SCHOOL SPRING 2001 VOLUME 6
A P UB LI CATI ON O F THE HO US TON ANN EN BE RG C HAL LE NGE
Principals To Graduate With New Skills On June 18, the first class of John P. McGovern, M.D. Fellows will graduate from The Houston Annenberg Challenge’s Leadership Academy. The group of 23 elementary, intermediate and high school principals from Aldine ISD, Alief ISD and Houston ISD began their work last June and will continue to meet as a professional learning community centered around leadership. “Being part of the Leadership Academy has helped me do a better job of analyzing problems and has given me a resource for brainstorming better solutions,” said Steve Grabowski, principal of Kennedy Elementary and an Academy participant. “It’s made me think more and be more open-minded to change. And, it’s also allowed me to develop relationships with some really smart, innovative, experienced people who share the same challenges that I face every day.” Principals enrolled in the Leadership Academy, which is modeled after the prestigious Harvard Graduate School of Education Principals’ Center, are required to commit to learning, reading and reflecting on their personal practices and leadership. They also must agree to attend monthly meetings and participate in a one-year program extension after their graduation. Approximately 30 fellows will be selected to attend the second class of the Academy. John P. McGovern, M.D. Class of 2000 Fellow Olga Moya, right, shows Lucretia Ahrens of Reliant Energy around Browning Elementary School during a recent site visit. Ms. Moya is the principal at Browning and one of the 23 fellows graduating in June from the Leadership Academy.
Highlights of the Academy’s first year are: ■ Each fellow developed a personal professional development plan based on a thorough assessment of his or her leadership qualities by the state of Texas Assessment Center. Principals then explored how to develop their leadership skills with the support of business mentors and other leadership coaches.
Houston Annenberg Challenge Leadership Academy John P. McGovern, M.D. Fellows Class of 2000 Armando Alaniz, John Reagan High School Noval Alexander, Gregory-Lincoln Education Center Bertran Bilton, MacArthur Elementary School Margo Bullock, Sharpstown Middle School Joyce Dauber, Mark Twain Elementary School Bernadean Dixon, Olle Middle School Steve Grabowski, Kennedy Elementary School Maureen Huff, Red Elementary School Deryl Hurd, Clinton Park Elementary School Ivy Levingston, Westbury High School Anne McClellan, Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School Lili McRae, River Oaks Elementary School Tom Monaghan, Lanier Middle School Olga Moya, Browning Elementary School Joe Nuber, Johnston Middle School Isabel Palacios, Oates Elementary School Monica Sandoval, Wharton Elementary School Samuel Sarabia, Port Houston Elementary School Barbara Trageser, Bethune Academy Roslyn Vaughn, Anderson Elementary School Wanda Watson, Ryan Elementary School Cynthia Wilson, Pleasantville Elementary School Watson Wright, Drew Academy
Leadership Academy . . . continued on page 7
Established in January 1997 with funding from The Annenberg Foundation and local matching contributions, The Houston Annenberg Challenge is a $60 million, not-for-profit public, private partnership directing the largest single sum of 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.
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e are in the midst of an unprecedented opportunity as a nation. During the next 10 years, according to the American Council on Education, some 2.5 million new teachers will be needed to replace retiring teachers, meet growing school enrollment, lower class size and replace teachers who have left. The opportunity to transform schools by improving the quality of education has never been as great, says the Presidents’ Task Force on Teacher Education appointed by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. In the Houston metropolitan area, four local urban universities, six school districts, a community college and The Houston Annenberg Challenge have seized this opportunity and are working to create a national exemplar for teacher preparation programs. (See story, Page 3). Using a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the groups have begun revising the content and structure of the teacher preparation courses in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education. The first set of revised courses in Education - centered on teaching and learning strategies - and in English will take effect this fall. All courses also will have technology woven throughout the classwork. Concurrently, work has begun on building a Regional Faculty for Houston. A group of specialists drawn from business, research, education, government and policy will give Houston a unified body of local experts to turn to as we continue to move our urban public schools and higher education institutions toward a new model for learning.
