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1601 South Lamar Street | Dallas, TX 75215-1816 RACE TO VICTORY: A 2008-2009 REPORT OF THE RISING STAR PROGRAM RACE TO VICTORY: A 2008-2009 REPORT OF THE RISING STAR PROGRAM Dallas County Community College District’s internationally known Rising Star program enters its 10th year of providing financial assistance for a free college education to eligible graduating high school seniors in Dallas County. In 1999, Rising Star was created to stem the tide of high school graduates unable to go to college due to lack of finances. Rising Star provides scholarships of up to $4,000 for tuition and books for a maximum of three years to Dallas County high school seniors who graduate with a “B” average or better or have passed the required college assessment test and show economic need. Through Rising Star, scholarship recipients have: • Earned associate degrees. • Become certified in one of more than 100 different occupational training and/or career programs. • Earned the necessary credits to transfer to a four-year college. • Received fast-track job training. Rising Star Highlights • A total of 9,991 Rising Star students have enrolled in DCCCD since the program’s inception. • Based on the standard method of tracking the completion and persistence of college students over a six- year period, Rising Star students have performed equal to or better than their peers. Of the 767 Rising Star students who enrolled their first year in fall 2002, 63 percent have graduated with degree or certificate, have transferred or are still enrolled in the DCCCD. • A total of 2,910 Rising Star students enrolled in Fall 2008. Ninety six (96) percent are ethnically diverse with high financial need. • Rising Star is known around the world. Through the Carnegie Corporation and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) program, Rising Star serves as a model scholarship program in seven countries throughout Africa, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and the rest of the United States. STUDENT ANALYSIS BY CLASS Rising Star scholars are mainly comprised of low-income In response to the high number of Rising Star students and middle-income students. Currently, 86 percent of requiring remediation, the DCCCD has implemented the new Rising Star students receive some state and/or following initiatives: federal financial aid. • Rising Star offices were established at each of the Rising Star serves as a safety net to make the cost of a seven DCCCD colleges. The offices are staffed by college education more affordable (if not free) for low-to- full-time district employees who “case-manage” the middle income students and ensures that private dollars progress of Rising Star students and who provide are used in the most efficient way possible. At a national services such as tutoring or advisement to ensure their level, full-time students enrolled in public two-year success in college. colleges receive approximately $2,040 in grants from all • Each Rising Star student is required to take a human sources and tax benefits.* This aid reduces the average development course designed especially for them. tuition and fees paid from the published 2007-2008 price The class engages them in active study skills, provides of $2,361 to about $320 per year.** information and practice in accessing tutorial labs, and presents information on how to succeed in Although all Rising Star students were high school college. This course not only strengthens the academic graduates who averaged a “B” or better, 76 percent of new skills and habits of Rising Star students, but also scholars need college remediation classes. According to the benefits other DCCCD students who opt to enroll in it. Texas Public Policy Foundation, in 2006 only 48 percent of full-time college freshman did not require remedial courses. Additionally, minority students showed lower levels of college readiness. ***Nationally, 52 percent of college students will take at least one remedial education course. STUDENT DATA BY CLASS New Student New Students Total Students Fiscal Year Class New Returning Receiving State/ Requiring For Year Rising Star Cost Federal Funds 3 Remediation Class I 693 693 n/a 30% 82% $208,797 (1999-2000) Class II 1,003 595 408 37% 81% $673,761 (2000-2001) Class III 1,540 952 588 38% 74% $1,089,224 (2001-2002) Class IV 2,017 767 1,250 52% 71% $1,039,147 (2002-2003) Class V 2,285 720 1,565 50% 77% $1,454,586 (2003-2004) Class VI 2,677 894 1,783 62% 75% $1,163,655 (2004-2005) Class VII 2,836 725 2,111 62% 76% $1,558,610 (2005-2006) Class VIII 2,927 688 2,239 63% 77% $1,354,951 (2006-2007) Class IX 2,816 408 2,408 79% 73% $ 1,212,675 (2007-2008) Class X 2,910 580 2,330 86% 76% Pending (2008-2009) * Baum, Sandy and Patricia Steele. “Total Undergraduate Student Aid.” Trends in Student Aid 2007. Washington, D.C.: College