Houston A+ Challenge

1001 Fannin Suite 2210
Houston, Texas 77002
United States

Website:	www.houstonaplus.org
Phone:	(713) 658-1881

Houston A+ Challenge's profile was created using:

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Summary

Description

The mission of The Houston A+ Challenge is to promote an academically rich and purposeful education for more of our children and to demonstrate how such an education could become possible for all our children.

A not-for-profit public, private partnership, the Houston A+ Challenge directs the largest single sum of private money ever dedicated to public school reform in the Greater Houston area.

The Challenge develops and funds school programs, professional development and leadership institutes to promote higher academic achievement by all students using the principles of Whole School Reform.

Houston A+ has been working to support and transform public schools in the Houston area since 1997. In schools, Houston A+ works at all levels, from kindergarten to college. In the community, Houston A+ works with a broad array of groups from corporations to community-based organizations and from museums to foundations. With the support of Houston's business and philanthropic communities, Houston A+ has been working with its partners to develop teachers and other educators as leaders in the community, in the schools, and in their content areas.

We have five models:

Integrating fine arts with the core subjects of math and reading
Supporting just in time training through a coaching model with elementary math specialist and high school literacy coaches
Developing local leadership abilities with a leadership academy, deans' group and central office training
Redesigning large comprehensive high schools for personalized, rigorous and relevant learning through creating smaller, theme-based academies
Changing teacher preparation by collaborating with higher education

These models, which are emerging from the schools, are being replicated locally as well as in other Texas cities. Professional development has skyrocketed as teachers soak up the latest research showing how to link their instructional techniques to the way children learn. New bridges are being built across the six school districts as superintendents, principals and teachers share what they have learned. Students are delving deeper into their schoolwork and mastering it.

While the last eight years have shown great progress, much remains to be done.