High Jump

Programs: High jump seeks to provide the foundation of academic and life skills that each student needs to be successful in high school, college, and beyond. To that end, listed below are several of our accomplishments in relation to stated objectives, program development, and alumni success. Provide a high-quality academic enrichment program- students complete challenging coursework in math, science, english, social sciences, visual arts, and drama. - students demonstrate mastery by achieving high grades in all coursework. - high retention rates indicate high quality - 91% of students who began two years ago completed the program this past spring. Prepare students to succeed in rigorous college preparatory high schools- of those who answered the alumni survey this past summer, 100% were satisfied with how well high jump prepared them for high school (72% "very well," 28% "somewhat well"). Expand student access to rigorous college preparatory high schools- over the 28-year span of the program, 99% of alumni were accepted into college prep high schools in chicago and nationally. Increase reach of the high jump program to serve more students- in the 2016-2017 school year, high jump served almost 700 young people more than triple the number of students served just five years ago. High jump served 696 students total: 338 middle-school students in the two-year academic enrichment program, and resources were offered to 358 high jump program alumni who are currently in high school. This is the largest student population served in high jump's history. Grow demand for the high jump program to impact more students- in fiscal year 2016, 552 students applied, and 190 were accepted and started last fall. In fiscal year 2017, over 1,000 applications were submitted for only 180 slots, almost doubling the applications from the prior year. Expand support services for alumni in high school. - last school year was the first official year of the alumni program and the expanded services provided to high-school-aged high jump alumni. These services are described in detail below. High school matriculation cohort 27the primary, short-term measurable goal of high jump is to prepare students for access to and success in top college preparatory high schools. Over 340 cohort 27 (8th-grade) and cohort 28 (7th-grade) students completed the 2016-2017 academic year. In may 2017, 163 students in cohort 27 (eighth grade class of 2017) completed the high jump core program. Also, 100% of students matriculated to college preparatory high schools. Students matriculated to the following types of high schools: 67% to top-ranked chicago public schools (including charter schools), 22% to independent or boarding schools, and 11% to parochial schools. Two years ago, cohort 26 graduates were awarded over $3. 5 million in financial aid and scholarships for high school. For cohort 27 last year, that number has grown to over $5. 5 million, including scholarships from daniel murphy scholarship fund, link unlimited, jack kent cooke foundation, highsight, hfs chicago scholars, dhs presidential, latin school of chicago, university of chicago laboratory schools, francis parker high school, and big shoulders fund. College matriculation cohort 23the long-term impact on high jump participants is demonstrated by their continued academic success in high school and their enrollment into leading colleges and universities across the country. Last spring, 53 high-school-aged alumni from cohort 23 (high school class of 2017) graduated from high school, and 98% of these alumni we have been able to contact are attending colleges and universities across the country. One of these is taking a gap year, and one joined the united states navy. Several students also received prestigious college scholarships, including the posse scholarship. Alumni programin school year 2015-2016, high jump piloted several resources to support alumni in high school, including high school transition support and mentoring support. Piloting these resources informed our plans for the formal launch of the alumni program in 2016-2017. Alumni clubs are organized to meet on a regular basis throughout the school year, providing high jump freshmen and sophomore alumni with mentorship from junior and senior alumni at five local high schools. We supported a total of 358 high school aged high jump alumni this past year, 72% of which have taken advantage of our alumni programming in one form or another (257 alumni).