Ms. Sandhya Balasubramanian sharing the next steps for the Lowell cluster
Dr. Joyce Gibson sharing the Lowell cluster's goals
Dr. Linda Silka and Ms. Norma Audy
Partnerships for College Success
The University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML) and Lowell High School (LHS)
The Partnerships for College Success program is bringing new depth and strength to a longstanding relationship between the University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML) and Lowell High School (LHS). Lowell High School is Massachusetts’ second-largest high school, with an ethnically diverse enrollment of more than 4,000 students. This latest collaboration, with Nellie Mae support, builds on a GEARUP project piloted at LHS over the past three years. The goal: to expand college preparation opportunities that will enable many more underserved students to experience college success.
The Partners
The University of Massachusetts, Lowell, has a mission of regional development, a history of successful local partnerships, and a commitment to serving young people from diverse communities. Offering 40 baccalaureate, 33 master’s, and 15 doctoral programs, UML is highly regarded throughout the state. Many UML students are first-generation college students from low-income families. More information is available at www.uml.edu/centers/cfwc.
Lowell High School is Massachusetts’ second-largest high school, with an ethnically diverse enrollment of more than 4,000 students, most of whose parents are not college graduates. LHS has struggled with scarce resources while facing numerous budget cuts in recent years. Despite these challenges, the school has developed new academic courses, an endowment for youth opportunities, and new district leadership that are signs of advancement. See http://lhs.lowell.k12.ma.us.
Program Activities
The UML-LHS project focuses on faculty/professor development and involvement, improved data collection and management processes to increase student achievement, and greater involvement of UML students in assisting LHS students.
The collaboration also includes a pre-college preparation program aimed at personal communication with students and parents. Academic standards, admissions requirements, assessments, and evaluation procedures are being mutually established between the LHS and UML faculties, and extensive efforts are being made to involve all community stakeholders in this initiative with the overall goal of improving college preparation, admission, and retention.
People
Linda Silka is the primary contact person for the University of Massachusetts, Lowell/Lowell High School partnership.