The Regional Faculty will be a resource for educators in content and pedagogy and will develop a Peer Review system for reviewing teacher preparation programs at the universities. The Regional Faculty also will link education theory to the strategies teachers use in their classrooms; provide a high-quality venue for university professors and teachers to publish their work; and develop a cadre of highly skilled Critical Friends Group coaches. Linda Clarke In the end, this exciting, ambitious work will produce a citywide network of educators who understand not only how students learn, but how well those students are learning the lessons they impart in the classroom. And their students will graduate confident and ready to face the future.
On a personal note, Houston Annenberg Challenge is wrapping up its fourth year and I want to thank our phenomenal members of the Board of Trustees for all their tireless dedication. I particularly want to recognize Board member Maconda Brown O’Connor, Ph.D., for her vision in accepting Ambassador Walter Annenberg’s challenge in the beginning. Thank you, Maconda, for nourishing Houston Annenberg to adulthood. You are a remarkable person who has given Houston a remarkable gift.
developed by other schools with the help of funding from Houston Annenberg, Scroggins Elementary Offers Unique Program this world is capturing the attention of the national “Many times children ask their parents for an education community as one of the keys allowance, but they don’t know how they get the to implementing whole school reform. money,” said Scroggins Principal San Juana “It” is called MicroSociety, and the Elizondo. “Here they’re seeing the whole cycle. main idea is to create a place where We’re reinforcing a lot of the skills, such as deposit young people are embracing a new making, having a checking account and keeping it atmosphere for learning that puts them balanced,” she added. “There are many high squarely in the driver’s seat. school students who don’t know how to do that.” Students spend an hour or a class MicroSociety works because it captivates period each day in their jobs, where they learn to run businesses, apply technology, students and engages them in active learning, L to R: Marcada Claybon and Natalia Mendoza, students at proponents say. Researchers say that fewer Scroggins Elementary School, a Houston Annenberg Challenge develop government and social agencies, Lamplighter School, enjoy a meal at the MicroSociety Cafe. and create cultural and arts organizations. students drop out when they are interested in Students conduct a marketplace during what they are doing at school and are taking part magine for a moment a society where children rule, serving as judges, bankers, legislators and the school year where they market the items they in interactive programs. The traditional way of teaching where the teacher lectures and students produce. They also earn “honeybucks” by entrepreneurs who produce and sell the goods regularly attending school, completing homework memorize no longer works. In fact, the idea that and services used every day. In this world, the the learning environment should be personalized and by performing extracurricular activities at children handle bank accounts, operate stores and for students is one of the three tenets of the school. They can use their “honeybucks” to restaurants, maintain the legal system and even A n n enberg philosophy of whole school reform. p u rchase goods and services from other students. dole out punishment for those outside the law. M icroSociety is made up of six strands, each But more importantly, advocates say, young While it might sound a bit far-fetched, this individually custom-tailored to teach children core people are gaining the tools and acumen they will world is a reality at Scroggins Elementary, an values and skills. need to inherit the reins of the nation’s leadership Annenberg Lamplighter School in Houston ISD. for the next generation. And just like many of the models and programs Real-World Skills. . . continued on page 5
STUDENTS LEARN REAL-WORLD SKILLSS
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Higher Education Initiative Takes Off ne of the major components of the second phase of The Houston Annenberg Challenge’s whole school reform efforts focuses on the organization’s work with area universities and school districts to rethink and enhance teacher preparation at local urban universities. The goal of these efforts? To develop a seamless approach to teacher preparation that develops skills and content knowledge for teachers beginning with their college classes and carrying through their first two years of teaching and beyond. “One of the most exciting aspects of our work is the true partnership between the universities and the school districts for the development of teaching professionals,” said Dr. Louise Deretchin of The Houston Annenberg Challenge. “It is inspiring to see teams of university and
