GEAR UP Financial Status and Program Performance Final R

10

OMB Approval No: 1840-0782 Expiration Date: 6/30/2014

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs

(GEAR UP)

Financial Status and Program Performance Final Report

For State and Partnership GEAR UP Grants

COVER SHEET

1. PR/Award Number: _________________________________________________________

(Located in block 5 of your grant award notification)

2. Name of Grantee: ___________________________________________________________

3. Address: __________________________________________________________________

4. Name of Project Director/Contact Person: ________________________________________

Telephone Number: ______________________ Fax: ______________________________

E-mail Address: _____________________________________________________________

5. Name of Certifying Official: ___________________________________________________

Telephone Number: _______________________ E-mail Address: _____________________

6. Report Period: (e.g., Sept. 1, 2008 to Aug 31, 2014)

We certify that to the best of our knowledge, the information reported herein is accurate and complete.

_____________________________________ ______________________________________

Name of Project Director (Print) Name of Certifying Official (Print)

_____________________________________ ______________________________________

Signature and Date Signature and Date

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required (34 CFR Section 75.590 (§75.590) of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)) to obtain or retain benefit. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1840-0782. Note: Please do not return the completed Final Performance Report to this address.

INSTRUCTIONS:

In accordance with 34 CFR Section 75.590 (§75.590) of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), all grant recipients are required to submit a final performance report. Before we can officially close out your grant, you must submit a final performance report to us by no later than 90 days after the grant expires.

This set of forms is the Financial Status and Program Performance Final Report for GEAR UP State and Partnership projects (hereafter cited as Final Report). A Final Report is used by the Department of Education to determine whether recipients of discretionary grants have made substantial progress towards meeting the objectives of their respective projects, as outlined in their grant applications and/or subsequent work plans. In addition, the final report allows the Department of Education to evaluate each grant project’s fiscal operations for the entire grant performance period, and compare total expenditures relative to federal funds awarded, and actual cost-share/matching relative to the total amount in the approved grant application. The GEAR UP Final Report is also used to collect data addressing the performance of the program on a national level and thereby includes information for the Department to use when reporting outcome data regarding the GEAR UP performance indicators under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA).

The Final Report consists of a cover sheet and six sections. The cover sheet must be completed and signed by the Project Director (or designated representative, if need be) and the certifying official and returned to the Department of Education along with the six sections on or before the due date. Grantees are expected to complete all questions in the report. Please write “Not Applicable” or “N/A” if a question does not pertain to your project.

Unless otherwise noted, please provide information for the Final Report that is in accordance with the duration of your GEAR UP grant performance period.

The final program performance and financial status reports are reviewed by the GEAR UP staff to ensure that grant recipients have achieved the goals of the GEAR UP grant program, are reporting information that demonstrates successful achievement of expected outcomes, and are in compliance with applicable Department regulations. Thus, please note: the final program performance and financial report review will determine if the GEAR UP grant is ready to be closed in “good standing” or needs to remain open for further departmental postaward action. If the report has not been received or the information in the report does not demonstrate successful achievement of expected outcomes, the Department of Education issues a noncompliance letter to the particular grant recipient.

We strongly encourage you to draw down on funds necessary to cover costs incurred while implementing the grant and meet the cost share/matching on approved budgets by no later than 90 days after the grant expires.

Once we have determined that all of the close-out requirements and all other terms/conditions of your grant award have been met, we will send an official closeout notification to you.

SECTION I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Please describe the extent to which you have implemented all program activities and components planned for your grant. Highlight your major outcomes, successes, and concerns.

SECTION II: NARRATIVE INFORMATION

Please address the following questions:

1) What aspects of your program do you think are most successful (have the greatest impact)? Why?

2. What barriers or problems have you encountered in administering your grant, and how have you addressed these problems?

2. Please describe the progress your project has made towards accomplishing the proposed objectives of your project as outlined in your grant application or subsequent workplans (i.e., describe the extent of making “substantial progress” towards meeting the project objectives and achieving the goals of the GEAR UP program).

In the table below, please list your Year 1 – Year 7 objectives, and indicate what activities took place with respect to each of these objectives, as well as the results of those activities.

