The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Public School Initiatives (IPSI) College Readiness helps schools and communities organize and implement successful parent and community engagement plans. Educator professional development provides direct training of educators in classroom management, advanced instructional strategies, differentiated instruction, and project-based learning as well as training to districts to become more self-reliant in their implementation of professional development. In terms of student readiness, IPSI facilitates College Prep advisor recruitment, training, placement and support services provide high-quality near peers for college and financial aid advising, event planning, college and job site visits, summer programs, and test preparation. Finally, IPSI develops and deploys a customized data collection platform built on Apricot to handle customized reporting and continual improvement strategies for school districts.
College Readiness is the technical assistance office/support center for the Texas GEAR UP State Grant and organizes meetings for the Texas GEAR UP Coalition and the annual Texas GEAR UP State Conference.
Currently, College Readiness offers four primary areas of expertise: