AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2007 > December > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGot Yo’ Posse?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A well-established — not to mention unusual — education foundation has come to Atlanta to find promising high school seniors other college recruiters typically overlook.
The Posse Foundation, which began in New York in 1989 and now operates in five other cities, seeks out kids who may not have the highest GPAs or SAT scores, but who have oodles of potential. Posse staffers match the teenagers with some of the country’s best colleges and universities, which are looking to diversify their traditional applicant pools.
Last week, I attended the awards ceremony for Atlanta’s first 24 Posse scholars (chosen from nearly 500 applicants), who will go to either Boston University or The College of Wooster next year on full, four-year tuition scholarships.
To say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house would be an understatement. One single mother compared the scholarship to winning the Lottery. Another parent, a widower, choked up as he talked about what it meant for his son.
“I told his mother that I would do everything to make sure he was a success,” he said. “Posse came along and made it so easy.”
Not only do the lucky teens get a nearly free college education (and any extra financial aid needed), they’ll also have personal mentors and career counselors to work with them during the next four years.
Posse gets its name from a simple concept that founder Deborah Bial developed years ago after she saw too many bright, inner-city students drop out of college. At the time, she was working in a youth leadership program in New York city. One day, one of her students confided that he wouldn’t have left school if he had had his “posse” with him.
Bial thought: Wouldn’t it be great to send groups of these kids to school together so they had more support and a better chance of graduating? Nineteen years later, she claims a 90 percent graduation rate for her scholars — compared to fewer than 50 percent for Georgia’s college freshmen.
Certainly, it’s hard to argue with statistics like that. But there actually are some critics of the program. Both Rice and Lehigh universities previously were partner schools, according to an Education Week article from March 22, 2000, that I read. But they later pulled out, saying the kids weren’t prepared academically.
Boston University’s vice president for enrollment and student affairs assured me that she was confident the kids could do the work — even if she had made allowances for less-than-stellar SAT scores.
Only time will tell, of course, how many of them succeed.
UPDATE: I just got an e-mail from a local gentleman who said he first learned of Posse through Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, where he was a trustee. This is what he had to say about the program:
“The other side of the Posse story is what happens when these kids get to campus. The eight months of training that they go through leaves them as well prepared for college life as any entering freshman and really better prepared than the majority. So far, 100 percent of our Posse Scholars have graduated in four years. While there, these kids start things and become leaders of established campus activities. The annual Posse Plus retreat has become a significant event in the intellectual life of the campus. All this from kids Lafayette never would have reached without Posse.”
Comments
By jim d
December 21, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
interesting article Bridget.
I’m curious though about this statement. Most impressive, these students are persisting and graduating at a rate above 90 percent—well above the national average.
Are we comparing apples and apples? I haven’t seen anywhere that this is a 4 year graduation rate. I’m also curious how these graduation rates compare with others taking the same courses? Do you know if this is addressed anywhere?
By Bridget Gutierrez
December 21, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this
I’m not sure where you got that sentence from, jim d.
The figure I reported (above) for Georgia was from The National Report Card on Higher Education, which looks at a six-year period.
The Posse Foundation does not specify a timeframe for the rate it reports.
By jim d
December 21, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
Let me throw this into the mix as well. Wonder what percentages of kids leaving college early are doing so because of financial difficulties that don’t affect kids with a full ride?
I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not comfortable accepting (on face value) the 90% graduation rate, just due to a lot of extenuating circumstances.
I will say though that anything someone does along these lines in very commendable
By JustMe
December 21, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this
Well whoop-dee-doo. I for one, am sick and tired of so called “disadvantaged” groups getting all these breaks. Full scholarships, mentoring, yada, yada.
When I had to go to college, I did it by studying hard, getting good grades, aworking hard and seeking opportunities ON MY OWN. There was no one giving me any free rides or mentoring.
But like they say, the strong survive. Apparently the weak need more help.
By jim d
December 21, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this
JM,
I don’t care who ya ar, “that thars funny”.
HAGD.
By JustMe
December 21, 2007 1:26 PM | Link to this
jd - don’t know who posted that previous one, but they are using my name. I hope you know me well enough that I would never write “whoop-dee-doo”!
By momof2
December 21, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
Please forgive me, JustMe. I did not realize that was already taken. The 12:09 post by JustMe, was me not the regular JustMe.
By catlady
December 21, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this
Several years ago, the folks entrusted with the HOPE data “revealed” that kids who don’t have to work while in college have higher rates of graduation than those who have to work. Now imagine that.
