2012 annual report

2012 annual report
1
Potential
Made
Possible
CollegeSpring helps students from low-income
backgrounds boost their SAT scores, tackle college
admissions and financial aid, and confidently pursue
college degrees.
This year we served more students than ever before,
helping students improve their SAT scores by an
average of 166 points.
Aidelena
2
College-Ready Academy
High School #5
Our Vision for
All Students
DEAR FRIENDS,
We began in 2008 with 55 students, two summer programs, and one simple
idea: that all students deserve the opportunity to pursue higher education.
By providing SAT test preparation and helping students navigate the college
admissions and financial aid processes, we knew we could give students from
low-income backgrounds a springboard to college. This year, we officially became
CollegeSpring. Our new name recognizes the momentum we create as we help
our students “spring” into college and confidently pursue higher education.
Making Potential Possible
CEO and Co-Founder Garrett Neiman
(center) and Senior Programs Manager
Krystal Flores (right) with three of
the students Garrett taught during
our first pilot program in 2008. Kym,
Neda, and Jonathan are all now
upperclassmen at UCLA.
In academic year 2011-2012 and summer 2012, CollegeSpring partnered with nearly 30 high schools to help
more than 1,400 students improve their SAT scores an average of nearly 200 points and prepare for college.
During the 2012-13 year, we will reach more than 2,300 students through both academic-year and summer
programs - a 60% growth in students served, accompanied by a 50% growth in budget size to $2.6 million.
Building Momentum in the Academic Year
One of our most exciting achievements this year was the successful completion of our first academic-year
programs. By integrating our program into the school day, we are now able to reach the entire junior class
at each of our academic-year partner schools. We began our second year of academic-year programs at 16
school sites in the Bay Area and Los Angeles in the fall of 2012.
Accelerating Towards Change
CollegeSpring is committed to improving our programs constantly as we expand to help many more
students from low-income backgrounds make college a reality. Our work is guided by a strategic plan
which provides a detailed road map for serving 9,300 students over the next three years. Over that
period we will build our first district-level partnerships, serve one market outside California, continue
to strengthen our students’ performance, and further develop concrete evidence of CollegeSpring’s
short-term and lasting impact.
Thanks to supporters like you, CollegeSpring is making an incredible difference in the lives of students
across California, and in the future across the country. Please read on to learn more about how your
support is making potential possible.
THANK YOU,
GARRETT NEIMAN
THOMAS J. FRIEL
CEO and Co-Founder | CollegeSpring
Board Chair | CollegeSpring
1
Building on Success
SUMMER 2012
Students in our summer programs attend CollegeSpring sessions for three hours
each day, Monday through Friday, for five weeks. Students split their time between
classroom sessions and small-group tutoring led by undergraduate mentors. They
also take four practice SATs. Because students attend our summer programs for
three hours each day they still have time to participate in other summer school
classes or to earn money through summer jobs.
3
2
For many schools and community organizations, summer programs are an excellent
way to reach a targeted group of students - those who have completed a collegepreparatory curriculum and are on-track for college based on their coursework, but
who may fall through the cracks without additional support as they approach the
college admissions, financial aid, and SAT preparation processes.
mer 2
01
CollegeSpring’s summer
programs have been helping
students succeed since 2008.
Our unique model offers
a rare summer enrichment
opportunity that is highimpact and completely free
for students.
m
su
School is out for summer, but learning is in!
HOURS PER DAY
M O N DAY
through
F R I D A Y
FOR FIVE WEEKS
Students in our summer programs increased their scores by an average of 160
points, keeping pace with our impressive track record of score improvements even
as we expand our reach.
Our model succeeds because of our excellent staff, dedicated partners, and
targeted curriculum. Read on to learn how we’ve adapted our model for the
academic year, built our pipeline for hiring high-achieving undergraduate mentors,
solidified new and existing partnerships, and created a curriculum that gives
students the tools they need to succeed.
Bryan will be the first in his family to attend college; his CollegeSpring mentor helped him gain
confidence in his ability to succeed. So far, Bryan has been accepted to 5 of the 9 colleges where he
applied, including his top choice.