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“The classroom teacher is the key to success of the children or young people with whom they work. If they are well-trained, have had an opportunity to apply that training in field experiences and are supported once they enter the classroom, the opportunities for their success are increased tremendously. Annenberg’s higher education initiative addresses all of these concerns.” Nadine Kujawa, Superintendent, Aldine ISD “It is our mission to respond to the needs of our community and to prepare a diverse workforce for positions in a world economy where bold ideas make things happen. In our work with The Houston Annenberg Challenge, we are setting the pace for new curricular objectives and forging partnerships with diverse partners and community leaders.” W. A. Achenbaum, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University of Houston “Our work with The Houston Annenberg Challenge has afforded us the opportunity to be involved with other local universities on a faculty-to-faculty level that is unprecedented. Together with local school districts, we’re able to focus on what their needs are and how we might address those needs in the preparation of teachers.” Michael Dressman, Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Houston-Downtown “Our work with The Houston Annenberg Challenge has given a cohesiveness to our Curriculum and Instruction department and has helped us develop our plans for the state of Texas. It has helped make TSU truly a part of the education community and has given us visibility in the business community that we’ve never had before. I don’t know what we would have done without Annenberg.” Audean Allman, Dean, College of Education, Texas Southern University
school faculty taking a shared responsibility for the development of teachers beginning with undergraduate studies and continuing into the first two years of teaching in the public schools.” Six design teams, composed of representatives from five local higher education institutions and six local school districts, are already hard at work on the collaboration. This includes representatives from the colleges of Education and Arts & Sciences at the partner universities, as well as administrators and teachers from the school districts. Partnering with The Houston Annenberg Challenge in this exciting project are Texas Southern University, University of St. Thomas, University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown and Houston Community College System. Partner school districts are Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, Houston ISD, Humble ISD, North Forest ISD and Spring Branch ISD. The first of the redesigned courses will be piloted this fall, with the design teams scheduled to spend a full four weeks this summer putting the finishing touches on their work. Professors in the colleges of Arts and Sciences will actually “model” successful teaching techniques as they teach the courses aimed at freshman and sophomore level students. In addition to redesigning teacher preparation programs, the higher education initiative will create a mechanism for the ongoing reform and evolution of teacher preparation programs for future generations of students. “We want to make sure that our efforts don’t become stagnant,” said Deretchin. “What works today may not always work in the future. We want to ensure that reform is a continuous process rather than a periodic event.” The project also includes development of a Regional Faculty to provide an organized structure by which experts from education, business and the community can provide advice and input into the teacher preparation and school restructuring efforts. There also will be a Faculty Academy as part of the five-year process, which is being funded in part by a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Calendar 2001 CRITICAL FRIENDS GROUP INSTITUTE JUNE 11-15 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY JOHN P. MCGOVERN, M.D. CLASS OF 2001 BEGINS JUNE 20-22 FONDREN REFORMING SCHOOLS SUMMER INSTITUTE JULY 24-26
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Learning That Counts Research shows that elementary school can determine whether children “sink or swim” in math and that students’ ability to understand and apply math concepts in a variety of situations is a key component to preparing them for life-long tasks. To meet the challenge of improving student understanding and achievement in mathematics, The Houston Annenberg Challenge teamed up with Houston ISD and ExxonMobil Foundation last fall to launch a $1.3 million, three-year project to identify, develop and place mathematics specialists in K-5 classrooms. The first year of this project, which was jointly funded by the three organizations, placed five math specialists with eight elementary schools in Houston ISD’s Southwest District - Anderson, Argyle, Elrod, Foerster, Fondren, Halpin, Milne and Red. These math specialists are former classroom teachers selected for the specialist role because of their comfort level with mathematics and their interest in working with teachers and students. The program has proven to be so successful that the number of participating schools and math specialists in the Southwest District will nearly double in fall 2001. Among those already planning to add a specialist position to their schools in the fall are Sutton, Benavidez, Shearn, Rodriguez and Tinsley elementary schools, bringing the total number of project schools to 13. A number of other schools are in the process of identifying additional funding to allocate the resources they need to place a math specialist at their own schools for the 2002 - 2003 school year. In the program, each math specialist works with teachers and administrators at participating schools to provide leadership and expertise in mathematics based on nationally recognized, research-based