We need REAL, unbiased data analysis before we jump on the bandwagon due to questionable claims, is my point.
There are studies out there by REAL, legitimate scholars on the impact of these things on college attrition/graduation. Reader beware on the other stuff.
By JustMe
December 21, 2007 10:57 PM | Link to this
catlady - you are very right about your statement. And, I would extend your logic to most statements made by psudo-science claims made in the news. Here is one of the funniest ones I’ve heard…..
Be careful driving near your home. A recent study shows that 90% of all accidents occur within 10 miles of the home address of the driver. This is because people relax near their home and don’t pay attention.
That cracked me up! A conclusion was made by the news person that was not at all the reason why. Think about it - don’t we all drive MOSTLY around our home? Of course MOST of the accidents will occur close to our homes! It has nothing to do with ‘paying attention.’
This type of wrong conclusions from the data happens all of the time, even with educrates. They may glance at the numbers and not understand the other variables influencing the results. Then, they make policies that may radically change education and may negatively impact the actual learning inside of the classroom. Of course, the educrates call this “data based decisions, or data driven decisions” but they have no idea what they are really doing.
By JustMe
December 21, 2007 11:13 PM | Link to this
Back to the blog at hand….
IMHO, anything that can help turn around wayward kids is a good thing. However, I am concerned about the ‘middle’ kids. The top tier kids will make it - they either are academically gifted and/or have parents with tons of money to support them. With this program, some of the ‘lower’ tier kids have ways to help them - this is great.
But, what about the ‘middle’ tier kids? These are the kids that may be bright, but their folks don’t have the money. Or, maybe they are bright with average grades because they had to work in high school for income for their families. Or, what ever reasons. These kids IMHO need assistance also.
By jim d
December 22, 2007 5:21 AM | Link to this
Bridget,
That sentence came right of the link you provided.
As I’ve said I admire Ms. Bial for what shes done, I do however question the validity of some of her foundations claims.
By Attn: Clayton Parents
December 22, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
Yet ANOTHER story today in the AJC about the Clayton school board’s “ethic” and still no mention of Rod Johnson’s wife illegally double dipping???? Maybe it’s the AJC that needs an “ethics investigation”.
By WFC
December 22, 2007 9:21 AM | Link to this
Good for the “posse” organization! They seem to be doing something positive for the less-than-perfect college admissions process. My 31 years of teaching and administrative experience in public and private schools has convinced me that many kids are “victims of circumstances” and deserving of opportunities. I’m “old school” in most education matters (i.e.- my own son, a junior at Northview High, is taking calculus, AP organic chemistry, Latin, honors physics, AP American history, AP American Lit) but I realize that many deserving students don’t have the support system that Beau does (two parents with Master degrees and plenty of money.) Good work, you guys!
By Lee
December 22, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this
The Posse Foundation and the two colleges listed are all private enterprises. They have the right to do what they wish with their funds.
Public colleges and universities would be a different matter.
By catlady
December 22, 2007 10:46 AM | Link to this
Didn’t mean to put down the Posse Foundation ( I have a strong research interest in access and equity, esp. for postsecondary ed), but I really do think caution is in order in reading reasearch reports, especially by those with a vested interest in the results. That includes evaluation of state programs, too, (Ga Student Finance Authority and others)! Look at who did the report, folks (see Reading First, the Texas “miracle”, etc)! Look at the methodology, too.
By HS Teacher Too
December 23, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this
Hmm. I’d be interested in knowing in what programs the students enroll. BU has the College of General Studies which is essentially a $35,000/yr community college two-year program that marginal kids (translation: full-tuition-paying kids who wouldn’t otherwise get in) attend and then “transfer” to a “real” degree-program college. I’m curious if these kids who wouldn’t ordinarily get into BU are really being admitted to CGS … which is a good deal either way, but not really the same thing as getting into — or attending real classes at AT — BU. (That sounds really consescending. The CGS program is an isolated program. I can’t speak exhaustively about it, but what I do know is that it really functions like a continuation of high school in terms of having an isolated population and mandatory classes … as compared to the much less structured general population at BU, within the “degree-conferring” colleges.)
By luvs2teach
December 26, 2007 6:41 PM | Link to this
“The Posse Foundation and the two colleges listed are all private enterprises. They have the right to do what they wish with their funds.”
Lee - I agree - others brought up valid points, such JustMe’s concerns for the kids in the middle, but it’s not their job to save their world - they just want to help their small part of it. Good for them.