Breaking New Ground
our first academic-year programs
SAT SCORES
IMPROVED BY AN
AVERAGE OF
171
POINTS
Back to school with CollegeSpring!
In 2011, Green Dot Public
Schools and Alliance
College-Ready Public
Schools in Los Angeles came
to us with a challenge: they
wanted our programs to
reach ALL juniors during the
school day.
We adapted our program and curriculum for the academic year, carefully retaining the core elements that
make our strategy successful. Teachers from our partner schools teach our classroom sessions throughout the
year during advisory periods, and mentors meet with students weekly during the spring semester. Students
also take four diagnostic tests throughout the year to prepare for the official SAT in the spring.
“I want to be a doctor,
specializing in pediatrics.
Through taking CollegeSpring’s
course, I learned that if I’m
determined to do something,
I’ll do it and I’ll give it my best.
I saw major improvement.”
GABRIELA
Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School
Research shows that even at schools with college
counselors available, students are more likely to bring
their questions about college admissions to the teachers
they know and trust.1 Our academic-year programs give
teachers the tools they needed to support their students
well.
Close collaboration with teachers helped us quickly
establish and refine our program for the academic year
setting. CollegeSpring’s Programs Managers developed
a reputation for going above and beyond to respond to
teachers’ requests and suggestions for curriculum, program
structure, and instructional resources, making our first
academic-year programs incredibly successful. Students
in our 2011-2012 academic-year programs improved their
scores by an average of 171 points!
Before CollegeSpring’s program, Gabriela scored in the bottom third of all test takers on the SAT.
After CollegeSpring’s program, she scored above the national average.
3
Building our
Recruiting
Pipeline
SUMMER 2012
We are developing a strong
reputation at colleges in
the areas we serve most,
which means we can be
increasingly selective in our
mentor hiring decisions.
If CollegeSpring has a secret
sauce, our mentors are the key
ingredient. We hire top undergraduates
who understand the challenges our students
face, who have the potential to become
strong tutors, and who inspire students to
imagine new possibilities. Over the past
year, we’ve continued to build our mentor
pipeline through on-campus recruiting,
social media campaigns, and extensive inperson outreach with outstanding results.
4
CollegeSpring’s curriculum is delivered
by dedicated professional educators:
from the administrative partners that
make the crucial decision to bring
CollegeSpring’s programming to their
students, to the credentialed teachers who
work with students in the classroom, to
the program managers who support staff
and ensure program quality. In addition,
CollegeSpring’s near-peer mentors provide
our students with living examples of what
they can achieve through the college
admissions process.
Academic Years 2011-12
and 2012-13
Word about our academic-year
program, now in its second
year, is spreading.
Our mentor applicant pool more than
tripled between our 2011-2012 and
2012-2013 academic-year programs,
allowing us to become more selective
even as our hiring needs increased.
Competitive positions
This summer, using a rigorous applicant
screening process, we accepted only 33%
of applicants.
Best and the brightest
Our mentors’ average SAT score was 1986,
placing them in the 89th percentile of test
takers nationwide. 1
Ongoing engagement
During Summer 2012, 22% of our mentors
worked with us for the second or third time.
Retaining quality mentors helps us to build
engagement and increases awareness of
our work on college campuses.
2011-2012
90 applied · 61% accepted
av e rag e s at s cor e of
acc e pt e d m e ntor s :
1863
2012-2013
335 applied · 44% accepted
av e rag e s at s cor e of
acc e pt e d m e ntor s :
1916
Looking to the Future
Paying it Forward
Daniela Gomez credits her admission to UC Berkeley to the preparation she received
as a CollegeSpring student. Now a CollegeSpring mentor, she is helping other
students succeed.
“I remember talking a lot to two mentors,
Sarah and Diana. They were both super
patient and supportive; if I had any questions
they were both eager to help and offer
advice.
Kermeka Desai
CollegeSpring Mentor
Terio Ruiz
CollegeSpring Mentor
I decided to become a mentor because I
realized that I would not be attending UC
Berkeley if I had not been a part of this
program. It really made a difference in my
life and will continue to do so. I want other
students that are in similar positions to
thrive on the individualized attention from
CollegeSpring so that they can also be the
first in their families to attend college.”
