Texas High School Project—A Partnership to Increase Graduation Rates and College Readiness

CAST

Administrator’s Science Education Institute

Thursday, November 9, 2006

What is the Texas High School Project?

• The Texas High School Project (THSP) is a $261M public-private initiative with 3 funding streams administered cooperatively toward common goals:

– $148M TEA—$118M in state and $30M in federal funding

– $57M Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private funding managed by THSP staff at Communities Foundation of Texas

– $55M Michael & Susan Dell Foundation– $1M National Instruments

Why was THSP created?

Building on previous reforms• TAKS testing expanded with an exit-level

graduation assessment at Grade 11• All ninth grade students now enroll in the college-

preparatory Recommended High School Program • State funding provided for ninth-grade initiative

and high school initiative• Personal graduation plans required for at-risk

secondary studentsResult: 84 percent of Texas students graduated

from high school within 4 years

…however, disparities persist

81.777.4

89.5

77.4

50

60

70

80

90

100

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic White EcoDisadv

Graduation Rates Class of 2005

Exit level disparities are particularly troubling

4552

79

49

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic White EcoDisadv

TAKS Exit Level Passing Rates Preliminary Spring 2006

College readiness is low for all groups

Percent of Students Meeting THECB Standard for Higher Education Readiness (Preliminary Spring 2006)

English/LA Math Both

All students 39% 49% 28%

African-American

27% 27% 13%

Hispanic 31% 38% 19%

White 48% 63% 37%

Negative consequences are significant

• 56 percent of jobs today require some college. • 80 percent of the fastest-growing jobs over the

next decade will require some college.• Of the 50 best-paying occupations, only 2 do not

require a college degree. • A male with a college degree will make almost $1

million more over his lifetime than a high school dropout.

• A woman with only a high school diploma earns a salary just above the poverty line for a family of three.

What is the vision of the THSP?

All Texas students will graduate high school ready for college and career success and prepared to be contributing members of the community.

To succeed in work and life in the 21st century, students need the opportunity to achieve the highest level of education they can:

•Four-year college•Community college•Military•Job training

What are the goals of the THSP?

• Key goals:– Increase high school graduation rates– Promote a college-going culture and increase college

readiness – Build statewide capacity for supporting high school

redesign and reform – Create systemic changes that ensure long-term

sustainable high school improvement

Who does the Texas High School Project serve?

• Focus:– Border communities and urban areas – Austin, Dallas,

El Paso, Houston, Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio– High schools serving high percentages of economically

disadvantaged students

What are the guiding principles of THSP programs?

The Three R’s

• Rigor – challenging curriculum and high expectations for all students

• Relevance – meaningful course of study with real-life applications; clear pathways to college and work

• Relationships – powerful, sustained involvement with caring adults who mentor, advise, and support students throughout their high school careers

What has the THSP funded?

Initiative Programs and Funders

New campus models

• Redesigned High Schools—TEA/CFT• District-wide Reform—CFT • Early College High Schools—TEA/CFT• New High Schools (Charters/Asia Society)—CFT

Leadership innovations

Pilot HS Principal Certification Program—TEA/CFT UTeach—TEA/CFT Teach for America and Texas Teaching Fellows-MSDF

Student-centered programs

• Texas HS Completion & Success Grants—TEA• Postsecondary Success Initiative—TEA• AVID—MSDF• AP Strategies—MSDF

What has the THSP funded?

Initiative Programs and Funders

T-STEM • T-STEM Academies—TEA/CFT/MSDF• T-STEM Centers—TEA/CFT/MSDF• T-STEM Network—TEA/CFT/MSDF

Technical Assistance/

Evaluation

• Statewide Redesign Technical Assistance—TEA• ESC Support for HS Improvement—TEA• SREB/AIR/CRSS/NCEA (District/Campus Redesign Consultants)—CFT• Early College High School Technical Assistance—TEA• T-STEM Technical Assistance—TEA/CFT/MSDF• External Evaluation of THSCS, Redesign, and ECHS grants—TEA

What is the T-STEM Initiative?

Texas Science Technology Engineering and Math Initiative Goals

• Develop leading innovation economy workforce by aligning high school, postsecondary education, and economic development

• Establish 35 T-STEM Academies, each year producing 3,500 Texas high school graduates

• Create 6-9 T-STEM Centers to support the transformation of teaching methods, teacher preparation, and instruction in the STEM fields

• Establish a statewide best practices network for STEM education to promote broad dissemination and adoption of promising practices

Why T-STEM?

• High school students continue to pass the Math and Science sections of the high school graduation test (TAKS) at lower rates than the ELA or Social Studies sections.

88

77

94

75

40

60

80

100

ELA Math Social Studies Science

Passing Rates on Grade 11 TAKS Preliminary Spring 2006

Why T-STEM?

• Texas has lower percentages of students taking Advanced Placement exams in Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics than the nation and lower percentages of students scoring a 3 or higher.

• The number of Hispanic and African American students in Texas who score a 3 or higher on the Chemistry and Physics AP exams is fewer than 500.

• Two of the most common reasons campuses were Academically Unacceptable under the state accountability system were failure to meet the TAKS math standards and failure to meet the TAKS science standards.

• Math performance was one of the top reasons that campuses failed to meet federal AYP standards.

What is STEM Education?

• Teaching and learning strategies that challenge students to innovate and invent

• Model real world contexts for learning and work

• Integration of math, science, and technology with other subject areas

• The design process driving student engagement

How do we help children make sense of the world and solve new and novel problems?