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professional development. Specialists are in Elementary School. “Our math specialist coclassrooms on a daily basis, co-teaching teaches with some classroom teachers to mathematics lessons as well as working with develop and teach math lessons. She leads children on mathematical concepts. The goal ongoing workshops for all of our math of this mathematics initiative is to ensure that teachers. She’s even organized a math contest all children are making sense out of the for our students. numbers they see and creating opportunities in the classroom for each student to acquire more than a rote memorization of mathematics. The project is extended from the classroom to the home by teaching parents lessons and concepts similar to those their children are learning so that Susan O’Boyle, HISD Math Initiative Program Director, with students at E.O. parents can Foerster Elementary School. (Photo by Tom Callins) guide their children at home with strategies used at school. Each “Along with the training for teachers and of the participating schools held at least one parents, the project also has brought training Family Math Night during the course of the to principals. That allows me to understand last school year where parents and students the challenges my teachers face and provide worked collaboratively to learn math skills. them with the tools they need to ensure the The group of schools also participated in two success of our students. We know the Parent Math Series events, consisting of three changes won’t take place overnight, but we consecutive Wednesday night courses. The can see the progress we are making. The courses are designed to enhance parents’ own project is really making a difference for our math skills, to teach them the process their teachers and students.” children undertake when learning Houston ISD’s math specialists are part mathematics and to share with them specific of a national network of specialists supported lessons their children would be learning in by the ExxonMobil Foundation. Since 1988, the coming months. This “Parents As the K-5 mathematics specialist program has Partners” philosophy will be extended in been a centerpiece for the foundation’s the new school year with additional projects interest in improving students’ and teachers’ and events. understanding of mathematics. During this “The partnership with ExxonMobil and time, K-5 mathematics specialist projects have The Annenberg Challenge enriches teaching been funded in 119 school districts in the and learning mathematics at our school,” United States as well as in the Netherlands. said Ruth Middleton, principal of Milne
Critical Friends in a Constant State of Becoming Better
School Coordinator Profile
By MichaelAnn Kelley
W hat are “Critical Friends” and why are some people at Eisenhower High School engaging in this type of learning? In the spring of 1998, Fred Richardson, principal, asked if anyone was interested in
L to R: Student Daisy Saldivar and Fine Arts instructor MichaelAnn Kelley of Eisenhower High School go over the school's portfolio with University of Houston College of Education Dean Robert Wimpleberg. (Photo by Ray Hylenski)
becoming a Critical Friends coach. It was during one of the many staff development days, when so many people were apprehensive about volunteering for anything, especially something that required an application process with essays and six days of summer training. Yet there were a few people who were interested in becoming coaches, not because they understood the implications, but because they were eager to be involved. I was one of the optimistic people, always searching for a new or better way. I went to the summer training and learned about different protocols looking at teacher and student work, learned numerous ways to have text-based discussions and really discovered I was absolutely uninformed about education reforms or even current educational research. Was this process, Critical Friends Group, going to mean my search for the Holy Grail in teaching was over? The discoveries I made were that as a teacher I had to be in a constant state of inquiry
and always striving to become a better teacher for my students. This was hard work with no guarantee for success or for reaching that light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I need to discover and then interpret the needs of my students. My dilemma is how to do this with only 24 hours in the day. Do I look at the quantitative data, such as their TAAS scores, attendance rates and grades? Do I look at the qualitative data, such as their portfolios, their journals and their exhibitions? The media judges schools by numbers; as a teacher how can I judge my students’ successes? There are more and more questions, yet the answers are not clear and evident. Where do I turn to discover the answers? According to the espoused theory of our school, I would use a combination to push me toward becoming a better teacher. The combination of educational theory, collaboration with my colleagues (in school and beyond) and personal reflection would create the structure of understanding that would allow me to become a better teacher. Being a better teacher would surely lead to better students. I find one of the strongest arenas for this enlightenment is through the Critical Friends
Real-World Skills. . .
