College Track
Organization
College Track provides the resources necessary for self-motivated students to transcend socioeconomic constraints and realize their academic and personal potential. Specifically, College Track works with students of color and low-income students.
Project Objectives
ACT was commissioned to evaluate the organization’s readiness for expansion. Some members wanted to grow further within the existing communities of East Palo Alto and Oakland, while others wanted to expand to serve new communities such as San Francisco and San Jose.
Project Overview
The ACT team conducted an organizational assessment of the current College Track management team to assess internal capacity for expansion. The ACT team looked at the efficiency of current operations and service delivery methods, appropriateness of staffing levels, and current governance structure. The team also surveyed present and former College Track board members to identify key considerations for replication. Finally, the team helped College Track explore replication options by reviewing secondary literature on replication and by conducting interviews with similar organizations.
Key Recommendations
- Establish sustainable funding model
- Support and develop staff
- Hire dedicated driver
- Complete analysis for program rationalization
- Formalize operating procedures
- Choose replication model that maintains control of expansion and brand
Final Report Outline
Final Report
- Project Objectives and Work Plan
- Determining Appropriateness of Replication
- Data Gathering; Staff Interviews; Board Member Interviews; Local School Survey: Impact vs. Effort; Partner School Interviews
- Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendix
- Reasons for Replication
- Risks of Replication
- Scaling Deep vs. Scaling Up
- 4 Models of Replication
- Evaluation of 4 Models
- Tips from Corporate Franchising Expert
- Additional Resources and Literature
Other
Final Report
- Evaluation worksheet: determining appropriateness of replication
- Sample interview template: sample questions for staff, board, and competitors
- Program evaluation: impact vs. effort
- Sample replication strategy
Appendix
- Concept worksheet: reasons for replication
- Concept worksheet: risks of replication
- Concept worksheet: scaling deep vs. scaling up
- Business model assessment: four models of replication
- Tips from corporate franchising expert (interview)
- Additional resources and literature