison. (2006). Pre-college enrichment opportunity program for learning excellence. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.peopleprogram.wisc.edu/overview.html About the Author Stacey Wiist is an eighth-grade middle school teacher. She is also currently enrolled in a master's degree program in higher education student affairs at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. She can be reached at slwiist@iupui.edu or 317-733-6420. Published in The Mentor on March 14, 2007, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |