Pipeline to Success
In the fall of 1999, the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) partnered with the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) and Avery Dennison Foundation to create a program specifically designed for gifted and talented students of PUSD. Initially, the Pipeline to Success (Pipeline) program served highly able, underserved youth only at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. In the Fall of 2002, Pipeline's services were expanded to include Pasadena High School and Blair High School through generous funding from the Avery Dennison Foundation, the Rose Hills Foundation, Washington Mutual Foundation, The Ann Peppers Foundation and the Dwight Stuart Foundation. More than 200 students have been served by Pipeline at PUSD.
The chief goal of the Pipeline program is to prepare students for college by providing them with challenging, academic coursework and additional resources and experiences throughout their middle and high school years. Additionally, IEA actively seeks the input of teachers, parents, and students enrolled in Pipeline thereby creating a synergy not often found in urban school districts.
In an effort to serve students beyond these direct services, IEA also provides funding to support class-size reduction and offers teacher training to educators throughout the District. In addition to IEA-sponsored after-school and Saturday enrichment courses, Pipeline to Success participants and family members also receive academic guidance from 6th or 7th through 12th grade in the form of the following support services:
- Personalized Education Plans (PEP's) - After gathering historical academic data and consulting with the parents and teachers of Pipeline students, Program Coordinators create a customized PEP. The PEP is intended to empower the student to excel academically.
- Resource Referrals - Using the PEP, Program Coordinators direct Pipeline students towards various programs, contests and talent searches that allow individual students to develop to their fullest potential.
- Financial Assistance Referrals - IEA assists Pipeline students in locating and applying for scholarships to educational opportunities such as summer programs.
- Student Events - IEA presents a variety of events including special seminars with guest speakers, college tours and admissions assistance, field trips and social gatherings for Pipeline students to develop a peer network and make new friends.
- Parent Events - IEA provides opportunities for parents to learn more about their students' gifts and how to maximize their potential.
Pipeline to Success works with public middle and high schools to provide supplemental courses to support the academic growth of gifted students. Below is a list of schools currently receiving support services from IEA.
Blair High School (Pasadena, CA)
Pasadena High School (Pasadena, CA)
If you, or someone you know, are interested in sponsoring Pipeline to Success at a school near you, please email IEA at IEAGifted@educationaladvancement.org and be sure to include "Pipeline to Success - Sponsor" in the subject line. IEA also welcomes suggestions for other creative ways to support existing Pipeline programs.
Student Participation
IEA staff works with each program participant to craft a Personal Education Plan (PEP). The PEP is intended to empower the student to excel in areas of strength, set and attain personal and academic goals, and explore disciplines of interest. Pipeline students continue to receive services through their senior year of high school. Various liberal arts colleges have expressed interest in providing scholarships to Pipeline students who successfully complete the Program.
Through Pipeline to Success, the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) provides a variety of academically challenging enrichment courses intended to give Pipeline students the opportunity to advance their knowledge through coursework not typically available at their schools.
If teaching advanced material in your area of expertise to bright students is of interest to you or someone you know, please visit the Employment Opportunities section of our website.
The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) identifies students at participating schools in 9th and 10th grade. Students that have met the following criteria on the Stanford 9 Achievement Test (SAT 9) will be invited to enroll in the Pipeline program: At least one score over 90th percentile in any domain (Reading, Math and/or Language)
No score below the 70th percentile in any domain, unless the student is scoring lower than the 70th percentile in Reading or Language due to his/her status as an English Language Learner (ELL) student.
IEA welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions!
Please email us at IEAGifted@educationaladvancement.org.
Please include "Pipeline" in the subject line.
