The purpose of the Western North Carolina Network for Access and Success (Network) is to function as a collaborative for college access programming, public schools and higher education in western North Carolina. The Network thus serves as a clearinghouse of information and data related to higher education access improvement activities in the state. The Network provides opportunities for high schools in western North Carolina including Cherokee, Graham, and Swain counties to apply for mini-grants to establish a College Access and Career Exploration Program.

The Network is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and is a replication of two successful college access networks in the Appalachian region:  southern Ohio (OACHE) and West Virginia (WVACHE).  The OACHE was formed as a result of a significant study called the Appalachian Access and Success Project. A copy of Research Update, an abridged version of the project, presents the outcomes, conclusions, and recommendations of the study and is available upon request.  Since the publication of the study and the establishment of OACHE, high schools in southern Ohio that have created a College Access and Career Exploration Program have experienced significant increases in the college-going rate for high school graduates.

The current ARC Grant is housed in Teacher Recruitment at Western Carolina University and provides funding for the Admissions Office, Teacher Recruitment and the College of Education and Allied Professions to establish a Higher Education Center for the Western Carolina University (WCU) Partnership Schools.  This collaborative center serves area school systems with college access and teacher recruitment programming. Funding also provides resources to two high schools through an RFP Process, so that the high schools will be able to provide resources and college visits for students. Additionally the western region middle and high schools receive programming funds to participate in the Teachers of Tomorrow Conference for Middle School Students and Teachers of Tomorrow Reaching to Teach Conference for High School and Community College Students. Teachers of Tomorrow Programming consists of campus visits, university faculty presentations in the middle and high school classes, university seminars in the admissions process, scholarships, diversity, teaching science, math, exceptional children, literacy, arts, history, English, classroom management, and curriculum topics for elementary, middle grades and high school aspiring teachers.  A speaker’s bureau for high school teacher cadet classes is also available to encourage university faculty, high school faculty and high school students to engage in discourse related to teaching students in the 21st Century and beyond.

The length of the partnerships began as an eighteen month grant implementation and is now in its third year of existence.  The partnership will be sustained beyond the life of the grant due to the nature of the programming and the collaboration with existing entities in the region.

The partnership has mutually benefited all stakeholders through the involvement of 23 WCU faculty members, 20 WCU Teaching Fellows Students, 13 WCU Education students, 250 Regional High School Teachers of Tomorrow Participants, 2 High School Partners with 55 teachers and 508 high school student participants combined, and the WCU College of Education and Allied Professions (CEAP) Teacher Recruitment, School University Teacher Education Partnership, Center for the Support of Beginning Teachers, Center for Math/Science Education, Office for Technology and Curriculum, Office of Field Experiences, Office of Special Programs and Teaching Fellows, Reading Center, Office for Curriculum Specialist for Diversity, and the CEAP faculty in the academic programs and departments.

Grant funding in the amount of $134,000 actual dollars and $75,000 in in-kind match have benefited students, teachers and faculty in Western North Carolina.

The following documentation is an excerpt from the mid cycle grant review provided by external evaluator, Shannon O’Brien for the Western North Carolina Network for Access and Success dated August 1, 2006-January 31, 2008.  Institutional and community impact is evidenced in this report.

Hiwassee Dam High School
Partnering Institution: Western North Carolina University
Number of Students 2006-2007:  181
ARC Status: Economically & Educationally Distressed

Activities:
• Promotion of Health Care and Education Professions
• Providing supplies and fees for courses
• Participation in Teachers of Tomorrow at WCU
• Career Fair and College Visits

Program Points of Interests:

Middle and High School Culture of College Preparedness
After over five years of teacher training, students are consistently trained to be thinking about where they will attend post-secondary education.  According to administration “I don’t know is not an answer” when students are asked whether or not they will attend college.  One on one conversations, as well as classroom discussions, involve college readiness.  In recognition of academic achievements, a trophy case was built specifically for scholarly awards.

Consistent School Visits by College Representative
Weekly visits by a representative from the university admissions developed consistency in students’ lives, which in turn developed into trust and then academic achievement.  According to Dr. Kim Elliott of Western Carolina University, “Two student’s English grades increased from a D to an A in the short time (4 weeks) that our representative was working with those students.”  She emphasized the need for well-qualified personnel to serve these students, professionals with experience working with young people.  She has received many emails of gratitude from the two high schools that received these weekly student services. 

Sustainability Efforts
Cherokee schools have developed remarkably strong alliances with local private industries.  For example, MOOG Electronic Components donated motors to strengthen physics instruction.  Additionally, Snap-O and Blue Ridge Electric have also contributed significantly towards academic programs. 

Robbinsville High School
Partnering Institution: Western Carolina University
Number of Students 2006-2007:  327
ARC Status: Economically At-Risk

Activities:
• Career Fair and College Visits
• Parent Information Nights
• Tutoring
• Job Shadowing
• Teachers of Tomorrow Programming
 
Program Points of Interests:
Teacher Professional Development Opportunities
Substitute teachers were hired to allow faculty to be trained in SAT preparation.  Integrating test preparation into the regular curriculum has show an increase in tests scores, as well as a general awareness and consistent dialog regarding college readiness.  School-wide “Word of the Day” supports this effort.

Consistent School Visits by College Representative
Weekly visits by a representative from the university admissions developed consistency in students’ lives, which in turn developed into trust and then academic achievement.  According to Dr. Kim Elliott of Western Carolina University, “Two student’s English grades increased from a D to an A in the short time (4 weeks) that our representative was working with those students.”  She emphasized the need for well-qualified personnel to serve these students, professionals with experience working with young people.  She has received many emails of gratitude from the two high schools that received these weekly student services. 

Increased Tutoring Opportunities
One on one academic support, especially in Spanish, has proven helpful for academic success.

Sustainability Efforts
Robbinsville High School is well aware of federal programs available to support college access.  Educational Talent Search has been in existence since the late 1980s and Robbinsville was one of the first GEAR-UP grant recipients.  School counselors explain that there is an extremely high need to continue efforts to sustain college access programming for this very remote community.