Board, 2007. pg. 9. www.colleboard.com/trends ** Baum and Jennifer Ma. “Net Price: Public Institutions.” Trends in College Pricing 2007. Washington, D.C.: College Board, 2007. pg. 16. www.collegeboard.com/trends *** Texas Public Policy Foundation. Texas Public Education Facts. February 2006. http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2006-02-edfactsheet-cp.pdf IMPACT Rising Star scholars are mainly comprised of low-income and middle-income students. Currently, 86 percent of new Rising Star students receive some state and/or federal financial aid. Rising Star continues to have a significant impact on its scholarship recipients, giving them many opportunities as they pursue their educational goals. Success rates in colleges and universities are measured over a 6-year period. Using this method, Rising Star students have progressed equal to or better than their peers in most categories measured (as of Spring 2008). Of the 767 Rising Star students who enrolled their first RISING STAR CLASS III COMPLETION RATES year in fall 2002 (Class IV), approximately 63 percent have graduated with a degree or certificate, have STATUS transferred, or are still enrolled in the DCCCD. (See Degree/ Certificate Earned (257) 34% completion rates table below.) Also, 124 Class IV Rising Star students have received a bachelor’s degree within Still Enrolled (108) 14% the 6-year period. Transferred (114)* 15% * Although the overall transfer rate of Class IV students is 27 percent, we have excluded those transfers who have completed their DCCCD degree/certificate, which is already Among other highlights: documented in the first item in the table above. • Thirty-three percent (257) of Class IV Rising Star students graduated with an associate’s degree and/or certificate and 14 percent (108) were still enrolled in a DCCCD college. According to the most recent 6-year tracking report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of first-time entering undergraduates in fall 1999, 10 percent of Texas public community/technical college students received an associate’s degree, 5 percent completed a certification and 7 percent were still enrolled in their educational institutions.* • Overall, 27 percent (204) of Class IV Rising Star scholars have transferred to four-year institutions. Of that group, 61 percent (124) have received at least a bachelor’s degree. These students are realizing the promise of Rising Star and maximizing their college experience by graduating at the university level with a baccalaureate degree or higher. • Statistics show that transfer students who complete an associate’s degree or certificate at the community college level are more likely to graduate with an advanced degree in the 6-year tracking period than those students who transferred without prior completion. Of the 90 Class IV Rising Star students who transferred to a four-year institution after completing an associate degree or certificate in DCCCD, 73 percent (66) had earned their bachelor’s degree in six years or less. In comparison, 51 percent (58) of those transfer students without prior completion (114) have earned a baccalaureate. This demonstrates that completing more courses at the community college level through structured academic degree paths and core curriculum (the basics) increases a student’s potential to receive a four-year degree at a quicker rate than taking fewer courses before transferring. The above statistics are typical ways of measuring success among traditional college students. There are other ways to evaluate success among community college students based on their respective goals, such as completing the essential training to join the workforce. Thus, the 63 percent success rate of Class IV students may be higher, but we report what we are able to document. * Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. “Community and Technical Colleges: 6-Year Graduation Rates of First-Time Entering Under- graduates, Fall 1999.” Pg 76. http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1274.PDF UNIVERSITIES’ 6-YEAR GRADUATION RATES UT UT UT San Prairie View Texas STATUS SMU* UNT Dallas Austin Antonio A & M A &M Bachelors Degree 65.3% 80.4% 40.2% 41.2% 82.3% 71.0% 54.3% Still Enrolled 13.4% 6.0% 20.3% 11.7% 6.3% N.A. 13.8% No Degree Earned 21.3% 13.6% 39.4% 47.1% 11.4% 29.0% 31.9% ***Southern Methodist University Office of Institutional Research. “Common Data Set: 2007-2008.” http://smu.edu/ir/CDS/CDS2007_2008_part_B.pdf RETENTION Statistics continue to show that Rising Star works with a 75 percent total retention rate of Fall 2007 first-year students returning in Fall 2008. This is way above state and national averages (See comparisons chart below.) and an improvement from Rising Star’s initial retention rate (59 percent) of its first class from 1999 to 2000.

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