Houston A+ Challenge

Results: Since 1997, we have: * Raised more than $90 million to promote literacy, mathematics and fine arts initiatives, effective school leadership, and whole-campus reform at more than 170 A+ network schools, impacting nearly 9,600 teachers and 151,000 students. Houston A+ staff provides program support, evaluation and financial oversight. * Improved student learning, narrowed the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students, and sparked widespread adoption of research-based teaching strategies and professional learning communities, according to independent evaluations. * Trained more than 1,500 teachers and school leaders as Critical Friends, a movement University of Texas researchers identified as the key to guiding the “messy, professional conversations” that are vital to school improvement. * Demonstrated through our literacy and math initiatives that on-site skills coaching from a handful of content experts can improve instruction for hundreds of teachers, and significantly raise achievement levels for thousands of low-income students. * Strengthened the knowledge and skills of more than 300 principals, assistant principals and aspiring principals through our principal leadership academies. * Exposed more than 500 classroom teachers to the needs and expectations of Houston’s 21st Century workforce through our annual Teacher Externship Program. Teachers have developed workforce-relevant classroom lessons impacting more than 75,000 students. * Co-created four new, small high schools in Houston ISD, including two international schools and the first early college high school in the state of Texas. Challenge Early College has served as a model for many other high schools statewide, and was named among the Houston region's Top 10 High Schools in a 2009 study by the nonprofit Children at Risk. * Exposed more than 3,000 Houston-area educators to national speakers, researchers and best practices via the annual Reforming Schools Summer Institute and yearlong National Speaker Series events. * Partnered with 11 Houston-area universities and school districts on a five-year project to redesign university-level teacher training in Houston. * Helped fund and develop the region’s first electronic system to track students across districts; the state of Texas has since adopted similar technology to identify dropouts.

Target demographics: We seek to increase academic achievement and postsecondary readiness among low-income, high-need children in the Houston region's public schools, by working with their teachers and school leaders to improve teaching and learning in the classroom. Because we work not only with a targeted group of students, but also with educators to improve their skills, our high-impact programs reach thousands more indirect beneficiaries each year.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 250+

Geographic areas served: Houston, TX and surrounding areas

Programs: The Challenge Network Launching in 2010, this initiative aims to significantly improve the postsecondary readiness of middle school students in targeted schools by working with their teachers and school leaders to raise the level of teaching and learning schoolwide. A+ Coaches work directly in schools with students, teachers, and building and executive leadership in five Houston-area districts; if results are as positive as we anticipate, we expect to grow this initiative to reach up to 50,000 students in 70 schools within six years. A+ Principal Academies Since 1999, Houston A+ Challenge has helped more than 300 principals, assistant principals, and aspiring principals improve their skills in instructional leadership, interpersonal communications, data anlysis for student performance, and building management. Preparing to Dream This multi-district initiative aims to improve post-secondary access and success among low-income and first-generation college students in the Houston region, by helping school districts use student data to transform policies and priorities. Houston A+ Challenge and the National College Access Network partner with vertical teams from five area districts -- Houston, Aldine, Spring Branch, Humble and Goose Creek -- on this Houston Endowment-funded initiative.