TCC Awarded College Spark Grant

College Spark Washington awarded Tacoma Community College a $150,000 grant. The funds, paid over three years, will allow the college to partner with Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) to increase the number of students who graduate from high school prepared to enter college-level classes.

College Spark’s Community Grants Program is an annual, statewide competitive program. The grants amplify the effectiveness of recipients working with low-income students in middle school, high school and college. They fund promising new practices that help students be college-ready and transition to college successfully.

The grant will help TCC and TPS reduce learning gaps in the transition from high school to college. The goal is to make sure more students enter college prepared for college-level English and math, decreasing the need for remediation.

"Tacoma Community College is excited to continue its Core to College initiative with Tacoma Public Schools through funding from the College Spark Washington grant,” said Dr. Tod Treat, Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Tacoma Community College.

“This funding will allow Tacoma Community College and Tacoma Public Schools to further align assessment instruments and curricula to work towards a goal that all seniors graduate college and career ready and able to move on to the college of their choice in college-level classes in math and English.”

This year’s 12 grant recipients will measure results using at least one of the four following indicators of future college success:

• 8th Grade Algebra: Increasing the number of students who take and pass Algebra by the eighth grade.
• Early Warning Indicators: Decreasing the number of middle school students who trigger two of three early warning indicators: five or more absences per semester; course failure; suspension or expulsion.
• Remedial Education: Decreasing the number of students who require remedial education in college.
• College Math and English: Increasing the number of students who earn their first college-level credit in English or math.

“We are supporting organizations across the state working hard and making progress on postsecondary access, persistence and completion rates for low-income students,” said Christine McCabe, Executive Director at College Spark Washington. “These grantees will be tracking their results and sharing what works.”

Since 2005 College Spark Washington’s Community Grants Program has awarded more than 100 Community Grants totaling $14 million.

To see a full list and descriptions of grantees visit the 2014 Community Grantees web page.<http://www.collegespark.org/page/126/2014+Community+Grantees>