Objectives: List the approved objectives from your grant application or work plan. Where applicable, provide baseline data.	Activities: List the activities that have been conducted to meet the objective.	Results: Has the objective been met? If not, why not and what progress have you made in reaching the objective?
Example: 1. Enrollment in 7th grade pre-algebra, 8th grade algebra, and 8th grade advanced science classes will increase by 5% each project year. Baseline: Pre-algebra 7th grade -- 10% Algebra 8th grade -- 5% Advanced. Science. 8th grade -- 20%	Example: Instructional support services, staff development to improve instruction, and articulation with elementary schools	Example: Enrollment changes from 2005/06 to 2006/07: (1) 7th grade pre-algebra: +65% (2) 8th grade algebra: +5% (3) 8th grade advanced science: -6% (due to increased standards for enrollment).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

4) What are some of the “lessons learned” from operating your GEAR UP project? That is, if GEAR UP was now in Year 1, what would you do differently?

5) What is the effect of your GEAR UP project on participants’ academic achievement/performance and preparation for postsecondary education (i.e., the impact of your project on those served)?

6) Describe how your project’s activities and outcomes are likely to be sustained over time. Describe the systemic changes that have occurred in your school(s).

7) Please explain any other matter that you need to address or just want to share with the U.S. Department of Education that would be helpful to the Department in evaluating your performance or understanding the contents of your closeout report.

SECTION III: GRANT ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1) Please describe any significant changes in your project design since the approval of your grant application (e.g., changing from individual tutoring to group tutoring or placing more emphasis on enrichment activities rather than remediation). How did these changes affect your budget, federal expenditures, or matching contributions?

2) Please describe any changes to the roles of your partners during the six or seven years of your project. Describe any partners who have been added to your grant since the onset. Did the role of any of your partners in your final project year change significantly since they initially served your project? Did any partner(s) discontinue their participation in your grant?

3) If your project has a scholarship component for postsecondary education, please provide: (a) information about the amount of Federal scholarship funds that has been obligated; (b) information regarding where the scholarship funds are held pending distribution to former GEAR UP students (e.g., are the funds in a trust account?); and (c) how the funds will be disbursed and to whom. If you have already disbursed scholarship money to students, please indicate the amount of money disbursed, the number of students who received scholarships, and the average amount of the scholarships awarded.

4) If your project has a scholarship component for postsecondary education, please provide: (a) information about the amount of match scholarship funds that has been obligated; (b) information regarding where scholarship funds are held pending distribution to former GEAR UP students (e.g., are the funds in a trust account?); and (c) how the funds will be disbursed and to whom. If you have already disbursed scholarship money to students, please indicate the amount of money disbursed, the number of students who received scholarships, and the average amount of the scholarships awarded.

SECTION IV: DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Demographic Data: Please complete the following tables requesting demographic data on GEAR UP students.

1. Students Served: Please complete the following table indicating the number of students served by your project.

	Number of Students
Number of students you proposed to serve during the grant period (total years 1-7)
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the first year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the second year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the third year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the fourth year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the fifth year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the sixth year of your GEAR UP project
Actual number of student in your cohort(s) during the seventh year of your GEAR UP project

2. Participant Distribution by Ethnic Background: The following table regarding the ethnicity/race background of GEAR UP students is mandatory and will be used by the Department of Education in reporting the ethnicity/race characteristics of students served by the program. The race/ethnicity categories used in this section are consistent with the Department of Education’s policy on the collection of racial and ethnic information. These categories are defined as follows:

1. Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino – A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

2. Race

American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliations or community recognition.

Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the Philippine Islands.

Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii or other pacific islands such as Samoa and Guam.

White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.

Two or more races

Ethnicity and/or Race Unknown

Please report on the actual number of students in your cohort(s) during the entire performance period (i.e., number of students served). This number may be different from the number served in the final year, because some students may have moved or dropped out in earlier years. Please note: If this number is not available, indicate the number served in the final project year of your project.

Ethnicity:	Number of GEAR UP Students
Hispanic or Latino
Race:
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or More Races
Race and/or Ethnicity Unknown
Total

SECTION V: GEAR UP STUDENT OUTCOMES

This section of the report requests outcome information for the students you served during the entire performance period of your GEAR UP project. Please base your responses on information that is relevant at termination date of your GEAR UP project. These student academic achievement data are directly linked to the performance measures and outcome data that are part of GEAR UP’s GPRA Performance Indicators.

