Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a seven-year, $23 million grant to Milwaukee Public Schools, the district's superintendent announced on Wednesday.
‘GEAR UP’ grant
By the numbers:
MPS said the grant, called Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs or "GEAR UP," will distribute $3.2 million to the district each year. With a $23 million in-kind match from local and national partnering organizations and from the district, $46 million in total will go toward the initiative.
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The grant is intended to help more underserved students prepare for and succeed at college, according to the district – supporting more than 4,100 students a year from 28 schools. The program's goal is to increase academic achievement, high school graduation rates and college enrollment and retention. It serves students starting in grades four through seven and follows them through their first year of post-secondary education.
"This grant allows us to boost academic achievement, provide mentorship opportunities and enhance classroom instruction that will prepare students for a modern workforce. That is exciting news," Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said in a statement.
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Community partnerships
Local perspective:
MPS said the program will focus on tutoring, engaging with families, providing teacher development and increasing dual enrollment in college courses, among other efforts.
"We are also going to work at growing career academies in high-demand industries to prepare students for the modern workforce. And we're going to do this with some strong local and national partnerships," said John Hill, MPS director of college and career readiness.
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The school district will partner with local organizations in the grant, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and other UW System campuses. National partners are involved in the program as well.
Previous grant
The backstory:
MPS was awarded a $14.9 million GEAR UP grant from 2011 to 2018, too. The district touted achievements from that grant that included an increase in advanced placement course participation, greater access to pre-college programs and thousands of students taking college tours and visits.
The school district said the graduate rate increased at six of the eight high schools that received grant funding through the program.
The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about the U.S. Department of Education grant.