Group work. As a coach and member, I work with my colleagues to discover the answers that lie within us. We discuss, we build and we struggle to make ourselves better and in turn make our school a better place. Knowing that there are more questions and answers and trusting the process has helped me to come closer to enlightenment. The work is not glamorous; we work after school with no extrinsic benefits, no special respect, no badge to signify membership in this group. What exists is a close group of teachers from various disciplines, various age groups, various experiences and various philosophical backgrounds. These teachers meet and work together to become better instructors for their students. The only badge worn is an internal one of honor—across the heart. It is this honor for a profession and courage to seek and foster new knowledge and skills necessary to meet the changing needs of our students; this is the honor badge of a good teacher. MichaelAnn Kelley is the Annenberg coordinator at Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD. She is an art teacher at Eisenhower and also is a Critical Friends Group Coach.
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The strands are: Economy; Humanities and the Arts; Citizenship and Government; Technology; Academy; and HEART (Humanity, Ethics, Aesthetics, Reflection/Respect/Reason/ Responsibility and Trust). Although only in its second year at Scroggins, MicroSociety has already made a big impact on students’ outlook and behavior, said Linda Range Brown, the grant coordinator at Scroggins who helped to develop the program. It is so successful, in fact, that MicroSociety has expanded into McReynolds Middle School, another Lamplighter School that is also in Scroggins’ feeder pattern. Nationwide, more than 200 schools have included the educational program as a way to add real-world context for academic learning. Academic subjects are typically studied in the
morning, then applied “on the job” during afternoon program activities. McReynolds Principal Edward Vargas said that while the program has not been easy to get off the ground, the results have been more than worth the effort. More than 200 of the school’s 736 students are actively taking part. “I see a big change in behavior,” said Vargas. “Students are beginning to see a relationship with what’s going on in the classroom versus MicroSociety. They can see that understanding percentages in the classroom helps them understand finance charges in the savings account.” In addition to The Houston Annenberg Challenge, other funding sources are the City of Houston and Harris County Department of Education.
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SCHOOL HAPPENINGS During the first phase of its work on whole school reform, The Houston Annenberg Challenge has awarded more than $14.4 million in direct grants to 88 area schools. While some of the programs listed below are a direct result of these grants, others are schoolinitiated projects that aim to meet the Annenberg imperative of reducing isolation between the school and its surrounding community.
