Steppingstone Foundation, Inc.

Steppingstone's straightforward, long-term goal is to increase the number of students from historically marginalized communities who graduate from a four-year college.

Related to this goal, Steppingstone’s major accomplishment continues to be high rates of high school and college completion among these students. Among Scholars who complete the academic preparation program (and for whom information is available), 99.5% graduate from high school, 93.8% enroll in a four-year college, and 80.6% complete a four-year degree within six years. These results well exceed both local and national high school and college graduation statistics.

Since 1990, more than 1,000 Boston students have completed a four-year college degree with Steppingstone’s support.

OUR PROVEN PROGRAM APPROACH

Steppingstone’s approach to improving college outcomes for Scholars in the Steppingstone Scholars Program combines the following four elements and associated activities into an effective lifelong learning and completion strategy. These core elements are based on three decades of experience, research in the field, and learning from our National Partnership for Educational Access which gathers and analyzes best practices among programs across the nation

1. We intervene early, right before the important middle school years. Students who do not build a strong academic foundation in middle school are likely to struggle in high school, which impacts college possibilities. This is also an ideal age to become part of a college-bound peer group and begin to think about college as a realistic possibility.

2. Our experienced teachers provide rigorous and engaging academic programming during the summer and school year. Scholars in grades 5 and 6 bridge academic gaps, realize their learning potential, and build organizational and study skills that will benefit them in middle school and beyond. The curriculum weaves together traditional liberal arts subjects, technology, and current events and features both individual and group work.

3. We help Scholars gain admission to “right fit” middle and high schools, based on a combination of educational and personal qualities. If a student attends a high school with a strong college preparatory curriculum, they will have access to higher quality learning and are significantly more likely to apply to college, be ready to enter college, and earn a degree. In addition to entrance exam preparation, we provide guidance around the application process for Boston public exam and independent schools and the selection process for Boston’s traditional public and charter high schools.

4. Our professional advisors provide academic and social-emotional support to students all the way through college, helping Scholars navigate key transitions and life situations that can become obstacles and interfere with success. In middle school, we offer fun and interesting program activities that help Scholars explore skills and interests and strengthen relationships within the Steppingstone community. In high school, the focus is on college readiness activities and the college application process. In college, advisors help Scholars learn to navigate campus, persist from year to year, and begin preparing for their careers.

OUR NATIONAL REACH

The National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA) broadens the reach and impact of Steppingstone’s commitment to the national level, offering platforms for learning and idea exchange to strengthen the field of college access and success. With more than 350 member organizations in 38 states serving more than half a million students, NPEA drives progress, innovation, collaboration, and excellence in the field and across the country.

With more than 30 years of experience, an evidence-based approach, and proven results, Steppingstone is recognized as a national leader in the field of college access and success.

Steppingstone began in 1990 with a class of 14 Scholars offering a program model that helped them prepare from success at Boston independent schools. Since then, we have:
1. Developed programming to prepare students for Boston’s three public exam schools. As admissions have become increasingly competitive, Steppingstone has been recognized as one of the most effective ways for Boston students from low-income neighborhoods to gain admission to these selective schools.
2. Added program entry points and admissions options to increases students’ opportunities to gain admission to a right-fit college-preparatory school at multiple grade levels.
3. Expanded services to include college readiness and college admissions support for high school students and extended support to college-age Scholars to ensure persistence and, ultimately, college graduation.
4. Modified our program model to create a college-going pipeline within Boston public schools.
5. Replicated our program model in Hartford and Philadelphia, both of which serve hundreds of Scholars and have further innovated to meet the needs of their communities.
6. Established the National Partnership for Educational Access, a membership association that connects the people, practices, and innovations essential for eliminating barriers to educational access and college and career success for underserved students.

In July 2021, we launched the Steppingstone Scholars Program, the latest evolution of our core program model. The new program combines and builds on the strengths of our previous two direct service programs, offering increased flexibility around middle and high school options and expanded social-emotional, academic, and key transition supports for Scholars.

Among Scholars who complete the academic preparation program (and for whom information is available), 99.5% graduate from high school, 93.8% enroll in a four-year college, and 80.6% complete a four-year degree within six years. These results well exceed both local and national high school and college graduation statistics.

Since Steppingstone opened our doors nearly 30 years ago, we have been driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact in the lives of as many students as possible, in the City of Boston and beyond. In order to continuously respond to opportunities and the changing educational landscape, Steppingstone’s culture has prioritized innovation, evaluation, and impact. As a result, what started as a small program preparing 14 sixth graders for admission to independent schools now admits as many as 10 times that number. With programming that spans fifth grade through college graduation, Steppingstone annually serves more than 1,400 Scholars who attend a wide range of schools in the Boston area, including independent, public, and Catholic/parochial schools. Over the years, Steppingstone has expanded its reach across and within Boston public schools, replicated its core program model in Hartford and Philadelphia, and created a national association to connect hundreds of programs that were working in isolation to improve college access and success for historically marginalized students across the country.

Steppingstone undertook a strategic planning process (completed in June 2019) with the purpose of providing a roadmap to guide the organization over the next three years. Four overarching goals emerged:
1. Provide intentional and meaningful services to Scholars across multiple identified pathways to college, building on the strengths of our two previous direct service programs.
2. Leverage our successes and concentrate our efforts, with emphasis on strengthening our services to Scholars attending Boston public schools in order to achieve greater impact.
3. Foster a culture of consistent evaluation and reflection to evolve and improve our programming.
4. Position ourselves for future growth by investing in what we know works.

To achieve these goals, Steppingstone identified two strategic priorities:
1. Develop one Steppingstone direct-service program that incorporates the strengths of both The Steppingstone Academy and the College Success Academy, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to college and strengthening the services provided to Scholars who attend Boston Public Schools middle and high schools.
2. Increase alignment between Steppingstone and the National Partnership for Educational Access in order to increase the profiles of both entities, with a focus on deepening our impact in Boston and New England.

Achieving these goals will increase our ability to ensure success not only for Steppingstone Scholars in Boston, but for students served by NPEA college access organizations across the United States.