Daniela is one of the first CollegeSpring students to return as a CollegeSpring mentor. As
we serve more students, we anticipate that program alumni will become a key part of our
recruiting pipeline.
Inspiring Future Educators
Michelle Pacione is a two-time CollegeSpring mentor, who was inspired to pursue a
career in education because of her CollegeSpring experience.
“CollegeSpring is an incredible program
achievement gap. I will continue to utilize
run by incredible people. Every day I went
the skills I gained from mentoring--the
into the classroom I saw my students learn
ability to organize and plan lessons, and
and grow. This experience has made me
the ability to articulate difficult concepts in
want to work even harder to bridge the
layman’s terms--in my classroom.”
Michelle was recently accepted into Teach For America. As CollegeSpring grows, our
program will become a pipeline into the classroom for aspiring educators.
5
Expanding Our Reach
CollegeSpring partners with traditional public schools,
and Green Dot Public Schools in Los Angeles. In 2012-
charter schools, and community-based organizations
2013, we more than doubled the number of schools
to take our curriculum directly to students where they
we serve during the academic year and established
are. In 2011-2012, we embarked on our first multi-year
our first full-scale academic-year partnerships in the
contracts: with Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
Bay Area.
CollegeSpring partners with seven of the largest school management organizations in California:
6
2012 PARTNERS
Los Angeles
Bay Area
Alliance College-Ready Public
Schools (Alliance College-Ready
Academy High School #5, Alliance
Huntington Park College-Ready
Academy High School, Alliance Marc
& Eva Stern Math and Science High
School, Alliance William & Carol
Ouchi High School, Alliance Heritage
College-Ready Academy High
School), Green Dot Public Schools
(Ánimo Inglewood Charter High
School)
Castlemont High School, Envision
Education (City Arts and Technology
High School/Metropolitan Arts
and Technology High School,
Envision Academy of Arts and
Technology High School, Impact
Academy of Arts and Technology
High Shcool), El Sobrante Sikh
Gurdwara, Foundation for a
College Education, Leadership
Public Schools (Leadership Public
Schools - Hayward, Leadership Public
Schools - San Jose), Lighthouse
Community Charter High School,
Menlo-Atherton High School,
Oakland Military Institute, San Jose
Sikh Gurdwara, Upward Bound at
UC Davis, William C. Overfelt High
School
Los Angeles
Birmingham Community Charter
High School, Inner City Education
Foundation (Frederick Douglass
Academy High School/Lou Dantzler
Preparatory High School/View Park
Preparatory High School), LA’s
Promise (Manual Arts High School/
West Adams Preparatory High
School), Partnerships to Uplift
Communities (Community Charter
Early College High School, California
Academy for Liberal Studies Early
College High School), The School of
Arts and Enterprise
ACADEMIC YEAR
2012-2013 PARTNERS
16 SCHOOLS
2011- 2012 PARTNERS
SUMMER
20 PROGRAM
SITES
ACADEMIC YEAR
6 SCHOOLS
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Envision Education, Green Dot Public Schools, Inner City Education Foundation,
LA’s Promise, Leadership Public Schools, Partnerships to Uplift Communities (PUC).
Los Angeles
Alliance College-Ready Public
Schools (Alliance Cindy & Bill Simon
Technology Academy High School,
Alliance Renee & Meyer Luskin
Academy High School, Alliance
College-Ready Academy High School
#5, Alliance Huntington Park CollegeReady Academy High School, Alliance
Marc & Eva Stern Math and Science
High School, Alliance Media Arts and
Entertainment Design High School,
Alliance William & Carol Ouchi High
School), Green Dot Public Schools
(Ánimo Inglewood Charter High
School, Ánimo Leadership Charter
PROGRAM SITES
BAY AREA
NEW SITE
LOS ANGELES
academic year
2011-2012
RETURNING SITE
Previously hosted a summer program
6 NEW SITES
RETURNING SITE
Previously hosted an academic-year program
SUMMER 2012
11 RETURNING
9 NEW
In 2012-2013, we more than
doubled the number of
schools we serve during
the academic year.
