First Graduate is a San Francisco-based college access and success program that helps students become the first in their families to graduate from college. This case statement details our work and why higher education is a vital mission - both for our communities, but also for the future success of our country.

1. OUR COLLECTIVE CHALLENGE

2. HIGHER EDUCATION LEADS TO BETTER OUTCOMES
Educational attainment is highly correlated with future
earnings…
Both annually… …and over lifetimes
2007 US median individual income,
by education level
During their working lives, typical
$45K
college graduates earn
over 60 percent more than
$29K typical high school graduates,
$23K and those withadvanced
degrees earn two to three
times as much as high school
graduates
<HS HS/GED BA
Source: National Center for Education Statistics “Condition of Education: 2008” (2009); College Board
“Education Pays: 2007” (2007)

3. HIGHER EDUCATION LEADS TO BETTER OUTCOMES
…and a variety of other positive outcomes
Civic
Health engagement
GDP
Source: T. Gylfason and G. Zoega “From Education to Equity and Growth: theory and evidence”
(2004); Stephen Earl Bennett and Linda L.M. Bennett, “Reassessing Higher Education’s Effects on
Young Americans’ Civic Virtue” (revised paper originally delivered at the International Conference
for Civic Education Research, Nov. 2003); OECD “Measuring the effects of education on health and
civic engagement” (2006)

4. BUT PARENTS’ EDUCATION DRIVES KIDS’ OUTCOMES
Parents’ educational attainment is a major predictor of
their children’s attainment
Children’s enrollment in 2- or 4-year institutions,
by parents’ education attainment
Parents who have no college Parents who have a BA or higher
experience
Do
Not
Do not Enroll
enroll
Enroll Enroll
Parents’ education level remains a significant predictor of enrolling in post-
secondary education and for persistence and bachelor’s degree attainment at 4-year
institutions, even after controlling for other important factors, including
income, educational expectations, prior academic preparation and achievement, parental
involvement, and peer influence
Note: Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS):1988-2000
Source: S. Choy. Students Whose Parents Did Not Go To College: Postsecondary Access,
Persistence, and Attainment (NCES 2001-126) (2001)

5. …AND THIS IS TRUE EVEN IN OUR OWN BACK YARD
We are not immune; the national trends are replicated
in San Francisco’s public schools, as well
Out of every 100 first …34 will enroll … and 4 will earn their
generation* students in …57 will graduate in post-secondary bachelor’s degrees
San Francisco… from high school education within 5 years
Note: * Describes a student from a family in which neither parent attended college. Figures are
estimates based on rates of progression through high school and college pipeline, as presented in
research cited below
Source: Swanson (2009); Choy (2002); Nunez, Cuccaro-Alamin, and Carroll (1998)

6. STUDENTS WHO ARE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES
So what about those students whose parents did not
attend college?
first gen•er•a•tion adj. |`fərst jə-nə-`rā-shən|
1: describes a student from a family in which neither parent
attended college
2: 1 out of 6 college students in the United States
Note: Data from the Higher Education Research Institute’s (HERI) Cooperative Institutional Research
Program (CIRP) from 2005; these CIRP surveys of freshmen at four-year institutions have been
conducted annually since 1966
Source: John Pryor et al. “The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2005” (2005)

7. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE NEWEST GENERATION
Who is most likely to be “first generation” today?
Female Black or brown Poor
% of all first-time, full-time % of first-generation students,
freshmen in 4-year colleges by family income
who are first-generation (2005)
Latino African American
38% 23%
< $25,000 $25-49,999
$50-74,999 > $75,000
40% 60%
In a nationally representative Of all first-generation students
sample of students conducted in a nationally representative
between 1988 and 2000, 60% study conducted between 1988
of first-generation students Asian American White, non-
–and 2008, 85% had family
were female 19% Hispanic incomes below $50,000
13%
Note: National study cited is the National Education Longitudinal Study (1988-2000)
Source: C.Tym, R. McMillion, S. Barone, J Webster “First Generation College Students: a literature
review” (2004); S. Choy. Students Whose Parents Did Not Go To College: Postsecondary Access,
Persistence, and Attainment (NCES 2001-126) (2001); Higher Education Research Institute “First in
My Family: a profile of First-Generation College Students at 4-year Institutions since 1971” (2007)

8. A UNIQUE CHALLENGE, FACED BY MANY
What challenges do these “first generation” students
face at school and at home?
Poorer academic preparation in
Less information about the college terms of course-taking, rigor
experience (e.g., how to manage time
Poorer language mastery
and budget, build relationships with
among ELL* students
peers and professors)
Less family support for, More likely to have to negotiate
and understanding of the cultural differences between
college experience home and school
More often placed in
Less experience navigating
vocational, technical,
the higher education
and/or remedial course
bureaucracy
programs that inhibit
access to 4-year
institutions
Less information on college
admissions, financial aid;
less internet access inhibits
research
Note: ELL = English Language Learner
Source: C.Tym, R. McMillion, S. Barone, J Webster “First Generation College Students: a literature
review” (2004)

9. OUR SOLUTION
relationships academics enrichment
case
career information
management

10. OUR SOLUTION
The math is as simple as…
1 Greater educational attainment leads to
positive individual and societal outcomes
Parents’ education is a major predictor of
+ 2 whether a child will graduate from college
OUR MISSION IS TO HELP STUDENTS
=3 FINISH HIGH SCHOOL AND BECOME
THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO
GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE

