Audio Tip to Go—No Excuses University: All Students Can Go to College
“[I was told] that there was no research on promoting college readiness for elementary school students. In the middle of the night I woke up and wrote down four words, ‘Let’s be the research.’” Damen Lopez, Co-Principal
Listen to an audio interview with Los Penasquitos Elementary School Co-Principals, Damen Lopez and Jeff King:
Download the Audio Interview: To Download the file, right-click (ctrl+click on Mac) on the link below— then choose "Save Target As." Download the MP3
Read About It A large banner proclaiming Los Penasquitos Elementary students the “Hardest Working” in San Diego’s Poway District hangs over the front door, reminding students, staff, and visitors that the school believes hard work pays off, believes there are no limits to the academic success every student can achieve, and believes all students can go to college. Fully acting on these beliefs means overcoming some traditional barriers: many Los Pen students know little or nothing about college, don’t believe it’s for them, and can’t imagine being the first in their families to attend. Principal Damen Lopez reports, “Before Los Pen started its No Excuses University program, only 10% of its students knew what college was. College awareness needs to start early. Research shows that if students leave third grade below proficiency in reading and mathematics, then their chances for academic success are diminished and hence their chances to go to college are severely limited even before they leave elementary school. And that puts these children at a huge risk for living their lives in poverty. So children as early as kindergarten need to learn what college is all about and what it can mean for them.”
A schoolwide effort promotes college awareness and cultivates a positive mindset about going. You see evidence of this initiative everywhere. University banners dot the hallways. A display case shows off University of Nebraska sweatshirts, mugs and other collegiate paraphernalia. All classes know the chant for their “adopted” university and display its logo and paraphernalia proudly. And the universities in turn have adopted the classrooms, corresponding with the teachers, and supplying pictures of university life and the school spirit paraphernalia the classrooms display. Kindergartners through third graders attend a college readiness kick-off assembly; fourth- and fifth-graders take field trips to college campuses; and students and parents are encouraged to attend the yearly college fair at the local convention center.
More centrally, Los Pen has instituted a college readiness curriculum for grades K-3 and 4-5, including developing college-related vocabulary for each grade. First graders, for example, learn such words as “career,” “goal,” and “graduate,” and third graders learn what a “bachelors degree,” “loan,” and “application” are. In grades 4-5 this curriculum includes explaining and promoting the college track in high school, discussing different college options, helping students think about how potential careers may affect college decisions, and exposing them to real college materials such as enrollment packets. Lastly, to help students take responsibility for their learning and to understand that what they do now has an effect later, each student, in partnership with his or her teacher develops a personal goal based on the results on his or her assessment data [see tip Everyone is Involved in Assessment]. These goals are constantly updated as students work toward them.
The conviction that all students can go to college is reflected by the school’s moniker “No Excuses University” and its stated goal: every student, without exception and without excuse, will be proficient or advanced in reading, language, and mathematics. And Los Pen has removed some oft-heard excuses — Los Pen graduates do know what college is and believe that they too can go.
Comments from Participants
I am thrilled to hear about this initiative, particularly the part about having students take responsibility for learning. Many students with learning disabilities feel that they can't go to college. They think their learning disability limits them. We need to be more clear that hard work can overcome all kinds of barriers.
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Dale
Brown, Senior Manager, LD Online, WETA Feb 28, 2007 12:46 PM
I work at the State level for LEP/Immigrant Students K-12 and I really applaud this school's work. At the high school level, our English language learners find little financial aid for a college education (grants require SSN, etc.) even though the colleges do not require a SSN and will work with them.
- Mar 14, 2007 11:52 AM
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