High School, Ánimo Oscar De La
Hoya Charter High School, Ánimo Pat
Brown Charter School)
Bay Area
academic year
2012-2013
11 RETURNING
5 NEW
Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix
Academy, Envision Education
(City Arts and Technology High
School, Envision Academy of Arts
and Technology High school, Impact
Academy of Arts and Technology
High School, Metropolitan Arts and
Technology High School)
7
Students work with their undergraduate mentor during a CollegeSpring
tutoring session at Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School.
Why we do
what we do:
CollegeSpring believes
that all students
deserve the opportunity
to choose a four-year
college education.
SAT TEST
PREPARATION
Standardized testing
AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
90%
Almost 90% of four-year schools
require either the SAT or the ACT for
admission, including all UC schools and
all impacted CSU campuses (campuses
that cannot accept all qualified applicants).6
8
The Achievement Gap
Earning a bachelor’s
degree in addition to a
high school diploma is
associated with nearly
$1,000,000 in increased
lifetime income.3
Only 9% of students from low-income backgrounds
{ achieve
}
bachelor’s degrees by age 24.
2
Only 27% of low-income students
begin higher education at four-year
schools, compared to 63% of highincome students.5
Students who begin higher
education at four-year schools are
more than three times more likely
to complete a bachelor’s degree in
eight years than students who start
at community college.4
In 2012, students improved by an average of 166 points between their first and best CollegeSpring
diagnostic SAT tests and 150 points between their first CollegeSpring diagnostics and the official SAT test.
The Problem
CollegeSpring’s Solution:
Students who don’t take
a college admissions test
disqualify themselves from
beginning higher education
at most four-year schools.
Only 55% of California high
school seniors take the SAT.11
Our programs help students achieve scores that reflect their true
potential and understand the role the SAT plays in accessing
four-year colleges. CollegeSpring’s SAT prep curriculum helps
students review and build core academic skills that will be as
important in college as they will be on the test.
OUR STUDENTS FACE
Across all types of colleges and
universities, the SAT is one of the
most important factors in admissions,
second only to students’ strength of
curriculum and GPA in core classes. 7
31
%
Nationwide, 31%
of all college and
universities use the
SAT as part of a
quantitative index to
determine eligibility.8
SAT scores determine CSU eligibility
for students with a GPA between 2.0
and 3.09 and eligibility for guaranteed
admission to a UC campus for students
with a GPA above 3.0.10
Students from low-income
families score, on average,
359 points lower on the SAT
than their highest-income
peers, and 189 points lower
than all other students.
These score disparities put
them at a disadvantage
in the college admissions
process.12
IMPROVING SAT SCORES
HOW WE DO IT:
Professional instruction
by experienced educators
helps students review core
content.
Small-group tutoring with
current undergraduates helps
students target individual
challenge areas.
Four full-length, proctored SAT tests help students gain
familiarity with the test and provide useful assessment data
that help mentors and teachers adapt instruction to meet
student needs.
“I remember working
in small groups that
included students that
were around my level
on the SAT, so I did not
feel left behind or too
advanced for my group.
I knew I would be able
to make it through
the test using my time
wisely and practicing
the skills I had worked
on during the program.”
Daniela Gomez,
CollegeSpring Mentor
and Former Student
9
30% USC
20% UCLA
18% UC BERKELEY
BEYOND THE SAT
Students from low-income families who have high standardized test
scores are less likely to enroll in four-year colleges than students
from high-income families with average test scores. 13 CollegeSpring
helps students not only to succeed on the SAT, but also to understand
and navigate college admissions and financial aid.
10% CSULA
9% LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
7% STANFORD
14% OTHER
(including liberal arts colleges like Mills,
Pomona, and Oberlin)
CollegeSpring mentors attend a wide variety
of colleges, exposing our students to the whole
spectrum of college options.
Understanding College Options
WHY COLLEGE?
“I learned that when you
have a college degree more
doors are opened. If you
don’t have a college degree
you can’t really reach your
goals.”
Jesus, Ánimo Inglewood Charter
High School
Our curriculum helps students make
the connection between college and
their future goals.