T-STEM Academies Goals

Produce Texas graduates in areas of high need across the state with the preparation to pursue postsecondary study and careers in STEM-related fields by:

– Providing a rigorous, well rounded education

– Establishing a personalized, college- and work-ready culture

– Providing teacher and leadership development

T-STEM Academies Design

• Mix of charter schools, traditional public schools, and schools created in partnership with an institute of higher education (IHE).

• Stand alone campuses or small learning communities

• Approximately 100 students per grade

• Grades 6 – 12 (or 9 – 12 and actively work with feeder middle schools)

• Serve a population with a majority representation of high-need students

• Open enrollment and non-selective

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T-STEM Center Goals

• Identify and develop innovative instructional materials that integrate math and science concepts with the practical, problem-solving elements

• Deliver professional development to teachers in STEM fields based on national best practices

• Train administrators and principals in effective leadership strategies for supporting innovative math and science instruction

• Provide technical assistance, training, and coaching to the T-STEM Academies and other schools

• Support regional partnerships between businesses and school districts around STEM

T-STEM Centers Design

• Located at universities, regional ESCs, LEAs, and other non-profit organizations

• Create regional partnerships among businesses, higher education entities, school districts, and other organizations to support the T-STEM initiative

T-STEM Network Goals

• Serve as a conduit for sharing best practices and lessons learned from the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Academies and Centers with all Texas middle and high schools.

• Provide access to relevant professional development, rigorous math and science curriculum, lessons plans infused with real-world activities in math and science, and expert and peer advice.

• Move as many schools and districts as possible toward the implementation of practices that have been proven to better serve students in science and math

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T-STEM Investments to Date

•Houston

•Austin

•San Antonio

•Dallas• FortWorth

•El Paso

•Brownsville

Region I

UTEP

Regions XIII & XX

TexasTech

TexasA&M

Burnham WoodHarmony ScienceNew Teacher Project

Carver HSYES SEHarmony ScienceKIPP

CCISD (Moody HS)

AJ Moore

Harmony ScienceNEISD

Manor ISD

New Deal ISDIrving AcademyHarmony ScienceWaxahachie ISDDallas ISDRichardson ISD

Academy

Center coverage

Leadershipinvestment

UTeach at U of H

New Teacher Project

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Key T-STEM Priorities 2007

1. Support development and implementation of quality programs in Academy and Center grantees

2. Launch STEM Network (fall 2006)

3. Identify up to 10 new Academy grantees (spring 2007)

4. Identify up to 3 new Center grantees (spring 2007)

What other funding is available?

• House Bill 1– Section 56(b)(3) provides an allotment to each district

in the amount of $275 for each student in grades 9 through 12 based on average daily attendance.

Allotment funds may be spent on the following:1)Supporting underachieving students to succeed in

college preparatory classes 2)Increasing number taking college entrance exams3)Increasing number enrolling and succeeding in college

prep courses including AP, IB and dual credit 4)Increasing number taking AP and IB tests5)Expanding participation in dual or concurrent

enrollment courses

How can the HS Allotment enhance the 3 R’s?

• High school allotment funds can be used to support academic rigor in high schools– Tutoring, accelerated online instruction, summer

programs, ninth-grade transition programs

• High school allotment funds can be used to institute personalization strategies in high schools– Advisories, small learning communities, ninth-grade

academies

• High school allotment funds can be used to align curriculum and expectations with postsecondary

How can the HS Allotment enhance the 3 R’s?

• High school allotment funds can be for programs at high schools that allow more students to take advanced courses– Tuition, textbooks and transportation for dual credit

courses, exam subsidies for AP/IB and SAT/ACT, courses to prepare students for the college entrance exams

• High school allotment funds can be used to attract qualified and effective teachers and administrators to high schools– Incentives/stipends for math and science teachers,

incentives at hard-to-staff campuses

Why is the THSP partnership important?

The THSP is a partnership among elected leaders in Texas, the Texas Education

Agency, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael & Susan Dell

Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, educators, community

organizations, and businesses.

Ensuring that all Texas students graduate ready for college and for work in the 21st

century requires a committed partnership among all education stakeholders.

Join us.

Contact Information

For more information about the T-STEM Initiative, please contact Kelvey Oeser or Mary Wells.

Kelvey Oeser Mary WellsProgram Manager— Senior Program OfficerT-STEM Initiative T-STEM InitiativeTexas Education Agency Communities Foundation ofWilliam B. Travis Building Texas1701 N. Congress Avenue 5500 Caruth Haven LaneAustin, TX 7870 Dallas, TX 75225-8146(512) 463-4704 (512) 536-1160mckelvey.oeser@tea.state.tx.us mkwells@cftexas.orgwww.tea.state.tx.us/ed_init/thsp/ www.cftexas.org/thsp

Contact Information

For more information about the Texas High School Project, please contact Barbara Knaggs or John Fitzpatrick.

Barbara Knaggs John FitzpatrickSenior Director— Executive DirectorSecondary School Initiatives Texas High School ProjectTexas Education Agency Communities Foundation ofWilliam B. Travis Building Texas1701 N. Congress Avenue 5500 Caruth Haven LaneAustin, TX 7870 Dallas, TX 75225-8146(512) 936-6060 (214) 750-4222barbara.knaggs@tea.state.tx.us jfitz@cftexas.orgwww.tea.state.tx.us/ed_init/thsp/ www.cftexas.org/thsp