Did you know it's never too early to kickstart your college journey? In fact, the sooner you begin, the smoother the process becomes when graduation day finally arrives. There's less stress and more time to prepare for college admissions – sounds pretty awesome, right?

The even better news? We've got your back! Thanks to our partnership with Claremore Public Schools, we're excited to introduce Oklahoma GEAR UP, a federally funded grant that's here to guide you toward college success, and the best part is it won't cost you a dime!

Meet our amazing team of college-prep experts from Oklahoma GEAR UP. They're right in our school every week, ready to chat with you in person. Can't make it in person? No problem! Debra, Rachelle, Sarah, and Micaela are just a phone call or email away, so you're never alone on this exciting journey to your dream college.

Claremore, OK -  February 21, 2018 - Claremore Public Schools was awarded the federal GEAR UP grant to provide resources to prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education and enhance career readiness. 

Oklahoma GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, designed to provide critical early awareness of postsecondary education and support services for receiving schools. The grant will benefit both the Junior High and High School, the goals are to increase student academic performance, increase graduation rates, improve opportunities for teacher professional development, and improve students’ and their families’ knowledge of postsecondary education options and resources to finance them, and increase completion of postsecondary education. 

The program provides direct student support services, including ACT preparation, Pre-ACT and ACT testing, college campus tours, college exploration and preparation courses, and a designated college liaison to facilitate students and parents through the financial aid and application process.  

In his presentation, John Morrow, Oklahoma GEAR UP Project Director, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, stated, “None of us is smarter than all of us,” which is why the grant offers a whole-school approach offering direct support for teachers and staff through Professional Learning Community (PLC) training.   Professional Learning Communities are educators committed to working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research to improve student learning.   The key to improving learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.  Teachers are given time to collaborate consistently to analyze and impact their professional practice and advance their craft.  Kerri Garroutte, Claremore High School Principal, shared, “This will help us pay continual attention to creating a passionate and competent staff that engages in an endless cycle of professional improvement, ensuring a higher level of learning for our students.” 

Although the grant focuses on developing PLCs at the junior high and high school level, Claremore Public School has committed to becoming a PLC district-wide, including their elementary schools.  “The grant covers the professional development for the secondary schools, which will allow us to stretch our current funds to include our elementary schools in this process,” explained Mr. Bryan Frazier, Claremore Public School Superintendent.

A PLC’s foundation is built on teacher leadership, active engagement, and a commitment to improvement and learning, resulting in high expectations within a set of priorities that benefit all the students and the aspirations of the teachers in the district.  “Claremore Public Schools is committed to increasing student achievement and creating an environment of success for all students.  We value our students, quality instruction, and the teachers that deliver it daily,” added Frazier. 

Claremore Public School District is excited to be one of only ten school districts in Oklahoma to receive this grant.  As school leaders tasked with ensuring the next generation of workers and citizens will succeed in a competitive global economy, these funded services will empower Claremore Public Schools to be on the cutting edge of this directive.