AISD's Three-Pronged College Readiness Program Shows Outstanding Results in First Year; Grants from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Expand Programs into 2003-2004 School Year.

Business Editors/Education Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2003

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) today released impressive statistics, showing significant achievements in the first year of its three-pronged College Readiness Program, funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF). The AISD College Readiness Program is serving as a prototype for the kinds of programs the Foundation hopes to fund through its newly announced partnership to boost high school graduation and college attendance rates. The results of the AISD program in its first year (2002-2003) convinced the foundation that innovative approaches can produce large changes in Texas high schools and led to increased funding to expand these AISD programs for the current school year.

Initiated by AISD and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF), and supported by a $1.4 million grant in the 2002-2003 school year, this district-wide College Readiness Program, is composed of Project ADVANCE, Project SMART and AVID. As a result of significant gains within Austin's 12 high schools over the previous year, MSDF is providing $2.3 million to expand key areas of each program for the 2003-2004 school year.

"In 2003, we had more seniors applying to college, more seniors going to college with financial support and more students getting the help they need to succeed in the college preparatory curriculum of the Recommended High School Plan," said Pat Forgione, Austin School Superintendent. "A significant portion of the credit for that progress should go to our new College Readiness program. We thank the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation for making this strategic set of programs possible for the children of our school district."

The linchpin of the College Readiness Program, Project ADVANCE (Assess, Decide, Visit, Apply Now for your College Education), is a district-wide initiative to increase college enrollment among graduates of AISD by placing a dedicated college facilitator at every high school to support and maximize college application and enrollment procedures for students. In just one year, the number of AISD students applying to at least one college has gone from 50 percent to 79 percent, and the total dollars awarded in scholarships has increased by 55 percent.

The second program, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), prepares previously marginally performing students for Advanced Placement and honors courses. In the first AISD group of AVID graduates, 100 percent of the AVID seniors applied to at least one four-year college, and 93 percent were accepted. All AISD 2002-2003 AVID seniors will attend college in the fall, either at a four-year institution or at a community college. For the 2003-2004 school year, the MSDF grants will fund the AVID program in six additional Austin ISD high schools, bringing the program to every AISD high school campus.

Finally, Project SMART (Science, Math And Reading Tutorials) is a tutoring program that provides certified AISD teachers for critical intervention in the core subject areas of math, social studies, science and reading for underperforming students. In just one year, SMART students have dramatically reduced their achievement gap to the district average on state competency tests. For 2003-2004, MSDF grants will continue funding SMART teachers at AISD middle schools, Dobie and Pearce, while initiating funding for the SMART program at Akins, Reagan and Lanier High Schools.

"It is vital to equip students with the skills and tools necessary to prepare for and enroll in a college program. Michael and I are thrilled to see such significant results in the first year of AISD's College Readiness Programs," said Susan Dell, co-founder of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. "We support and encourage programs that help guide parents and students through the college application and scholarship process and look forward to another successful year for each student."

Other significant measures of the College Readiness Program in its first year (2002-2003) include:

    --  A 25% increase in the percentage of seniors taking the SAT;

    --  575% increase in parents taking part in school financial aid
        workshops;

    --  59% increase in the percentage of seniors applying to
        colleges, universities, technical schools;

    --  17% increase in the number of students winning scholarships;

    --  55% increase in amount of scholarships awarded;

    --  AVID high school students average 2.7 honors/AP classes; and

    --  Project SMART students had higher attendance rates, higher
        school satisfaction rates, and TAKS scores equal to or better
        than previously higher performing peers.

Funding by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation provides the District with the ability to develop greater cohesion and alignment across the district's high schools.

"With support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, we've been able to identify a set of solutions to the questions plaguing many urban school districts," said Forgione. "We are significantly increasing the number of our seniors entering college, we're convincing the students who may not have planned on college that they should have college in their future, and we're helping them locate the financial resources to succeed."

About the Austin Independent School District:

The Austin Independent School District serves 78,000 students on 107 campuses. AISD has a richly, diverse student community, encompassing children from all economic levels and all kinds of backgrounds. Fifty-two percent of its students are Hispanic, 31 percent are Anglo, 14 percent are African American, and 3 percent are Asian. More than half its students come from low-income families, and 20 percent enter AISD schools as English-Language Learners. AISD has established a system-wide structure to guide teaching and learning, based on high expectations for all children, the state's TEKS standards, clearly defined principles of learning and a devotion to continuous academic improvement. These have resulted in recent dramatic increases in student achievement. A recent study commissioned by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce concluded "Austin's public schools are comparable, if not superior to, the benchmarked cities of Denver, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham and Seattle."

About the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation:

Established in 1999 with a gift from Michael and Susan Dell, the Foundation was created to fund initiatives and programs designed to remove barriers that prevent children from achieving their greatest potential. With an endowment of more than one billion dollars, MSDF proactively seeks out opportunities to support or develop programs that address the foundation's five essential focus areas of children's health, education, safety, youth development and early childhood care. Using a collaborative, outcomes-driven approach, MSDF identifies programs and community leaders that share its vision of creating enduring systemic change for children. Within its first three years, MSDF has provided more than $40 million to children's and community initiatives.