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Imagining a Promise Pathway for

AUSTIN YOUTH

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CONNECTION

before

CONTENT

1. What is the first concert you ever attended?

2. What’s a funny, interesting, or surprising fact

about you?

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from

THIS

to

THAT

From working with each other with our

own goals

From creating collective understanding

of what is needed

From initiating many loosely coupled

projects with limited sustainability

From institutionally driven opportunities

To truly working “together” as a region

with a bold unified goal.

To driving collective action with people,

data, and resources

To launching focused bold action with

a sustainability plan

To student, family, and community empowered voices that solve root cause issues.

A New Way of Working that is BOLD and COLLABORATIVE

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College Promise

What the Research Shows

SESSION

Denisa Gándara, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Educational Leadership & Policy

College of Education, UT Austin

Elizabeth Bell, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

LBJ School of Public Affairs

The University of Texas at Austin

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COLLEGE PROMISE:

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

Denisa Gándara

Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy

Elizabeth Bell

Assistant Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs

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IMPACTS OF COLLEGE PROMISE PROGRAMS

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Impact on Student Outcomes

Effect – We DO see this effect.

  • Large increases in college enrollment (Bartik et al., 2021; Bell, 2021; Bifulco et al., 2019; Carruthers & Fox, 2016; Gándara & Li, 2020; Gurantz, 2020; Nguyen, 2020; Page et al., 2019; Swanson & Ritter, 2020)
    • Can be larger for low-income students, Black and Hispanic Students (Anderson et al., 2023; Gándara & Li, 2020)

Potential Effects – We CAN see these effects.

  • Shift Students from Non-Eligible Institutions to Promise-Eligible Institutions

(Bell 2021; Carruthers & Fox, 2016; Page et al., 2019; Perna et al., 2018; Gurantz, 2022)

  • Increase GPA & Persistence (Bifulco et al., 2019; Page et al., 2019; Swanson et al., 2020; Bell 2021)
  • Improve Transfer (Bell, 2021; Bell & Gándara, 2021)
  • Increase Bachelors & Associates Degree Attainment (Bartik et al., 2021; Bell, 2021;

Bell & Gándara, 2021; Swanson & Ritter, 2020; Harris et al., 2018)

  • Reduce Student Loan Debt (Odle et al., 2021)
  • Increase Wages, though effects are inconsistent across studies (Carruthers et al., 2020;

Borg et al., 2021; Hershbein 2021)

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Why do college promise programs improve student outcomes?

  1. Can decrease financial burden
  2. Can enhance perceptions of affordability
  3. Can reduce financial uncertainty
  4. Can make college attendance an expectation
  5. Can improve college-going culture and marshal more college-going supports in high school
  6. Can provide additional supports (academic, navigational, career-related) in college

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KEY PROMISE �DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

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Key Design Considerations

  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Institutions Included
  • Scholarship Structure
  • Non-Tuition Supports
  • Program Financing
  • Financial need
  • Merit (e.g., GPA, attendance)
  • U.S. citizenship
  • No degree earned
  • Minimum credit hour enrollment
  • Community service / internship
  • No loan default
  • Avoiding illegal drug use
  • Postgraduate residency requirement
  • Recency of high school graduation
  • Single college
  • Group of college partners
  • Only public two-year colleges
  • All public (two-year and four-year) colleges
  • All nonprofit (public and private colleges)
  • First Dollar: Applied to tuition bill before all other aid (stacks on to other aid)
  • Last Dollar: Applied to tuition bill after all other aid
  • Middle Dollar: Applied to tuition bill after some other aid but before others
  • Last Dollar Plus: Applied to tuition bill after all other aid plus a stipend regardless of other aid
  • Books and other course materials
  • Transportation
  • One-time or recurring grants / stipends
  • Academic support (tutoring, advising, learning communities, designated counselor/advisor)
  • Student services (peer mentoring, success coaching, workshops)
  • Career/workforce support
  • Priority enrollment
  • Cohort models
  • Summer engagement activities
  • Public entities
    • Local / state appropriations
    • Taxes (sales, property); tax-increment financing
    • Lottery revenues
    • Interest earnings on public endowment
    • Federal aid (Pell Grant, pandemic relief funds)
  • Private entities
    • Businesses
    • Philanthropic foundations
    • Individual donors
  • College funding
    • College foundations / development

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REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN

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Administrative Burden

Learning Costs: What are the informational barriers/areas of confusion?