11. RIGOROUS PROGRAM MODEL
Our program model is grounded in the best academic
research and builds on years of experience in the field
Mitigate the “summer slump” by increasing time spent on academic Enroll in credit-bearing classes; avoid
R study during the summer; increase learning time during school year remedial classes
E
S Enroll in college prep courses;
Participate in career training, work placement
Acquire maintain steady credit
E (particularly valuable for young men of color)
necessary info to accumulation towards graduation
A ensure good high
R school placement Manage smooth 8th- Acquire info on Acquire financial aid; minimize
C 9th grade transition reqs., apps., fin. aid employment hours
H
Maintain supportive peer, parental, other adult relats. that reinforce college-going aspirations, expectations, norms
6th grade 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 1st year college 2nd 3rd 4th
P Academic instruction, tutoring, and support, including rigorous 5-week
Bi-weekly or monthly check-in calls
summer session and 35-week school year session
R
O College counseling for Annual college scholarships of a
G parents and minimum of $1,000 for 4 years
R High school counseling, including students, including test
A selection guidance sessions for prep, application and
parents financial aid End of summer retreats, winter
M reunion, regional networking events
assistance, summer
M enrichment offerings
O Assistance with targeted internship /
Provide career exploration programming (e.g., career days, job
job placement activities
D shadowing)
E Engage parents in activities around high school and college choice;
L long-term mentoring by a college graduate role model

12. DEMONSTRATED RESULTS
Our students excel on numerous measures
High school College Enrollment, retenti
GPA acceptances on
73% of First 92% of all First 80% of all First
Graduate students in Graduate high school Graduate high school
the class of 2011- graduates are eligible graduates are accepted
2012 maintained a for California State to a 4-year college
GPA of 3.0 or higher University campuses
100% of all First
27% maintained 57% are eligible Graduate high school
for University of graduates enroll in a 2- or
a GPA of 3.5 or higher
California campuses 4-year college and return
for their 2nd year

13. ROBUST THEORY OF CHANGE (SIMPLIFIED)
Our work and partnerships will sow the seeds of
change in our community and beyond
exponential...
additive… FG partners with others to raise
…impact
FG serves increasing
numbers of first-generation
youth in San Francisco
awareness around first
generation issues, needs
y A generation of
new graduates
with high quality services
1
F RST School districts
GRADUATE
College prep
programs
Other direct
service providers
Other organizations
replicate key FG
program components
multiplicative…

14. OUR FUTURE

15. OUR GOAL
Transforming the academic and life outcomes of the
first generation students we serve
Out of every 100 First …80 will remain in the …80 will enroll in …and 64 will earn their
Graduate students who program through high post-secondary bachelor’s degrees
enter the pipeline… school graduation education within 5 years
Note: Student icons colored black represent the current number of students who make it through
that stage in the pipeline under the current conditions in San Francisco’s public schools (see slide 13) .
Student icons colored blue represent the additional number of students who will make it through
that stage in the pipeline under First Graduate’s program goals

16. THE MOMENT IS NOW…
We are poised at a crucial moment that will determine
the future of education, and that of our country
Strong consensus that education is the key to our nation’s economic
1
 security and prosperity; education reform is focus of calls for action
from both within and outside the political system
 Increasingly, business and political leaders are sounding the call for improved education
and training in order to regain solid economic footing and reclaim our competitive edge
 Middle / upper middle class parents are increasingly concerned and pushing for reform,
bringing greater attention to the issue of insufficient college readiness among today’s youth
 Government, philanthropy poised to push for significant reform
2
 Stimulus package passed in early 2009 contained unprecedented sums for education
reform and innovation, particularly focused on efforts that improve college readiness for
those youth under-served by the current system
 Major philanthropists are backing this “college-ready” agenda with both voice and funding
3 Emerging consensus around the need to support disadvantaged
students through college completion
 Reform community initially backed efforts that supported high school graduation among
disadvantaged students, then expanded focus to collegeaccess, and is finally coalescing
around the need for supports that focus on collegecompletion

17. WHAT YOU CAN DO
Help us reach our goal of doubling the college graduation rate
among underserved young people in San Francisco – shaping
our families, communities and businesses for years to come.
Invest Volunteer Create Opportunity
See a Return on Your Give Your Time and Talent. Launch a Career. Make an
Investment. Think big. Mentor, Tutor or Coach. Impact.
$100 = Training for 25 volunteers to First Graduate depends on the Hire a First Graduate college
support students' academic time, knowledge and expertise of intern. Help students develop the
progress. hundreds of volunteers each year tools they need to launch trail-
to help us fulfill our mission. blazing careers through a summer
$500 = Books for all 90 middle internship.
school students.
$1,000 = Parent workshop to
provide the tools and skills so
parents can help ensure their
children’s success.
$15,000 = laptop computers to help
support our academic programming
activities such as writing college
application essays. To learn more, contact
Laura Brief at 415-447-7170
FirstGraduate.org/donate FirstGraduate.org/volunteer lbrief@firstgraduate.org

18. Thank you!
LAURA BRIEF
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
415-447-7170
LBRIEF@FIRSTGRADUATE.ORG
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http://www.firstgraduate.org