OneGoal received the Member of the Year Award of Excellence at the 2022 NCAN National Conference in Atlanta, GA. This award recognizes the work of an NCAN member organization, school, or college/university to fulfill NCAN's mission of building, strengthening,
and empowering communities and stakeholders to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all students.
OneGoal is an organization dedicated to advancing postsecondary preparedness, persistence, and completion for high school students in the US. OneGoal equips district and school leaders with
the tools they need to enhance postsecondary outcomes for their students, ensures teachers feel supported through ongoing coaching and professional development, and helps OneGoal Fellows embrace their identities and grounding decisions about the future
in their unique values, needs, and aspirations.
With locations across the country, OneGoal has established 127 high school partnerships, 45 postsecondary partners, and several relationships with college access partners like Beyond12, Guild, YearUp, and others, to ensure that their Fellows have the
resources they need to succeed. Most recently, they have partnered with the Kentucky Department of Education and the Council on Postsecondary Education for a two-year initiative to increase undergraduate enrollment.
“Like most states, Illinois experienced a college enrollment crisis spurred on by the pandemic,” Jennifer Kirmes, Executive Director for Teaching and Learning at the Illinois State Board of Education, wrote in a letter nominating OneGoal. “The state Board
of Education was looking for organizations with proven track records to partner with, prioritizing a targeted re-engagement strategy and communication program to boost enrollment in postsecondary [institutions]… Since launching in January 2022, the
OneGoal Postsecondary Leadership Series (PLS) is active in 23 districts across the state impacting over 57,000 students, with plans to expand into 10-15 additional school systems in the coming months.”
A study published by the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab in 2022 found that OneGoal Fellows in Chicago Public Schools
were 46% more likely to enroll in a two- or four-year college than their peers from similar backgrounds, 47% more likely to persist for at least two years, and 40% more likely to complete college and earn a degree. Additionally, students who were
surveyed identified that the OneGoal curriculum helped them increase their college knowledge through opportunities that allowed them to explore their career aspirations and identify colleges that would be a good fit for their goals, aspirations, and
identity.
“Our study of OneGoal underscores the complex challenges students face on their road to postsecondary completion,” Dr. Kelly Hallberg, Scientific Director at the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab said. “Our findings are part of what is fueling
OneGoal’s next strategic plan, which is centered on ensuring that their students earn postsecondary degrees or credentials at two times the rate of their peers. They are investing in bold innovations to ensure more students enroll in quality postsecondary
paths and providing differentiated support to ensure more students graduate.”
OneGoal embodies NCAN’s mission of empowering communities to close equity gaps in postsecondary education. We are excited to have presented OneGoal with the NCAN Member of the Year Award, as well as $5,000 to put toward general operating support, scholarships, and/or
professional development.
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