Compliance Costs: What are the eligibility/paperwork requirements leading to onerous experiences?

Psychological Costs: What are the psychological burdens?

Herd, P., & Moynihan, D. P. (2019). Administrative burden: Policymaking by other means. Russell Sage Foundation.

Gándara, D., Acevedo, R. M., Cervantes, D., & Quiroz, M. A. (2023). Advancing a framework of racialized administrative burdens in higher education policy. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-29.

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How can we reduce uncertainty and informational barriers?

    • Provide clear and simple messaging that students can attend college tuition free
    • Offer extensive communication
    • Avoid misleading students

Herd, P., & Moynihan, D. P. (2019). Administrative burden: Policymaking by other means. Russell Sage Foundation.

Gándara, D., Acevedo, R. M., Cervantes, D., & Quiroz, M. A. (2023). Advancing a framework of racialized administrative burdens in higher education policy. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-29.

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How can we streamline or eliminate onerous requirements?

    • Reduce paperwork burdens and consider automatic enrollment
    • Provide staffing/counselors to navigate requirements

Herd, P., & Moynihan, D. P. (2019). Administrative burden: Policymaking by other means. Russell Sage Foundation.

Gándara, D., Acevedo, R. M., Cervantes, D., & Quiroz, M. A. (2023). Advancing a framework of racialized administrative burdens in higher education policy. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-29.

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How can we streamline or eliminate onerous requirements?

    • Reduce paperwork burdens and consider automatic enrollment
    • Provide staffing/counselors to navigate requirements

Herd, P., & Moynihan, D. P. (2019). Administrative burden: Policymaking by other means. Russell Sage Foundation.

Gándara, D., Acevedo, R. M., Cervantes, D., & Quiroz, M. A. (2023). Advancing a framework of racialized administrative burdens in higher education policy. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-29.

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THANK YOU!

Denisa Gándara denisa.gandara@austin.utexas.edu

Elizabeth Bell elizabeth.bell@austin.utexas.edu

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How Seasoned Promise Programs

Have Evolved and Other Lessons Learned

PANEL

PANEL FACILITATOR

John Fitzpatrick

President, Ferry Partners

Founder, Educate Texas

Wytrice Harris

Senior Director, College Success & Partnerships

Lupe Pasillas

Director, High School Outreach & Educational Partnerships

Graham Thomas

Chief Community & Government Affairs Officer

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Program Design

Presented by: Lupe Pasillas�Prepared for Austin 2030 Network �May 2, 2025

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Long Beach College Promise: For Student Success

  1. Provide information, services, and resources to help Long Beach students and their families prepare for college.

  • Help students successfully transition to and succeed in college and provide opportunities in career and technical education.�
  • Provide all LBUSD and LBCC students who successfully prepare for college with the opportunity to earn a high-quality bachelor's or advanced degree.

  • Work together to deliver these promises for the young people and families of the Long Beach area.

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College Promise Commitment 1:

Provide information,services, and resources to help Long Beach students and their families prepare for college.

Spotlight Activities:

Long Beach College Promise Family Nights:

Information session on Promise Programs, Financial Aid, and Support Services at LBCC and CSULB to help with post-high school decisions.

Dual Enrollment:

LBCC Dual enrollment offers courses that complement high school pathways leading to certificates or transfer.

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College Promise Commitment 2:

Help students successfully transition to and succeed in college and provide opportunities in career and technical education.

Spotlight Activities: ��Trades Summer Camps: Two-week dual enrollment programs in skilled trades with potential Earn and Learn framework and industry certification

First Year Support:

  • LBCC First Year Experience: Summer Bridge,dedicated counselors, success coaches, priority registration, and transfer English and Math
  • CSULB Preparation: Mandatory academic advising, Priority registration, Student success courses, and orientation

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College Promise Commitment 3:

Provide all LBUSD and LBCC students who successfully prepare for college with the opportunity to earn a high-quality bachelor's or advanced degree.

Spotlight Activities: ��Priority Admission:

All LBUSD high school graduates, even those that start at LBCC, receive priority admission to CSULB.

Program Mappers:

Developed curriculum road maps and transitioned from individual advising to scalable support through grant funding.

