Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate receives national recognition for exceeding benchmarks
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School recently received national recognition from Achieving the Dream, Inc. for exceeding all four benchmarks used to assess the performance of Gateway to College programs.
This is Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate‘s first Program Excellence Award for succeeding in the areas of first-term success, fall-to-fall persistence, two-year persistence, and three-year graduate rate. Through Gateway to College, students who have dropped out of high school or who are significantly off track complete their high school diplomas while simultaneously earning credits toward a postsecondary credential.
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School was founded in 2013 and the program served 233 students during the academic year covering the award.
Polk State has hosted a Gateway to College program since 2013, and the program enrolled 233 students during the academic year covering the award.
Achieving the Dream President Dr. Karen A. Stout and Executive Vice President Emily Froimson presented Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate Principal Corey Barnes with the award during the Gateway to College Director Convening in New Haven, Connecticut, in July.
“Gateway to College programs provide a critical second chance for vulnerable high school students and a powerful testament to the importance of wraparound supports and creating a sense of belonging in college. Nearly 75 percent of program graduates nationwide continue their post-secondary education,” Froimson said.
Polk State Lakeland Gateway to College Collegiate High School Principal Corey Barnes and national colleagues with Achieving the Dream President Dr. Karen Stout.
About Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream (ATD) leads a growing network of 277 community colleges committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity. ATD is making progress in closing academic achievement gaps and accelerating student success through a unique change process that builds each college’s institutional capacities in seven essential areas. ATD, along with 75 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with Network colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia, including 35 Gateway to College programs in 18 states, to reach more than 4 million community college students.