Grant was a success in Canton schools

GEAR UP is a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Canton City Schools saw an increase in pupils advancing from one grade to the next in a program funded by a federal grant like the one Warren City Schools recently got.
Last week Warren schools announced receipt of a $1.6 million grant to be used over five years to encourage low-income pupils to pursue higher education.
GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, from the U.S. Department of Education, aims to increase the number of low-income pupils who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.
The Canton district just started its third year under a five-year GEAR UP grant. The program started with middle-school pupils.
Although it's too early to gauge results, Paralee Compton, GEAR UP coordinator for the Canton school system, said there's been an increase in interest in higher education among pupils and parents.
Visiting KSU campus
The schools work with Kent State University, arranging visits for parents and pupils to the campus. Kent State also has a branch campus in Stark County, where four-year degrees can be earned. Canton is the Stark County seat.
"It was the first time some of them had ever been to a college campus," she said.
The program also uses mentoring and tutoring for pupils and professional development for teachers, but the campus visits themselves got more pupils talking about going to college, Compton said.
Tutoring programs were instituted using grant money to improve pupils' proficiency test scores, enabling them to advance grades.
"We had a goal of 50 percent of the students who were receiving [tutoring] instruction, to go on to the next grade because of the help, and 78 percent did," Compton said.
GEAR UP money also was used to teach algebra in the middle schools, a course that wasn't available before the grant. Compton said that with an accompanying change in the school district's curriculum more pupils now may take algebra, then go on to geometry and other math classes.
Warren's program
The program at Warren also focuses on middle-school pupils and will follow them through to graduation. The money also will be used to align the curriculum to ensure pupils are being challenged as well as prepared for college.
Warren's was one of 45 GEAR UP grants awarded nationally this year out of 300 districts or institutions that applied.
Compton, a former elementary teacher, principal and assistant superintendent in the Canton schools, said the professional development component is an important element of the program.
"Business wouldn't be able to keep their employees' skills updated if their supervisors weren't up to date in their skills," she said. "Schools are no different."
GEAR UP funds also are used to teach pupils about college, how to prepare for it and how it's useful upon graduation.
"The program is more effective at meeting the needs of today's children," Compton said.