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College Promise Commitment 4:

Work together to deliver these promises for the young people

and families of the Long Beach area.

Spotlight Activities: ��LBCP Data Sharing Workgroup:

Cross-institutional stakeholders addressing barriers in policy, processes, and practice that limit access to necessary data

Long Beach College Promise Symposium:

Cross-institutional event designed to create a more supportive and consistent pathway for student

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Questions? �

Guadalupe Pasillas

Director

LBCC

Gpasillas@lbcc.edu

For More Information:

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  • The mission of tnAchieves is to enhance post-secondary opportunities and outcomes by providing holistic student supports rooted in community and accountability.

  • tnAchieves provides programming statewide at just $83 per student.

  • The tnAchieves team works to build Tennessee’s future workforce with 84.7% of graduates employed in Tennessee.*

*“Five years after college, 76% of community college graduates and 73% of TCAT graduates were employed in Tennessee…” Tennessee Board of Regents Partners with Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development to Launch New Employment Data Dashboard” April 3, 2024.

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tnAchieves drives impact across 74 counties, embedding its mission within all 37 community and technical colleges and collaborating with 432 high schools statewide.

Tennessee High School Graduates

TN Promise �Applicants

Tennessee Community College Graduates

87%

93%

93%

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The Class of 2025 represents the largest TN Promise application total to date.

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of tnAchieves students represent vulnerable student populations.

(88% in 2023)

Students potentially fall into multiple subgroups.

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PERCENTAGE POINT �INCREASE

5

  • The five-percentage point increase represents the largest year-to-year graduation rate growth in tnAchieves history.

  • The increase correlates with the implementation of tnAchieves COMPLETE Grants in 2021.

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A Career Pathways Model

Without tnAchieves support, only 11% of economically disadvantaged students graduate from college.

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COMPLETE Coaching

Accountability Partner

  • Identify if students are transfer or career intended.
  • Intervene three or more times each semester.
  • Connect with 80% of cohort two or more times each semester.

Career Exploration

  • Establish working knowledge of each student’s post-graduate plans.
  • Connect students with job shadowing experiences and other career exploration tools/resources.

Skill Development

  • Help students develop critical skills outlined in the COMPLETE curriculum, including:
    • Time Management
    • Accountability
    • Self-Advocacy
    • Career Readiness

Additional Funding Access

  • Leverage COMPLETE Grants to help alleviate unexpected financial burdens for students.
  • Assist in the request and disbursement process for COMPLETE Grants.

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tnAchieves COMPLETE Grants help ensure unexpected financial hurdles do not become barriers to college success.

Funding Disbursed

Grants Disbursed

2024-2025 AY

To Date

$2,035,391

16,084

All Time

$6,709,411

53,173

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Detroit Promise

A foundational overview

Wytrice Harris M.Ed.

Senior Director, College Success and Partnerships

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Detroit Promise Eligibility

  • Scholars must live in Detroit and attend and graduate from any high school in Detroit to be eligible (two years for community college, four years for university)
  • All Detroit high schools are eligible (public, private, charter, parochial, etc.)

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Detroit Promise Student Demographics

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Detroit Promise Overview

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How Seasoned Promise Programs

Have Evolved and Other Lessons Learned

PANEL

PANEL FACILITATOR

John Fitzpatrick

President, Ferry Partners

Founder, Educate Texas

Wytrice Harris

Senior Director, College Success & Partnerships

Lupe Pasillas

Director, High School Outreach & Educational Partnerships

Graham Thomas

Chief Community & Government Affairs Officer

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SENSE MAKING

What touched your heart?

What really got you thinking?

What surprised you?

What questions to you still have?

What do we need to do to make this happen here?

