Gearing Up to GEAR UP: Four Perspectives on Early Implementation Considerations for GEAR UP

Abstract: GEAR UP, a federally-funded pre-college outreach program, strives to provide academic and other supports to middle and high school students and their families to help them prepare for, and pursue, higher education. GEAR UP was established in 1998 by President Clinton through Title IV of the 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). This competitive grant program consists of State and Partnership grants and has helped well over 1.5 million students and families in 534 Partnership and State grant programs throughout the United States and its territories (National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP), 2011). This paper utilizes a phenomenological frame to explore certain key considerations involved in the initial implementation phases of a GEAR UP grant. Four distinct qualitative phenomenological perspectives from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) faculty members involved in a current State of Connecticut GEAR UP grant Alliance are shared. Through these four accounts, qualitative, descriptive information about specific systemic, organizational, content, and procedural factors to consider when beginning implementation and planning for a 6-year university-school district partnership like GEAR UP are considered. Specific areas of focus are social emotional learning, evaluation, inter-systemic administration and organization, and professional development. The information here is preliminary and intended to contribute in-depth program content and process information to assist with program building and collaborative team building in the kinds of inter-systemic and inter- and intra-organizational partnerships that multiple year programs such as GEAR UP require. The insights are not necessarily limited to GEAR UP, however, and may be applicable to other partnership initiatives and/or other large-scale program implementation efforts.