Annenberg Sponsors 2000-2001 Distinguished Speaker Series As part of its efforts to move professional development for educators from the one-shot workshop model to sustained, ongoing activities linked to the classroom, The Houston Annenberg Challenge and its partner schools developed and sponsored a Distinguished Speaker Series for area schools featuring nationally recognized experts in education and school reform. Included in the 2000-2001 series were:
Community Activities Best Elementary School/Olle Middle School – A Community Outreach Project at neighboring apartment communities Browning Elementary School – An Arbor Day Celebration in conjunction with the Houston Federation of Garden Clubs, the Texas State Garden Clubs and Shell Oil Company’s Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future Edison Middle School – “Healthy Mind, Healthy Body” Health Fair and Workshop featuring keynote speaker Dr. Dorothy Caram of the Houston Hispanic Forum on the “Role of Parents” Eisenhower High School – A display of student artwork celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston Poe Elementary School – “I Can Problem Solve” workshop for parents featuring inspirational speaker Dr. Myrna Shure Reagan Feeder Pattern – Reagan High School, Hamilton Middle School, Hogg Middle School and the elementary schools sponsor a series of community wide election events, including a Voter Registration Rally at Reagan High School with U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee Mark Twain Elementary School/Pershing Middle School – A workshop for parents entitled “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll” Mark Twain Elementary School/Pershing Middle School – A “Dr. Seuss Day” complete with green eggs and ham for breakfast, story time and a parade of Dr. Seuss characters
Conferences Johnston Learning Community – Westbury High School, Johnston Middle School, Anderson Elementary School and Red Elementary School teamed up to host a “Best Practices” Institute focused on the Annenberg philosophy of improving teacher learning and student growth
Presentations & Workshops Eisenhower High School – High school senior Carlene Cathey presented at an International Studies Academy meeting in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month Eisenhower High School/Lanier Middle School – The Epiphany Series, a lecture series featuring respected national education professionals such as Carl Glickman and Elliott Eisner Poe Elementary School – “Shedding Light on Science” workshop produced by the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Helms Community Learning Center – Principal Raul Hinojosa joined forces with University of Houston Professor Cheryl Craig and elementary school students for numerous presentations including the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada; La Universidad IberoAmericana in Puebla, Mexico; the International Dual Language Conference in Puerto Rico and a conference in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Department of Defense
Publications Mark Twain Elementary School/Pershing Middle School – A collection of teacher interviews for the K-8 learning community on The Houston Annenberg Challenge
To list your school’s event, please e-mail information to Nan Varoga at nvaroga@houstonannenberg.org
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October 14, 2000 RICK DUFOUR Superintendent, Adlai Stevenson High School District 125, Lincolnshire, IL “The Principal’s Role in Building A Professional Learning Community” A lecture on student achievement through a focused professional learning community.
January 25, 2001 TERRENCE DEAL Consultant, Organizational Behavior “Leading with Soul” A lecture on shaping a positive learning environment and school culture.
January 31, 2001 CARL GLICKMAN Professor of Social Foundations of Education; Chair of the Program for School Improvement, University of Georgia “Powerful Public Schools: Purpose, Practice and Learning Imperatives” A lecture on the importance of identifying the school covenant and the democratic system of public school education.
March 11, 2001 LINDA DARLING-HAMMOND Professor of Education, Stanford University “Teaching & Learning” A lecture on the history of education and the importance of developing teaching techniques to match the changing needs of students.
March 20, 2001 ANNENBERG SCHOOLS Bethune Academy, Drew Academy, Eisenhower High School, Helms Community Learning Center, Johnston Middle School, Lanier Middle School “School Portfolios by Reform Practitioners” A lecture on the importance and practical concerns of developing individual, consecutive and cumulative school portfolios.
April 4, 2001 ELLIOTT EISNER Professor of Education and Art; Chair, Curriculum Studies & Teacher Education, Stanford University “What Does It Mean to Say a School Is Doing Well?” A lecture on developing meaningful techniques for measuring student achievement.
