AUSTIN PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

SINCE 2004, AUSTIN PARTNERS IN EDUCATION (APIE) HAS PARTNERED WITH CO-FOUNDERS AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (ISD) AND THE GREATER AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO DELIVER BEST-PRACTICE, SCALABLE, AND RESULTS-DRIVEN LEARNING MODELS FOR MATH, MENTORING, AND COLLEGE READINESS TO STUDENTS IN AUSTIN ISDS UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. IN LINE WITH OUR MISSION, APIE UTILIZES MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO HELP CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP CREATED BY INCOME INEQUALITY AND ADDRESS THE NEED FOR A TRAINED AND EDUCATED WORKFORCE. APIE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE ACADEMIC NEEDS OF AUSTINS MOST AT-RISK STUDENTS AND CAN READILY ADAPT TO THE DISTRICTS EVOLVING INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY MODELS. EACH YEAR, APIE RECRUITS, ORGANIZES, AND TRAINS OVER 100 OF VOLUNTEERS TO WORK WITH AUSTIN ISD STUDENTS THROUGH THE PROGRAMS OUTLINED BELOW: -COLLEGE READINESS: DELIVERS CAMPUS INTERVENTIONS TO AUSTIN ISD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO MEET TEXAS COLLEGE READINESS STANDARDS AS MEASURED BY THE TEXAS SUCCESS INITIATIVE (TSI). INTERVENTIONS INCLUDE BUILDING STUDENT AWARENESS ON THE RELEVANCE OF THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AND PROVIDING ACADEMIC SUPPORT IN MATH, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, AND WRITING. TARGETED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WORK WITH AN APIE STAFF MEMBER IN REGULAR, ONGOING TUTORING SESSIONS FOCUSED ON CLOSING ACADEMIC GAPS AND PREPARING THEM TO SUCCEED ON THE TSI ASSESSMENT. -MATH CLASSROOM COACHING: PROVIDES ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MATH BY TRAINING AND DEPLOYING HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS - OFTEN EMPLOYED IN STEM-RELATED FIELDS - WHO CONDUCT WEEKLY 45-MINUTE SMALL GROUP SESSIONS WITH 3-4 STUDENTS. COACHES SUPPORT THE ACQUISITION OF MATHEMATICAL SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE, PARTICULARLY AIMED TOWARDS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MATH. COACHES ALSO SHARE THEIR CAREER PATHS AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS AND ENCOURAGE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS. -MENTORING PROGRAM: VOLUNTEERS MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH STUDENTS ON DISTRICT CAMPUSES IN WEEKLY MENTORING SESSIONS. MENTORS SERVE AS POSITIVE ROLE MODELS FOR STUDENTS, HELPING THEM BUILD SELF- CONFIDENCE AND SET GOALS FOR THE FUTURE. MENTORING IS INDIVIDUALIZED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EACH STUDENT AND CAN INCLUDE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS READING, DISCUSSING CAREERS, PREPARING COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, ACADEMIC TUTORING, AND DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE STUDY HABITS. AS A PARTNER IN AISDS FEDERAL, SEVEN YEAR GEAR UP GRANT, APIE PROVIDES TUTORING IN MATH AND READING TO OVER 1,000 STUDENTS. THIS YEAR MARKED THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GEAR UP GRANT. APIE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT CAMPUS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE STRATEGIC ALLIANCES BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF AISD SCHOOLS. APIE ALSO CONDUCTS BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS VOLUNTEERING IN AUSTIN ISD SCHOOLS, SUPPORTING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE AUSTIN SCHOOL SYSTEM. TOGETHER, APIES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS OCCUR AT CRITICAL STEPS IN A STUDENTS PATH TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, INCREASING RATES OF COLLEGE MATRICULATION AND OPENING PATHWAYS TOWARDS REWARDING, FINANCIALLY STABLE CAREERS.