College AIM_DeKalb County Proposal Summary (26-27)

                                             Proposal Summary
Scope of Partnership
The proposed 26-27 partnership would support more than 4,000 DCSD students across five school
partners—McNair HS, Stone Mountain HS, Towers HS, Cross Keys HS, and Lithonia HS. At each high school, the
program would support students across all grade levels.

Additionally, College AIM will partner with Druid Hills High School to pilot a targeted postsecondary advising
program focused on 12th grade students during the 2026–27 school year. This pilot will serve as the foundation
for developing a scalable model that can expand to additional schools in future years.

Student Profiles
The most intense support will be provided to twelfth grade students with a stated interest in “Enrollment,” including
bachelor’s degree, associate degree and technical college and certificate programs after high school, and to
first-year postgraduate students enrolled in college.

These students will receive individualized enrollment and persistence coaching, while the remainder of students at
each partner high school would gain access to full-school events and programming.

Work Plan

To reach the students outlined above, College AIM would place a team consisting of one Access Coach and one
Success Coach each at Stone Mountain, Lithonia and Cross Keys HS. Due to smaller anticipated student
populations at McNair and Towers HS, one Access Coach and Success Coach team would collectively serve both
schools.

At Druid Hills HS, College AIM will pilot a targeted 12th grade advising model during the 26–27 school year,
implemented by College AIM’s Manager, Strategic Growth in close partnership with school leadership and district
staff.

Within each school, the team would work closely with school-based and district personnel including
administrators, counselors, teachers, post-secondary transition specialists and the Office of Student Advancement
to coordinate programming. Programming would include postsecondary advising for 12th grade students,
continued postgraduate coaching for enrolled students and postsecondary exposure for 9th-11th grade students,
as outlined below.

12th Grade - Postsecondary Advising

  ●​ Individual Coaching
     ○​ 1:1 coaching for 12th grade students who select “Enrollment” as their E. Topics include building a
         college list, application planning and submission, essay writing and editing, scholarship search and
         application support, financial analysis to minimize student debt and family engagement in the
         postsecondary process.
     ○​ College AIM suggests ideal caseloads of 150 students to 1 College AIM Access Coach for 12th grade
         students to optimize student outcomes and coach effectiveness.
  ●​ Exposure
     ○​ Monthly college visits to local four-year colleges, community colleges and technical colleges
     ○​ College Admit Day - on-site admissions and scholarship event, hosting 20+ colleges who provide
         free application, admissions and scholarship opportunities
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    ○​ Signing Day - student celebration, including significant scholarship awards and announcements
    ○​ Monthly exposure and support workshops including FAFSA completion, scholarship application
        support and college essay writing and editing
 ●​ College AIM Scholarships
    ○​ Access to $1M+ in College AIM student specific scholarship opportunities annually,
        including: CAPS Scholarship (20 students/year), Rhodes College full scholarship, Genevieve
        Ramsey Scholarship, DeBarr Future Leaders Scholarship, BLEST Scholarship, 9East Scholarship,
        DeKalb Alphas Scholarship and Dell Scholarship.
    ○​ Students also receive significant support with FAFSA and CSS Profile completion and applications
        for additional external scholarships.

Postgraduate - Continued Coaching for Enrolled Students

 ●​ Individual Coaching
    ○​ Monthly 1:1 coaching sessions for students enrolled in postsecondary education programs. Topics
        include: mapping campus resources, seeking academic support, securing additional financial aid and
        connecting credentials to career opportunities.
    ○​ Coaches will also provide individualized, student-initiated support to address emergent academic,
        financial, or social challenges.
    ○​ College AIM suggests ideal caseloads of 100 students to 1 College AIM Success Coach for
        postgraduate students to optimize student outcomes and coach effectiveness.
 ●​ Career Development & Network Building
    ○​ Students will have access to career development workshops and opportunities to build professional
        networks through College AIM’s employer and community partnerships. Support will include internship
        search and application guidance, resume development, and exposure to career pathways aligned with
        students’ credentials.
 ●​ Emergency Support
    ○​ Daily office hours with College AIM coaches to receive emergent academic, financial and social
        support.
    ○​ Access to a pool of $40k in emergency financial support to cover costs that would otherwise
        prohibit students from remaining enrolled, including but not limited to books, housing, meal plans,
        transportation and medical needs.
    ○​ Access to emergency grocery store gift cards via College AIM’s partnership with Invisible Food
        Pantry, which supplies up to $1k in gift cards/month to College AIM students.

9th-11th Grade - Postsecondary Exposure

 ●​ Postsecondary Awareness & Planning
    ○​ Students will participate in workshops and group sessions that build understanding of
        postsecondary options, the return on investment of different pathways, and the steps required to
        access college and career opportunities. Programming will also support completion of key college
        and career readiness milestones.
 ●​ College & Career Exposure
    ○​ Students will participate in college visits to local institutions and career exposure experiences with
        employer partners. These experiences will provide opportunities for campus tours, student panels,
        and direct engagement with college representatives and professionals.
 ●​ Integration with School-Based Programming
    ○​ Underclassmen will have access to select College AIM events—such as college visits and
        workshops—and programming will be aligned with school-based tools and initiatives to reinforce
        college and career readiness throughout high school.


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Projected Outcomes

Through the above programming, we will work together towards the following primary outcomes:
1.​ At least 60% of Class of 2027 graduates from Towers, McNair, Stone Mountain, Cross Keys, and Lithonia
    high schools will enroll in a postsecondary education program within 16 months of high school graduation.
2.​ Class of 2027 graduates from Towers, McNair, Stone Mountain, Cross Keys, and Lithonia will collectively
    secure at least $50 million in grant and scholarship offers.
3.​ At least 55% of Class of 2027 graduates from Towers, McNair, Stone Mountain, Cross Keys, and Lithonia
    high schools will complete the FAFSA by 7/31/27.
4.​ At least 80% of enrolled Class of 2026 graduates receiving College AIM’s individual coaching will earn a
    credential or persist to year two of their postsecondary education program by 9/30/27.

To reach these outcomes, College AIM will also work towards intermediary goals including:
1.​ 90% of seniors receiving College AIM’s individual coaching will have match/fit-oriented college lists built by
    1/31/27
2.​ 90% of seniors receiving College AIM’s individual coaching will apply to college by 7/31/27
3.​ 60% of seniors receiving College AIM’s individual coaching will complete individual financial analysis
    meetings by 7/31/27
4.​ 60% of seniors receiving College AIM’s individual coaching will complete their intent to enroll in a
    postsecondary education program by 7/31/28

Collectively, the School District and College AIM will work towards the following outcomes for their pilot program
at Druid Hills:
1.​ At least 80% of Class of 2027 graduates within the pilot program at Druid Hills will enroll in a postsecondary
    education program within 16 months of high school graduation.
2.​ Class of 2027 graduates within the pilot program at Druid Hills will collectively secure at least $2 million in
    grant and scholarship offers.
3.​ At least 75% of Class of 2027 within the pilot program at Druid Hills will complete the FAFSA by 7/31/27.




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