Ramp-Up to Readiness

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A major component in Ramp-Up to Readiness is providing networks to support students in the process of personally investing for success in postsecondary institutions. Through Ramp-Up, students will progress through a process of first, being present in school for their education, then in engaging in their learning and in college preparation; and finally in choosing to invest their time, energy and talents for their future education and life goals.

Research underscores that the road to higher education is a journey students will make much more successfully in the company of peers and caring adults. Students who report having caring and supportive interpersonal relationships have more positive academic attitudes and values, are more satisfied with school, are more engaged in academic work, attend school more and learn more.cit. Committee on Increasing High School Students’ Engagement and Motivation to Learn, & National Research Council (2002), Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 42.

Students need to know that at least one adult in the school cares about their success, and, just as importantly, they need to have peers with whom they can discuss, question and share their growing confidence and commitment to college. Too often students who dream of college are surrounded by friends, and even families and community, who are not supportive. It is difficult for an adolescent, who wants above all to fit in, to take the college journey all alone.

There are several methods for creating school-based support networks for students, while also delivering the Ramp-Up Curriculum. Small groups of students who meet regularly in advisory periods, counselor information sessions or small group interventions can create a safe environment for students to express their desires and concerns about postsecondary education opportunities. One-on-one interactions by a mentor, adviser, teacher or counselor can create a valuable bond for the student, as well as provide individually tailored advice and experiences, but are obviously more time-intensive. They also do not create connections among students.

With any structure, it is critical that students discuss their questions and progress with caring adults and peers. Self-monitoring and adult monitoring of readily observed research-derived indicators of student progress toward college readiness are major elements of Ramp-Up to Readiness. Checking on and sharing information with the student about his/her grades, GPA, test scores, credit accrual, course rigor, milestone completion and personal readiness can help students learn how to interpret that data and stay engaged in school. Providing ongoing feedback to students, as well as communicating regularly with families and teachers, facilitates problem-solving and builds support from family members.

Support networks should not be limited to the in-person variety, essential as those are. A recent survey asked 1,000 college-bound high school juniors to share their opinions on the college recruitment process. Their responses confirmed that the Internet is now the electronic main street for almost every aspect of teenage life, including searching for and applying to institutions of higher education. “More and more,” the authors of the study conclude, “the Internet is serving as a social network for high school students. From blogs to MySpace pages to podcasts, today’s college-bound students connect, communicate, and create collectively online.”cit.“Engaging the ‘Social Networking’ Generation: How to Talk to Today’s College-Bound Juniors and Seniors,” Sponsored by the National Research Center for College and University Admissions, James Tower and Noel-Levitz, Iowa City, Iowa, www.noellevitz.com, 2007. Online social networks can serve as support networks, especially among teens, by providing emotional support and maintaining relationships and social learning functions.cit. Greenhow, C. & Robelia, E. (2009). Old communication, new literacies: Social network sites as social learning resources. Journal of Computer-mediated Communication, 14(4). 1130-1161. Schools that use online counseling programs such as Naviance have an electronic method of communication between students and school staff as they exchange updates and comments on the students’ Postsecondary Plans and related materials.