Mission Create and implement strategies to improve

college and career preparationfor Kansas City's urban students

GardnerEdgertonAntioch

Desoto

Olathe

Spring Hill

Blue Valley

Shawnee Mission

Grandview C-4

Hickman Mills C-1 Lee's Summit

R-VII

Blue Springs R-IV

GrainValley

R-V Oak Grove R-VI

Lone JackC-6

Raytown C-2

Independence30

Fort Osage R-I

North Kansas City 74

Smithville R-II Kearney R-I

Clinton Co. R-III

Lawson R-XIV

Excelsior Springs 40

Missouri City 56 (E)

Liberty 53

North Platte Co. R-I

East Buchanan

West Platte Co. R-II

Platte Co. R-III

Park Hill

Piper-Kansas City

Bonner Springs Turner-

Center58

Kansas City,MO 33

Kansas City, KS

PREP-KC Footprint• 2 states

• Five low-income districts

• 10 traditional high schools + 2 charter schools

• 49,500 students

• 10,000 high school students

• 35% of the low income students, and

• 40% of the students of color within the 5-county region

Benchmarking

Key Strategies

• College & Career Benchmarks• Academies & Institutes• Early-College Tuition• Campus Visits• FAFSA Preparation

Early College

• Workforce Liaisons• Career-Jumping Events• Work Site Tours

Workforce Preparation

• Data Dashboard• Leadership

Development

• Expert Coaches (Math & Literacy)• Regional Math Relays• Regional Teacher Leader Cadre• Khan Academy Pilot• K-3 Classroom Libraries

© PREP-KC 2014

Data Dashboard

2013-14 Results

643 Professionals

from

172 Businesses and

26 Postsecondary Institutions

supported college & career exploration experiences for

4,031 individual students

PREP-KC Academies & Institutes

Academies produce THREE key results:

1. Create NEW partnerships between urban school districts, postsecondary institutions and business

2. Develop career aspirations and postsecondary plans for urban high school students in high-growth industry areas

3. Develop NEW accelerated career pathways into high growth industry areas

Preliminary Postsecondary Enrollment Findings

Postsecondary going, middle-income students (65%)

Postsecondary going, low-income students (51%)

*National Center for Education Statistics, 2012

Preliminary Findings

Academy students report they are:

• Interested in, and knowledgeable about, their field of study.

• More likely to stay in school & graduate as a result of their Academy experience.

• Prepared for postsecondary education – the coursework & the culture.

• Likely to pursue a career in their field of study.

“State Street has high hopes that the Business and Finance Institute will provide qualified and motivated candidates for business-related jobs in Kansas City.  With exposure to the professional business environment and focused development on business-essential skills, these students should have a leg-up for local Kansas City business jobs.” 

-Jeff Baughman, Training Manager VP (State Street)

“PREP-KC’s Health Science Academy is redesigning the high school experience so students will be truly ready for postsecondary education.  These students will have a head start in a nursing or health degree program because they have been exposed to campus-life, classes, instructors and careers.”

– Ronda Cole-Manney, RNDirector of Pathways to Nursing Academy, UMKC

“As a result of this experience, I will follow my dreams. I will pay attention in my classes because I can apply what I am learning to the real world.”

“Because of what I learned today, I am going to Northwest to get a degree in computer science.”

Career Jumping

Northwest Missouri State Information Technology

“My eyes were really opened to the possibilities of working in the tech field.”

Perceptive Software

KC TechStart

“This event made me really interested in software development.”

Health Sciences Accelerated Academy

“I learned that it takes hard work to get where you would like to be.” -Center Student

Students at UMKC School of Nursing & Health Studies Blood typing learning experience at UMKC

Students make an anti-itch cream at UMKC School of Pharmacy

“I will try my hardest because I really want to be an engineer.”

-Wyandotte Student

“I will take more science and math

classes so I can have a career in STEM.”-Washington Student

Engineering Academy

Students visit UMKC School of Computing & Engineering for an interactive college experience

Student presentations at Kansas City Kansas Community College

Bioscience Academy

“My Academy experience has helped me stay ahead of

many of my classmates during the school year

regarding science classes. It has helped me focus on

doing what I love to do and what I want for my

college/career experience.-Harmon Student

Urinalysis experiment at Donnelly CollegeStudent presentations at Kansas City Kansas Community College

Students create science experiment kits for middle school students

“I learned that in this career area, having work experience can be equally as important as a college education.”

-Wyandotte Student

“I learned that supply chain is more than just the movement of products.”

–Grandview Student

Supply Chain Academy

Career Jumping with supply chain professionals

Networking with hiring companies within the KC metro area

Read more at:

www.prepkc.org