July  12,  2010  

THE CHALLENGE NETWORK

WHAT IS HOUSTON A+ CHALLENGE?

  Started  in  1997  by  The  Annenberg  Founda;on,  local  founda;ons,  individual  philanthropists  and  business  leaders  

  Since  then,  more  than  $90  million  raised  to  help  local  public  school  teachers,  principals,  and  district  leaders  improve  teaching  and  learning  for  Houston’s  students  

  Direct  grants  to  schools,  leadership  training,  teacher  development,  and  innova;ve  ideas  for  districts  

  Did  you  know?  Some  of  our  accomplishments  listed  on  the  bookmark  in  your  materials  

The  mission  of    Houston  A+  Challenge    

is  to  serve  as  a  catalyst  for  change    in  the  public  schools    

that  educate  nine  of  every  ten  children    in  the  region,  teaming  with    principals  and  teachers    in  targeted  schools    to  ensure  that    

every  student  is  prepared    for  post-­‐secondary  success.  

OUR MISSION

THE CHALLENGE NETWORK CHALLENGING  GOOD  SCHOOLS  TO  BE  GREAT!  

THE CHALLENGE NETWORK

  This  ini;a;ve  is  the  central  focus  of  Houston  A+  Challenge’s  new  Strategic  Plan,  adopted  by  our  Board  in  January  2010    

  Five  middle  schools  from  five  districts  will  par;cipate  in  the  two-­‐year  pilot,  launching  today  

  If  results  prove  promising,  Challenge  Network  is  projected  to  grow  to  reach  50,000  children  in  70  schools  throughout  the  Houston  area  within  six  years  

  A+  is  commiSed  to  inves;ng  $4.4  million  over  two  years  to  this  ini;a;ve  during  the  pilot  phase    

The  goal  of  the    Challenge  Network    is  to  build  capacity    

in  targeted  middle  schools    and  significantly  increase    the  number  of  students    

who  are  not  just  proficient,    but  who  are  on  track  to  be    

truly  ready  for    postsecondary  success.  

OUR GOAL

THE NEED

The  percentage  of  Texas  public  school  students  who  tested  “Proficient”  in  Reading/ELA  in  2009  

91

THE NEED

The  percentage  of  Texas’  Class  of  1995  who  graduated  with  a  college  degree  or  cer;ficate  

18

THE NEED

Na;onally,  current  research  tells  us  that  fewer  than  one  in  five  8th  graders  are  on  target  to  be  ready  for  college-­‐level  work  by  the  ;me  they  finish  high  school.  

Source:  “The  ForgoAen  Middle”  (2008,  ACT,  Inc.)  

THE NEED

To  have  a  true  chance  at  postsecondary  success  …    

 8th  grade  students  in  Texas    

need  to  achieve  at  or  near  COMMENDED  levels    (above  2300  scale  score)  in  Math  and  English  

Source:  “Are  Texas  Middle  School  Students  Prepared  for  High  School?”                                Dr.  Ed  Fuller,  Ph.D.,  University  of  Texas,  AusTn                                (2009,  for  Texas  Business  and  EducaTon  CoaliTon)    

*  Source:  “Are  Texas  Middle  School  Students  Prepared  for  High  School?”                                Dr.  Ed  Fuller,  Ph.D.,  University  of  Texas,  AusTn                                (2009,  for  Texas  Business  and  EducaTon  CoaliTon)    

Current  8th  Grade  Students’    Mathema;cs  Scale  Score  Distribu;on  (actual  data  from  a  high-­‐performing  local  district)  

*  Source:  “Are  Texas  Middle  School  Students  Prepared  for  High  School?”                                Dr.  Ed  Fuller,  Ph.D.,  University  of  Texas,  AusTn                                (2009,  for  Texas  Business  and  EducaTon  CoaliTon)    

Student  Scale  Scores  in  8th  Grade  Math  predict    

Postsecondary  Readiness  in  11th  Grade    

Impact  of  Moving  the  Middle  Group  of  Students  toward  Commended  Performance  

 