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let’s

BREAK

let’s TAKE A BREAK

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How College Promises in Texas Are Designed to

Engage Students and Promote Persistence

PANEL

Natalie Young-Williams

President/CEO

Phillip Fabian

Senior Director, College Readiness & Success

Melissa Peña-Montes

Director

PANEL FACILITATOR

Richard Tagle

Executive Director

E3 Alliance

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The Student Learner Journey

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10,500+

households

57

advisors across schools

4 ISDs

8 postsecondary institutions

OUR REACH AND GROWTH

40,000+

students

2020

    • T3 launches as a 501c3 nonprofit with advisors in 4 FWISD high schools
    • T3 expands to reach all 22 FWISD high schools
    • T3 Scholars begin their journey at partner IHEs
    • T3 expands to Crowley ISD
    • Family Engagement Program launches expanding our reach into middle school

    • T3’s Postsecondary Pathways program expands to Castleberry and Arlington ISD

    • Workforce Development launches with 3 career coaches for students entering the workforce.
    • T3 launches digital platform  T3 P2C.
    • Year of the Graduate: T3’s first cohort will graduates from 4 year college and universities
    • T3 P2C reaches 10,000 student profiles

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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Valley Promise Program

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Program Overview

  • The Valley Promise at STC is a last-dollar initiative to provide students an affordable education towards an associate degree.
  • STC and it’s statewide and local partners are committed to ending poverty, strengthening the economy and meeting the workforce demands of the region by helping more student's complete college and get the career skills needed to hold high-paying, high-demand jobs.

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Regional Snapshot�

Region

Counties Served

Number of participating ISDS

Number of participating Promise high schools

Current Status (as of Spring 2025)

Number of students in the program

Rio Grande Valley

2

22

76

Implementation

Year 2

Class of 2024:

1,124 pledges and 920 enrolled

Class of 2025:

3,185 pledges and counting*

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Key Components

Coaching and

Mentoring

Career and Transfer Planning

Personalized Support

Tuition Granted

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Eligibility Requirements

Apply

Applications Needed:

  • Apply Texas Online Application
  • FAFSA or TASFA submission

Pledge

Submit the Valley Promise Pledge to continue your education after high school.

Register

Register for 12 credit hours for the immediate fall semester following high school graduation.

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Data Sharing Systems� Empowering HS Advisors with Real-Time Data to Case Manage Student Success

Salesforce: Database + case management that moves data into a plan of action

College Applications

Financial Aid

Enrollment

TSI

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Partnerships & Collaboration

  • Partnerships with school district partners
    • All-Access Registration Events
    • Pledge Drives
    • Registration One Stop (hosted at high school campus)
    • Financial Aid Drives
    • Community Registration One Stop
    • Fall/Spring Preview Days
  • Collaboration within our campus community
    • Dual Enrollment
    • Academic Advising
    • Center of Learning Excellence (CLE)
    • Career and Employer Services
    • Transfer and Educational Advancement Center

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Thank you!

Melissa Pena-Montes

Email: mpena270@southtexascollege.edu

Phone: 956-872-7314

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What is Dallas County Promise?

Dallas County Promise is a coalition of school districts, higher ed institutions, and community-based organizations formed to support students in pursuing their best fit postsecondary pathway aligned with a living-wage career. ​

The financial opportunity is a last-dollar grant that covers tuition (cost of classes) at partner colleges and offers dedicated supports for Dallas County high school graduates from participating campuses, with options for Texas residents regardless of citizenship status!​

Our College & University Partners:

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Our model aligned with Commit’s True North goal

INFRASTRUCTURE: IT/data architecture supporting the personalized student journey while enabling mutual community accountability

Increasing Living Wage Attainment to 50% by 2040

through driving college and career readiness, enrollment, and completion across the student journey

Student Journey

Foundational Enablers

Outcomes

LEADERSHIP: Mutual Accountability, Community Champions, Community Coalition, Culture, Values, Trust, Strategy

FUNDING: Last Dollar Funding, Promise Backbone Organization, Enhanced Student Services and Supports

STRENGTHENING AND ALIGNING SYSTEMS, BUSTING BARRIERS, SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

DREAM

PREPARE

ENROLL

PROGRESS

COMPLETE

EARN

Key Functions

Regional

Data Hub

Personalized

Pathways

Program

Management

Research &

Development

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Dallas County Promise by the Numbers

28,000 Dallas County Seniors eligible to complete Path Form

13 Districts or CMOs and 85 high schools to partner with in supporting students’ postsecondary enrollment

9 Institutions of Higher Education providing tuition funding and working to ensure student persistence/graduation

5 core staff members providing broad communication to students/families + building data + case management tools via Salesforce

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Required Applications for Tuition Coverage Eligibility

February 5, 2025

Submit your Promise Path form at www.DallasCountyPromise.org. Your Path form is only complete once submission confirmation email is received. Save your Promise ID!

