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Prince George's County Public Schools
The Prince George’s County GEAR UP project has worked with G. Gardner Shugart and Benjamin Stoddert middle schools and now serves the GEAR UP cohort at Potomac High School. Last year, in an effort to create more cohesive groups with the 150-student cohort, site administrators divided the GEAR UP cohort into GEAR UP teams with approximately 20 students each. Each team was assigned a mentor teacher who monitored academic performance, social behavior, and attendance of team members. These teams also met after school to work on activities that enhanced their English, mathematics, social studies, science, and public speaking skills. Since the team formations, students and school staff have remarked that there has been greater attendance in GEAR UP activities and a better working relationship among teaching staff. The site continues this team approach to offering services in the current academic year. For the 2003-2004 academic year, this GEAR UP program partnered with the University of Maryland, College Park, which offers Saturday academies and a summer program to (1) give students supplemental instructional in algebra and geometry; (2) expose students to activities that will increase their awareness of college and career opportunities and requirements; and (3) develop supplemental activities for the existing GEAR UP after-school program.
5211 Boydell Avenue Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-702-3900
Dr. Dorothy Harrison Office of Community Relations Prince George's County Public Schools 301-952-6252 Phone Ms. Carolyn Alston, Gear Up Contact (Potomac
HS) Project Directors: LaWanda Kamalidiin and Rosemary Parker Center for Minorities in Science & Engineering University of Maryland, College Park 1134 Glenn L. Martin Hall College Park, MD 20742-1175 Project Abstract: The University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) in collaboration with the Prince George’s County Public Schools GEAR UP will provides instructional, college planning, and career exploration activities for Potomac High School students. The two primary objectives of the UMD GEAR UP CAMP are to 1) increase by 8% the number of seniors completing University System of Maryland admission requirements and 2) increase by 5% the number of Potomac High School seniors planning to attend college. They will try to meet these objectives by providing academic workshops for the GEAR UP students. For the second year, the project will offer a fall and spring Saturday academic program. This year, the academic content will focus on writing, algebra, and geometry. During the Saturday academy sessions that run over an eight-week period, UMCP also offers SAT prep and study skills lessons. The project mails weekly newsletters to parents to keep them informed of the activities in which the students are participating on Saturdays. Three of the Saturday academies offer special parent-focused workshops. |
