The Path to Higher Ed: Improve Your College Readiness Program, Expand College Access and Send more of Your Students to College

Today, we’re speaking with Tim Felderman, High School Principal at West Delaware Community School District. Listen in as he shares his thoughts on student-centered instruction and the impact of diversity within the West Delaware Community School District.

Today, we’re speaking with Edward Bernot, Principal at Pope John Paul II Academy. With a college counseling program that begins in 9th grade, the school has engrained college readiness into the fabric of its culture. At Pope John Paul II Academy, 1:1 relationships matter and teachers take a genuine interest in helping its students uncover their true passions. Listen in as Edward describes his strategy for creating partnerships with parents in the college planning process.

Today, we’re speaking with Robin Hom, Superintendent of California Crosspoint Academy. College is a foregone conclusion at Crosspoint, as every one of its graduates since the school’s inception has gone on to attend college. However, he discusses his student body’s struggles with forging their own college and career paths as a result of cultural and familial pressures within the Asian-American community. Listen in as he describes the difference between intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and how that difference impacts the college and career paths of his students.

Today, we’re speaking with Dr. Priscilla Sands, Head of School at Marlborough School, an independent, urban day school for girls in grades 7-12. As a testament to her leadership, 100% of the school’s graduates go to college. She uses a data-driven approach to determine the “right match” for her students in terms of college enrollment. Dr. Sands understands that it is not enough to just get to college. So she makes it her job to position her grads to enroll in environments that ensure they get THROUGH college. Listen in as details her program for exposing Marlborough grads to various choices while empowering them to be the leaders of their own college conversations, rather than their parents.

Today, we’re speaking with Ted Graf, Head of School at Headwaters School in Austin, TX.  To Ted, relationships are everything. Recognizing that all students have unique passions and aspirations, he nurtures an environment where his staff shares a common vision of love, encouragement and empowerment for its students. The students of Headwaters are encouraged to honor their interests by using their voices to advocate for what they believe in. As a result, Ted is able to reach the minds of his students by first understanding their hearts.

Today, we’re speaking with Chuck Schallhorn, AP Psychology Teacher at Mountain House High School. As a passionate and engaged educator, Chuck shares his thoughts on college readiness through the lens of dual-enrollment programs. As he discusses, dual-enrollment programs help Mountain House’s students get a leg up on other applicants by building the habits and mindsets of successful college students while still in high school. Listen to this episode to also hear his thoughts on the role of parental support and influence on a student’s ability to actualize a vision of attending a college s/he desires, regardless of socioeconomic status.

Today, we’re speaking with Troy Inman, High School Principal at Pike High School in Indianapolis. With programs ranging from an engineering academy to a culinary arts program, Troy makes sure that his students get connected with mentors who are invested in all students’ success--however that looks for each individual student. More importantly, he embodies the assumption within the Pike community that ALL of its students will have access to a post-secondary education after graduation. Listen in as Troy connects college readiness to career readiness in a powerful way.

Today, we are speaking with David Porter, Director of Upper School and a founding faculty member of the Journeys School of Teton Science Schools in Jackson, Wyoming. Listen in as David details the very special road that students of the Journeys School travel on the way to college. At his school, the college readiness process is more than a path. It’s ajourneythat molds its students into more than just college graduates--into mission-driven advocates and environmental stewards who make the world a better place.

Today, we are speaking with Dr. Michael Chen who has been an educator for 20 years in the San Francisco and Boston areas with experiences in urban education, international education, school leadership, cultural formation, and organizational development.  His experiences in educational leadership include his current role as the Superintendent of Valley Christian Schools in Dublin CA, eight years as the Director ofTrinity Institute for Leadership and Social Justice, a service learning and leadership development program for high school youth in Boston, and a few years as the Dean of Faculty at Boston Trinity Academy.  Dr. Chen's impact is further demonstrated by his receipt of the 2012 US Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award and his extensive work in the area of student leadership development.

Today, we’re speaking with Dianne Drew, Head of School for the Dwight School.Ms. Drew is an internationally recognized educator with over 22 years of experience in administration, teaching, curriculum development, and educational consulting in both public and private schools in Australia, Asia, and New York City.Prior to becoming Head of School, Ms. Drew served as Dwight’s Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for kindergarten–grade 12, and she oversaw the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP).Ms. Drew is very passionate about promoting faculty professional development to ignite the spark of genius in every teacher; and fosters enriching cross-campus curricular collaborations around The Dwight Schools to benefit all Dwight students.

Today, we’re speaking with John Booy, Superintendent and Co-Founder of The Potter’s House School. His work with the program focuses on building a college readiness mindset within students whom have previously been disenfranchised by the education system. Because of his team’s efforts, 95% to 100% of the student population graduates from Potter, and 90% attend college. Listen to this inspiring episode if you want to gain profound insight into how school culture and relationship-building can transform the outcomes of at-risk students.

Today, we’re speaking with Dr. Brian Graham, Superintendent of Grand Island Central School District. Grand Island Central’s college readiness program is remarkable in its focus on diversifying its program to meet the unique needs of each individual student. Dr. Graham is 100% committed to ensuring that his district emphasizes the importance of helping students uncover their passions through relationship-building. Listen to this episode as he explains how this emphasis has been demonstrat

Today we’re speaking with Vonda Viland, principal of a school recently featured on PBS. She helps students with no hope of graduating from a regular high school find their innate grit and graduate high school anyway; all through the power of positivity and love.Vonda Viland,Principal,Black Rock Alternative High School,San Bernardino County, California.

Today, we’re speaking with Susan Spellman Cann, an educator you may already be familiar with as one of the co-hosts of #scchat. She’s been counseling for 37 years, and is currently working in a high school with a self-directed program.

Today, we’re speaking with Sheldon MacLeod, the Assistant Vice-President and Registrar at Crandall University in Canada. He is also the President of the Atlantic Association of Registrars and Admissions Officers, representing all the enrolment professionals at universities of the Canadian Atlantic. Get a Canadian college’s perspective on American college readiness.