CHALLENGE NETWORK: PROJECT GOALS

1.  Increase  achievement  and  college  readiness  of  targeted  middle  school  students  in  targeted  schools  (as  measured  by  a  doubling  of  commended  rates  in  most  schools  over  two  years)  

2.  Improve  teacher  prac;ce  and  increase  teacher  capacity  at  targeted  schools  

3.  Increase  student  achievement  for  all  students  in  the  targeted  cohort  grades  

4.  Sustain  gains  at  each  campus  aaer  the  first  two  years  of  intense  engagement  

CHALLENGE NETWORK: PROGRAM COMPONENTS

1.  Analysis  of  baseline  data  to  formulate  custom  campus  plans  

2.  Campus-­‐based  performance  coaching  to  drive  targeted  professional  development  and  improvement  

3.  Assessment  for  learning  process  using  interim  assessments  and  data  reviews  to  drive  differen;ated  instruc;on  

4.  Extra  instruc;onal  ;me  and  support  for  students  to  meet  the  higher  standards  

5.  Parent  empowerment  and  engagement  

6.  Targeted  collabora;on  across  districts  and  teams  

               Leadership  and  ‘willingness  to  push  the  envelope’  

 

PROJECT DESIGN: THE A+ TEAM

Director  of  School  Performance:  

Tom  Monaghan    Partners  with  principals  and  district  execu;ve  leaders  to  demonstrate  what  a  middle  school  

campus  looks  like  when  it  achieves  high  standards  for  postsecondary  success.  

Performance  Coaches  

College  Culture  Coach  

Communi;es  In  Schools  

Coordinators  

PROJECT DESIGN: THE A+ TEAM

Performance  Coaches  Change  teacher  pracTce  through  working  alongside  teachers  every  day  to  improve  student  achievement.    Work  closely  with  ~150  targeted  students  to  build  relaTonships  and  ensure  their  success.    College  Culture  Coach  Analyzes  best  pracTces  from  research  and  informs  schools  to  help  them  develop  a  college-­‐bound  culture.    Communi=es  In  Schools  Coordinators  Support  parents  and  families  to  help  push  their  children  toward  higher  levels  of  achievement.    

CHALLENGE NETWORK 2010: THE SCHOOLS

Carraway  Intermediate  School    Principal:  Alfred  James    A+  Performance  Coach:  Jennifer  Fowler    Focus:    5th  Grade  Literacy      

CHALLENGE NETWORK 2010: THE SCHOOLS

O’Donnell  Middle  School    Principal:  Janie  Saxton    A+  Performance  Coach:  Jennifer  Mascheck    Focus:    7th  Grade  Numeracy      

CHALLENGE NETWORK 2010:

THE SCHOOLS

Horace  Mann  Junior  School    Principal:  Michael  Coopersmith    A+  Performance  Coach:  Torrey  Conerly    Focus:    6th  Grade  Numeracy      

CHALLENGE NETWORK 2010: THE SCHOOLS

Atascocita  Middle  School    Principal:  Karl  Koehler    A+  Performance  Coach:  Mike  Webster    Focus:    6th  Grade                              Advanced  Coursework      

CHALLENGE NETWORK 2010:

THE SCHOOLS

YES  Prep  West    Principal:  Ellen  Winstead    A+  Performance  Coach:  Cicely  Greene    Focus:    6th  and  7th  Grade                              English  Language  Arts      

CHALLENGE NETWORK: FINANCIALS

  A+  is  commiSed  to  inves;ng  $4.4  million  over  two  years  during  the  pilot  phase  

  Direct  costs  per  school  run  about  $280,000  per  year  

  Primary  cost  is  personnel:  Campus-­‐based  Performance  Coach  and  Communi;es  in  Schools  coordinator  

  Districts  in  pilot  phase  are  contribu;ng  in-­‐kind  resources  such  as  sub  ;me  for  teachers  to  aSend  professional  development,  aaer-­‐school  transporta;on,  etc.  

  If  pilot  is  successful,  intent  is  to  go  to  a  cost-­‐sharing  model  that  includes  some  fee-­‐for-­‐service