10
CAN I DO IT?
“The mentors have been
through it and a lot of them
come from where we come
from. They help us grow--I
was scared of college, but
I learned that I have the
potential to succeed.“
Arianna, Alliance Marc and Eva Stern
Math and Science School
Building relationships with nearpeer mentors helps students gain
confidence in their own ability to
succeed.
WHICH COLLEGE?
Low-income parents are
almost four times less likely
than high-income parents
to engage in collegeselection activities (looking
at college websites, reading
college brochures, visiting
campuses, etc.) with their
children.14
CollegeSpring mentors get to know
their students well and provide them
with the individualized attention
that students need to think through
the college selection process.
Navigating College Admissions
and Financial Aid
1000:1
At over 1000:1, California’s student to
“They taught us that with just our background, what we’ve
been through, we could get so many scholarships and so much
financial aid and just so much help from people out there...”
Eduardo, Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School
college counselor ratio is the worst in
the country, making it difficult for college
counselors to support students adequately
through the college admissions process.15
For schools that struggle to provide even
basic college prep support, our curriculum
and mentors fill a crucial gap. Even at
schools that invest more resources in
college counseling, most school counselors
must juggle competing demands on their
time, and often cannot help students
individually.16 For schools that do have
college advising structures in place, our
curriculum
helps
students
understand
the basics so that college counselors can
leverage their time effectively.
HOW DO I APPLY?
CAN I AFFORD IT?
High school students from
low-income backgrounds are
54 percent less likely to apply
to college than students from
high-income backgrounds.17
More than 80% of qualified
students who did not go on
to college cited cost as a
major factor, yet very few of
these students filled out the
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid, which would
have helped them pay.18
CollegeSpring mentors provide the
dedicated, hands-on support that
students need to understand how
to approach applications, access
application fee-waivers, and draft
personal essays.
CollegeSpring’s targeted curriculum
covers financial aid options, including
information about FAFSA, Cal Grants,
Pell Grants and other sources for
need-based financial aid, along with
resources for undocumented students.
11
Growing by
Leaps and
Bounds
REACHING MORE STUDENTS
THAN EVER BEFORE!
CollegeSpring is
growing. This year,
our operating budget
nearly doubled,
and the number of
students we served
nearly tripled.
2011
2012
STUDENTS SERVED
554
Audited Financials
12
2012 Fiscal Year (October 2011- September 2012)
1409
5
PARTNER SITES
13
SEASONAL STAFF
16
27
71
OPERATING BUDGET
163
OFFICES
LOS ANGELES
$816,000
St e warding
O u r R e s o u rc e s
FULL-TIME STAFF
SUPPORT AND REVENUE
$1,403,000
TOTAL
Bay area
Bay area
EXPENSES
Individual Contributions........................$186,180
Programs............................................ $1,038,818
Foundation and Grants*........................$816,500
Management and General.................... $204,518
In-Kind Donations....................................$94,606
Fundraising............................................ $159,718
Partner Service Fees..............................$218,944
Total Expenses.................................... $1,403,054
Total Revenue.....................................$1,316,230
Net Assets, end of year......................... $184,652
Net Assets, beginning of year...............$271,476
* includes $220,500 (27%) in individual contributions made
through family foundations
Thank you to all of CollegeSpring’s supporters,
October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012.
