PRESS RELEASE

February 24, 1997
communications director
(617) 349-8520

LESLEY COLLEGE GUARANTEES $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS TO
CAMBRIDGE RINDGE AND LATIN GRADUATES
EXPANDS FINANCIAL AID FOR CAMBRIDGE
RESIDENTS AND CITY EMPLOYEES

Cambridge, MA, February 24, 1997 -- Today in ceremonies at Cambridge City Hall with the Mayor and the School Committee, Lesley College announced an extensive array of new financial aid opportunities that will make a college education more attainable for future Cambridge Rindge and Latin graduates, City employees, and adult Cambridge residents returning to school to receive a bachelor's degree.

"Lesley College guarantees a $5,000 scholarship to this year's graduates of Cambridge Rindge and Latin whose academic performance meets the standards of Lesley's undergraduate Women's College," said Executive Vice President Alan Fein. "This $5000 scholarship is an annual scholarship available to eligible students during all four years of undergraduate education. It is available for the class of 1997 and future graduates of Cambridge Rindge and Latin," Fein said.

This new scholarship opportunity from Lesley's Women's College builds on a strong history of supporting graduates of Cambridge Rindge and Latin. Lesley will continue its long-standing full tuition scholarship program granted to ten minority students each year, with preference given to graduates of Cambridge and Boston high schools. Currently, six Cambridge residents receive these full tuition scholarships.

Mayor Sheila Russell, who with the Cambridge School Committee was instrumental in working with the College on the new aid package, praised Lesley College for its leadership in the city's town/gown relationships saying, "Lesley is a model institutional citizen in Cambridge. It's an outstanding example of how we all benefit when our city officials and institutional leaders work together."

Mayor Russell and the School Committee met with Lesley officials last fall in the first of several town/gown meetings instituted by the Mayor to improve communications between officials and local educational institutions. The new aid package grew out of this meeting, and builds on past practices of the college.

Fein also announced two additional financial aid programs benefiting City of Cambridge employees and adult residents of Cambridge who are returning to college for a bachelor's degree. "From now on, Lesley's long-standing tuition reduction of ten percent for Cambridge public school teachers will be extended to all City of Cambridge employees enrolling in any program at the College," he said.

"The College will also now offer all residents of Cambridge enrolling in Lesley's Adult Baccalaureate College a tuition reduction of ten percent," Fein added. The Adult Baccalaureate College provides women and men several options tailored to adults who are returning to an academic setting and earning a Bachelor's degree.

Superintendent Mary Lou McGrath, who will join Lesley next year as a visiting member of the faculty, spoke of the college's involvement in Cambridge's schools, "Lesley College runs several collaborative programs with the Cambridge public schools which speak volumes about its commitment to Cambridge students and teachers. Through professional development partnerships with the Agassiz, Harrington, Tobin, and Peabody schools; the important Compass summer school program which has helped hundreds of students; and the innovative Project Promise program, Lesley has been at the forefront of quality education. Our joint programs have helped train new teachers, introduced veteran teachers to new practices and helped improve education for the children of this city."

Founded in Cambridge in 1909 to train early childhood educators, Lesley College has become a leading innovator in preparing students to serve as catalysts for change, not only in education, but also in management, human services and the arts. While maintaining a commitment to its tradition of offering quality undergraduate programs for women, Lesley has grown to be the fifth largest graduate school in Massachusetts.

(addendum)

LESLEY COLLEGE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Financial Aid awarded to residents of Cambridge
$1,368,326
(89 students)

Compass Program -- A Lesley College directed summer school program for roughly 500 at-risk Cambridge students.
$82,511

Pathways to Teaching Program -- Lesley College was selected by the DeWitt Wallace Readers's Digest Fund to train and certify as teachers 40 persons of color who are currently teachers' aides or work in other non-certified positions in the Cambridge and Boston public schools.
$81,000

Professional Development Schools -- (Agassiz, Harrington, Tobin, & Peabody) Lesley faculty provide in-residence training for teachers in these schools and oversee the practicum experience of Lesley students, who have a major impact in the school atmosphere and teaching workload.
$70,000

Creating Lasting Links -- Lesley College was awarded a four-year National Science Foundation grant to improve science literacy among teachers in Cambridge and Boston public schools. The project involves 140 area teachers.
$400,000

Cambridge Partnership -- Ongoing financial contributions additionally supported by in-kind staff resources help this partnership make a difference each year in the lives of thousands of Cambridge students.
$5,000

Kids to College Program -- Lesley College provides academic advice to middle school students about how to prepare for College.
$4,000

Careers in Education Program -- A model of collaboration with the Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School, this Lesley College program prepares young people for careers in education, with a particular emphasis on minority student recruitment. Each year roughly 15 juniors and seniors participate. Lesley faculty work at Rindge & Latin; students take classes at Lesley College and spend time at teacher training sites with Lesley students.

Project Promise -- Lesley administers a private gift which provides counseling, academic and remedial support to students and faculty of the Harrington School, and college tuition to qualifying students. The annual budget for this program is roughly $200,000.

Student Placements -- Lesley student teachers are assigned to work with the Cambridge Public Schools for 12-14 week placements. The cooperating teacher gets a voucher worth three credits to take a course at Lesley either at the graduate or undergraduate level. The voucher can be given to another teacher in the school building.

Undergraduate Education Student Placements in Cambridge
55 students

Graduate Education Student Placements in Cambridge
52 students

Counseling Psychology & Expressive Therapies Student Placements in Cambridge
42 students

Human Service Student Placements in Cambridge
30 students
11 sites

Lesley College is the New England regional site for Reading Recovery, a national demonstration program used to train teachers in early intervention focused on literacy. The target population is 1st grade students who are below reading level. The program is enormously successful and dramatically reduces special needs placements. Cambridge teachers are trained by Lesley College.

In 1995, Lesley College assisted the Cambridge Public Schools in becoming the first school district in the state to certify all of its English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. Thirty ESL educators graduated from this Lesley College directed program. The College worked with the Cambridge Public Schools to develop a certification program and then offered the courses and training to ensure the certification requirements and professional skills were developed successfully.

Real Estate Taxes, Fees, Permits
$367,088

Goods and Services purchased from Cambridge-address suppliers
$2,200,000

Payroll of employees who are Cambridge residents
$3,419,519


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