Transcript A Proposal: Evaluation of the Fund for Our Economic Future

The Kalamazoo Promise
Progress and Challenges
Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams
Visiting Scholar, W.E. Upjohn Institute
Assistant Professor, Grand Valley State University
WEB Neighborhood Association
October 2009
The Kalamazoo Promise:
More than a scholarship program
An economic development initiative with a
scholarship program as its centerpiece.
● Place-based and universal
● Simple, flexible, and generous
Economic Development + Educational Attainment
Organizing Framework:
Four Strategic Priorities
25-year KPS enrollment trend
15000
Academic Year
14000
Kalamazoo
Promise
Announced
13000
12000
11000
10000
19
85
-8
6
19
87
-8
8
19
89
-9
0
19
91
-9
2
19
93
-9
4
19
95
-9
6
19
97
-9
8
19
99
-0
0
20
01
-0
2
20
03
-0
4
20
05
-0
6
20
07
-0
8
20
09
-1
0
9000
Fall Headcount


17.6% enrollment increase since 2005
Runs counter to state and local trends
Impact on KPS

Dramatic increase in enrollment

Low-income population has increased from 62% to 67%




Parkwood-Upjohn
Winchell
Woods Lake
Maple Street M.S.
54%
34%
85%
72%

Building of two new schools (1st in 37 years)

Redistricting & its impact on socioeconomic balance

Cultural shift in KPS

71% increase in AP enrollment over 2 years
Impact on Students

Scholarship usage




Ninety percent of recipients attend four schools:





1,531 students have received scholarships
1,103 currently enrolled
$10.5 million spent as of 9/09
KVCC
WMU
MSU
U of M
38%
29%
13%
10%
Persistence rates as of 9/09



Class of ‘06: 83% university, 26% community college
Class of ‘07: 84% university, 34% community college
Class of ‘08: 84% university, 50% community college
2006 2007 2008 2009
KPS Graduates
Eligible for Promise
 % of graduates eligible
517 579 549
409 502 475
79% 87% 87%
515
455
88%
Used Promise 1st semester
post-graduation
 % eligible who used Promise
1st semester post-graduation
303
359
370
370
73%
75%
78%
81%
Have Used Promise
 % eligible who have used
Promise at any time
339
83%
414 388
83% 82%
370
81%
Impact on Student Support

Expansion of tutoring/mentoring programs
 Hours
of service provided to students through KCIS
almost tripled (to 61,000) between 2005 and 2009.
 Number of youth served by Big Brothers Big Sisters
rose by 77% between 2005 and 2008.

New programs at KVCC and WMU

New partnerships among youth-serving groups
 Boys
and Girls Club / Douglass Community
Association
Initial Economic Impact

67% of scholarship recipients attend college locally

New residents attracted from outside of region

Alignment of economic development organizations,
businesses, and non-profits around vision of an
“Education Community”

Job-creation announcements, quality-of-life awards
cite education, including the Kalamazoo Promise
National Impact

Continued interest in replication


El Dorado Promise, Pittsburgh Promise, San Francisco Promise
Promise Zones – Michigan as a national leader
 Public-private
partnerships to provide universal, placebased scholarships in ten Michigan communities

Emergence of community of researchers

PromiseNet
 Annual
conference of communities developing
Promise-type programs – Kalamazoo in June 2010
Critical Challenges
 Ensure
that every student is “college-ready”
-- and ready for success in college
 Invest
in pre-K education
 Enlist / engage parents
 Create career paths that strengthen local
economy

Internship programs, business-school partnerships
 Strengthen
community alignment around
broad goals of the Kalamazoo Promise
For additional information:
Kalamazoo Promise Research Web Site
http://www.upjohninstitute.org/
Comments, questions, or suggestions:
Michelle Miller-Adams
269-385-0436
[email protected]
http://www.michellemilleradams.com