$100,000+
The Coleman Fung Foundation
The Heckscher Foundation for Children
W.M. Keck Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Gene T. Sykes/GS Gives Annual Giving Fund
$25,000 - $99,999
Ambassador and Mrs. Frank E. Baxter; S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
and the Stephen Bechtel Fund; CollegeBoard; Joseph Drown
Foundation; Friel Family Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley
Community Foundation; The Hitachi Foundation; Kissick Family
Foundation; Mindy and Jesse T. Rogers; Sheryl Sandberg and
David Goldberg Philanthropy Fund; W.L.S. Spencer Foundation;
Joyce and Larry Stupski; Westly Foundation; Yates Family Fund
$1,000 - $24,999
Eric Chen; Tom Ehrlich/Public Welfare Foundation; Ron Gonzales; Nieves Gunn Charitable Fund; The
Franklin and Catherine Johnson Foundation; The Karsh Family Foundation; Sarah Ketterer; Lisa Kleissner; The Lamont Family Fund;
Thomas J. Long Foundation; Craig and Susan McCaw Foundation; Bill and Susan Oberndorf Foundation; Kenneth Edward Olivier and
Angela Nomellini; Innovate Foundation; Paul Sack; Salesforce Foundation; Stephenson Foundation; H. Michael Stevens; Mark Stevens;
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Up to $999 Anonymous; Devan Adams; Cruz Baisa; Mark and Jayne Battey; Joette Breor; Crystal Caskie; Amy Chesak; Sigmundt
John Daniels; Aria Florant; John and Meredith Fossum/TPG Capital, LP; Heather Giovanni; Selvaganesan Govindarajan; Regina Hopkins;
Nicole Howser; Marla and Joe Kaufman; Benjamin Knelman; Jennie Leung; Debra Mellinkoff; Lenny Mendonca; Michelle Neiman; Mark
Parnes; Amanda Peterson; Stephanie Pigneri; Orlando Ramirez; Sherri Reasner; Lisa Rimsa; Eleanor Ryan; K Sandersen; Sally Sheriff; Holly
Shupe; Max Sinsheimer; Philipp Skogstad; Angela Recio Sondon; Jeffrey St. John; Darren Starr; Danny Theis; Taylor Thompson; Robin
Trujillo; Emily Wang
Ana
Marc and Eva Stern
Math and Science
School
13
Thank you for helping make
potential possible!
CollegeSpring | San Francisco
145 Natoma Street, Floor 3
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 230-0640
CollegeSpring | Los Angeles
626 Wilshire Blvd, STE 220
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 443-7066
www.CollegeSpring.org
facebook.com/CollegeSpring
twitter.com/CollegeSpring
SAT Percentile Ranks for Males, Females, and Total Group. The CollegeBoard, 2012: 2. 2Family Income and Higher Education Opportunity 1970 to 2003. Postsecondary Education Opportunity, Number 156, 2005. Print.
Julian, Tiffany and Robert Kominski. Education and Synthetic Work-Life Estimates. American Community Survey Reports, 2011. 4Bound, John et. al. Understanding the Decrease in College Completion Rates and the
Increased time to the Baccalaureate Degree. Population Studies Center, 2007: 65. 5Bailey, Thomas et. Al. What We Know About Community College Low-Income and Minority Student Outcomes: Descriptive Statistics from
National Surveys. Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2005: 63. 6Briggs, Derek C. Preparation for College Admission Exams. National Association for College Admission Counseling,
2009: 8. 7Briggs, Derek C. Preparation for College Admission Exams. National Association for College Admission Counseling, 2009: 8. 8Briggs, Derek C. Preparation for College Admission Exams. National Association for
College Admission Counseling, 2009: 8. 9Eligibility Index. California State University. http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/eligibility_index.asp. 102012 Admissions Index. University of California. http://admission.
universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/california-residents/admissions-index/index.html. 11The SAT Report on College and Career Readiness. The CollegeBoard, 2012: 39. 122012 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Report.
The CollegeBoard, 2012: 4. 13 Carnevale, Anthony P. and Jeff Strohl. How Increasing College Access is Increasing Inequality and What to Do about It. Rewarding Strivers: Helping Low-Income Students Succeed in College.
ed. Richard D. Kahlenburg. The Century Foundation Press, 2010: 71-190. Print. 14Dounay, Jennifer. Strategies to Empower Low-Income and Minority Students in Gaining Admission to and Paying for College. Education
Commission of the States, 2008. 15National Association for College Admission Counseling. K-12 Public School Student-to-Counselor Ratios, by State: 2010-2011, 2012: 1. 16Dounay, Jennifer. Strategies to Empower Low-Income and Minority
Students in Gaining Admission to and Paying for College. Education Commission of the States, 2008. Print. 17Cabrera, A.F., and S.M. La Nasa. On the Path to College. 2001. 18Jackson, Orville. The Cost of Opportunity: Access to College
Financial Aid in California. Education Trust-West, 2013: 1.
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