- "There is a greater acceptance by students and families (and staff) that there is life after Hammond High for our students. This life is also being seen as outside of Hammond, and the motivation to begin that new life has been greatly increased in the past few years. Students are respectful of the program offerings that the Center brings to them, and they are excited about having their families involved in this endeavor with them." - Hammond High School; Hammond, Indiana
- "More students (are) opting for the academic courses, particularly AP courses. We had been experiencing a decline in AP enrollment but now it is increasing significantly." - Franklin High School; Franklin, Indiana
- "I believe students are considering other options for college rather than the local public university. They realize there may be more out there. Students also are taking more challenging coursework based on the Mock College Admission Case Studies." – Cardinal Ritter High School; Indianapolis, Indiana
One of the richest sources of qualitative data for this project came from our staff contacts in the schools. In all six schools, our primary contacts remained the same over the course of the three years, giving them wonderful and unique perspectives on the changes they witnessed at their schools as a result of this grant project.
We asked our contacts (in all cases guidance counselors or directors of guidance counseling) to indicate areas of improvement that they thought might be (in whole or in part) attributable to the interventions/activities provided through the grant project.
- All six cited changes in the colleges attend by their students
- Five out of six cited increases in participation in preparatory curricula (including Core 40, Academic Honors and AP)
- Five out of six cited increased college visitation by students
- Five out of six indicated increased involvement/engagement of parents
- Five out of six cited increased search activity for college scholarship opportunities
- Four out of six indicated improved student performance
- Four out of six cited increased use of counseling services
We also asked our contacts to cite specific changes in school staff behavior that they believe are attributable to the grant. Below are examples of what we heard:
"I have increased knowledge and enthusiasm of the entire financial aid process and of the federal formula so I can advise students better." – West Noble High School; Ligonier, Indiana
"The English department loves the essay writing for the seniors. It’s constructive feedback from someone else other than the teacher. This has definitely made life easier for our guidance office the last 3 years." – Cardinal Ritter High School; Indianapolis, Indiana