January 15 – May 1, 2025 *By Partner Deadline

Complete Fall 2025 admission application to a Promise partner college or university. Include your SSN, if applicable!

Submit the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list the Promise Partner college or university of your interest OR submit the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) to the Promise Partner college or university of your interest, depending on your application eligibility.

1.

2.

3.

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DCP Student and Parent Supports

After submitting your Promise Path, you’ll have access to a variety of supports throughout the school year:

  • DCP email campaign to keep you informed about upcoming deadlines, school or community events, exclusive partner university opportunities, and more!
  • Direct text support from the Dallas County Promise team. We’ll send you texts with helpful reminders, and you can text us back at any point with questions. Yes, we are real people responding to your texts!
  • Monthly virtual info sessions with the Dallas County Promise team and university representatives. Available in English and Spanish. Parents are invited too!

Most importantly, please remember your high school college counselor advisor are your most immediate and accessible support system!

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How College Promises in Texas Are Designed to

Engage Students and Promote Persistence

PANEL

Natalie Young-Williams

President/CEO

Phillip Fabian

Senior Director, College Readiness & Success

Melissa Peña-Montes

Director

PANEL FACILITATOR

Richard Tagle

Executive Director

E3 Alliance

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SENSE MAKING

What touched your heart?

What really got you thinking?

What surprised you?

What questions to you still have?

What do we need to do to make this happen here?

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LUNCH with

PROMISE LEADERS

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Austin Promise Kickoff Event�February 2, 2024

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Questions from February 2024 Promise Event

Alignment of community will lead to collective action

COMMUNITY

  • Ensure the community understands what a promise entails – more than just scholarships.
  • Promise needs to look like our community

DESIGN

  • First $ or Last $
  • Diverse ownership models
  • Diverse funding models
  • Support for multiple

pathways?

STUDENTS

  • Students will need to be ready

for postsecondary

  • Important to increase enrollment, but we should judge success by student outcomes.

WORRIES

  • Leadership and eco-system alignment
  • Complicated regional jurisdiction
  • Is there sufficient individual and collective commitment?

ORGANIZATIONAL

  • Who leads this?
  • Who owns it?
  • Who make decisions?
  • How do we have collective accountability?

What Now?

  • We need a plan.
  • Need learning and fieldtrips.

Need for Groundwork & Additional Knowledge

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Feedback from February 2024 Promise Event

Alignment of community will lead to collective action

Alignment of community will lead to collective action.

We have an opportunity for coordinated action to change the trajectory for all students – on a path to transformation

and prosperity.

We have the spark we need to ignite.

Now is the time.

Let’s start to move with milestones and deadlines, so we can all see progress.

It’s finally happening our way –

the Austin way.”

The biggest error we could make is to not start now.

Consensus & Enthusiasm

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Key Takeaways & Promise Progress

February - Hosted College Promise Kickoff

March - Learning Experience with Birmingham Promise

Spring - Developed College Promise Roadmap

May - Listening Session with students and leaders at LBJ High School

- Virtual Learning Session with Michelle Miller-Adams and Bridget Timmeney from the W.E. Upjohn Institute

June - College Promise National Conference in Phoenix

July – October – Coalition building and fundraising

November - Learning Experience with UT Researchers Denisa Gándara and Elizabeth Bell

December - Site Visit to Austin Community College

May - Reverse Site Visit wit Promise Leaders

Take the time

Provide learning opportunities

Recruit anchor partners

and secure investments

2024

2025

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College Promise Roadmap

PHASE I

LEARNING

& EXPLORATION

JAN 2024 -June 2025

PHASE II

FEASIBILITY & PROGRAM DESIGN

JULY 2025-Dec 2026

PHASE III: IMPLEMENTATION

& ROLLOUT

JAN 2027-FALL 2028

    • Listen to students and families

    • Assess public will

    • Host learning opportunities

and site visits

    • Analyze local landscape

.

    • Conduct financial feasibility study

    • Make key program design decisions

    • Review existing data and systems

    • Identify organizational home

    • Develop evaluation criteria

    • Fundraising for operations and scholarships

    • Develop student marketing plan

    • Identify and launch promise cohort

    • Establish evaluation and progress monitoring

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Let’s do this.

Let’s do this,

AUSTIN!