1) Cumulative Course Completion: Please complete the following table indicating the number of GEAR UP students from the 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, and/or 12^th grades in your final project year, which successfully completed the courses identified.

The names for math classes can vary among schools. Classify courses based on the content of the course. “Advanced Placement” classes are courses designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement Exams. Optional: If your cohort has changed significantly over time, and you would like to provide information about your original cohort, you may (but are not required to) provide information about students in your original cohort in parentheses after or below the numbers provided for the current cohort.

	9th Grade	10th Grade	11th Grade	12th Grade	Postseconday	Total Number of Students
Number of students in your final project year
Number of students who completed Pre-Algebra by the end of 7th grade
Number of students who completed Pre-Algebra by the end of 8th grade (would include those who completed Pre-Algebra by the end of earlier grades as well)
Number of students who completed Algebra I by the end of 8th grade
Number of students who completed Algebra I by the end of 9th grade (would include those who completed Algebra I by the end of earlier grades as well)
Number of students who completed Algebra II
Number of students who completed Geometry
Number of students who completed any mathematics course above Geometry
Number of students who completed Calculus
Number of students who completed Chemistry
Number of students who completed Physics
Total

Example: The data element in Row 2, Column 1 would pertain to the number of the 9^th graders in your final project year that completed Pre-Algebra by the end of their 7^th grade. Column 2 would pertain to the number of 10^th graders in your final project year that completed Pre-Algebra by the end of their 7^th grade.

2) High School Graduation: What was the number of 12^th graders during 2013-14 (students scheduled to graduate from high school in 2014/“Class of 2014”)? (This number should equal the number of 12^th grade students indicated in Row 1 on the above table.)

Please note: If your oldest group of students served during 2013-14 (i.e., your grant project closeout year) were in 11^th grade or younger, please answer the following questions. (a) What is oldest grade level served in your “closeout year”? (b) How many students were in that grade level? (This number should equal the number of students in the oldest grade level for which data was provided on Row 1 on the above table.) (c) What year are these students scheduled to graduate from high school?

Also note: If the oldest students in your closeout year are in 11^th grade or younger, do not respond to Questions 3 – Question 5.

3. “High School Completion/Graduation rates” for the Class of 2014: What is the number of the 12^th graders during 2013-14 (“Class of 2014”) who received an official high school diploma from any of your GEAR UP high schools?

3. Immediate postsecondary education institution enrollment rates” for Class of 2014: What is the number of cohort students from the Class of 2014 who enrolled by the fall immediately following receipt of high school diploma in a: (a) less than 2-year postsecondary education institution; (b) 2 – 3 year postsecondary education institution; and (c) 4 or more- year postsecondary education institution?

SECTION VI: GRANT BUDGET INFORMATION

Please complete the 7-year Federal Expenditures and Matching Contributions table below.

In the following table, please provide information about your Federal and matching expenditures for previous, completed budget periods. For example, since your grant began in Fiscal Year 2008, the Year 1 budget period would be September 2008 through August 2009. Fill out information for ALL completed budget periods, Years 1 – 7.

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 1

Actual Matching Contributions Year 1

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 2

Actual Matching Contributions Year 2

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 3

Actual Matching Contributions Year 3

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 4

Actual Matching Contributions Year 4

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 5

Actual Matching Contributions Year 5

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 6

Actual Matching Contributions Year 6

Actual Federal Expenditures Year 7

Actual Matching Contributions Year 7

1. Salaries and Wages

2. Employee Benefits

3. Travel

4. Materials & Supplies

5. Consultants & Contracts

6. Other

A. Total Direct Costs: (Add lines 1 – 6)

B. Total Indirect Costs

C. Equipment

D. Scholar-ships/ Tuition Assistance

E. TOTAL COSTS (A+B+C+D)

If you did not expend Federal and/or matching funds as originally budgeted, please provide an explanation for the change(s) that occurred. Discuss any relevant documents received by the U.S. Department of Education that allowed such change(s).