Leadership Academy . . . continued from page 1
■ Fellows had the opportunity to meet and work with nationally recognized experts in educational leadership, including Thomas Sergiovanni (building school leadership), Ruby Payne (being a leader for diverse populations), Rick DuFour (student achievement), Terrence Deal (developing a positive climate), consultants from Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) and Elliott Eisner (unleashing student achievement). ■ The fellows met monthly at sessions facilitated by principal coaches and other experts to work on principles of leadership, change, knowledge management and technology. ■ Several members also participated in three school site visits to examine teaching and learning at all K-12 levels. ■ Through their work in the monthly meetings, as well as at two retreats, the principals enrolled in the Academy helped develop and foster relationships between schools and school districts. ■ Each participant completed an end of the year exhibition sharing his or her goals and growth and provided evidence of that growth to peers. “The principal, as the leader of the school, is either the key or the barrier to successful whole school reform,”said Linda Clarke, executive director of The Houston Annenberg Challenge. “The Leadership Academy allows Houston Annenberg to help principals develop the skills for a distributed leadership style of management that is critical to the long-term success of the schools, teachers and students.” For an application or more information, contact Michele Pola, director of programs, at 713-658-1881. SchoolWorks is published by: Houston Annenberg Challenge 1001 Fannin, Suite 2210 Houston, Tx 77002 713.658.1881 713.739.0166 (fax) Executive Director: Linda Clarke Director of Programs: Michele Pola Director of Public Affairs: Nan Powers Varoga www.houstonannenberg.org
THE HOUSTON ANNENBERG CHALLENGE Donors $20 Million The Annenberg Foundation $10 Million Brown Foundation Houston Endowment Incorporated $500,000 to $600,000 M. D. Anderson Foundation Gordon & Mary Cain Foundation ExxonMobil Foundation The Fondren Foundation $250,000 to $499,999 Carnegie Corporation Cullen Foundation The Powell Foundation $100,000 to $249,999 The Chase Texas Foundation Marion & Speros Martel Foundation John P. McGovern, M.D. Foundation The Rockwell Foundation *Vinson & Elkins, LLP $50,000 to $99,999 Joe B. Foster Foundation George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Maconda Brown O’Connor, Ph.D. Shell Oil Company Foundation $25,000 to $49,999 Ocean Energy, Inc. $10,000 to $24,999 Clayton Fund Ray C. Fish Foundation * Houston Chronicle Jack H. & William M. Light Charitable Trust Mr. Harry M. Reasoner Mr. J. Victor Samuels Under $10,000 Mr. & Mrs. James Buescher Ms. Billye Callier/Sterling Academic Assessment Mr. Leonel Castillo Ms. Barbara Christopher
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce A. Craig * Continental Airlines Mr. Jonathan Day Ms. Honora Diaz Ms. Lynne Marion Doolittle Ms. Janice Dupuy Employment & Training Centers, Inc. Ky & Almuth Ewing Mr. John & Ms. Jana Fedorko Ann Friedman, Ph.D. Mr. H. Devon Graham, Jr. Mr. Jenard Gross Greater Houston Community Foundation Hackett Family Foundation Hobby Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. C.W. Hudspeth Ms. Susan Jhin Ms. Burdine C. Johnson Ms. MichaelAnn Kelley Harris & Eliza Kempner Fund Kennedy - Wilson Properties Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Charitable Foundation * The Kroger Co. Mr. William Gentry Lee Ralph M. & Clara P. Lewis Ms. Marion McCollam Ms. Elizabeth MacIntyre Mr. & Mrs. Jim MacIntyre Mr. & Mrs. William James Miller Ms. Karol Musher, M.A., CCC-SLP Ms. Joann Navratil The Gary & Lee Rosenthal Foundation Roundtable, Inc. Samuels Foundation of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation Ms. Carey C. Shuart Strake Foundation Super Summers, Inc. Ms. Nancy Thompson Dr. & Mrs. Peter Thompson Ms. Nellie Thorogood, Ph.D. Mr. H. Michael Tyson Ms. Angela Valenzuela Ms. Andrea White Ms. Isabel Brown Wilson Mrs. Rosie Zamora * denotes in-kind contribution
Contributions to The Houston Annenberg Challenge are tax-deductible and are eligible for matching funds from The Annenberg Foundation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Houston Annenberg Challenge also partners with United Way in after-school programs.
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1001 Fannin, Suite 2210 Houston, Texas 77002-6709 713-658-1881 fax 713-739-0166 www.houstonannenberg.org
Houston Houston-Area High Schools Schools AimAim forfor Additional Additional Carnegie Carnegie Grant
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ast summer, the Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded The Houston Annenberg Challenge and Houston ISD with a highly competitive $250,000 planning grant. Through its Schools for a New Society initiative, the grant aims to provide communities with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan of action for redesigning its high schools. Throughout the year, teams of parents, students, teachers and other community organizations have been working on redesigning plans for each of Houston ISD’s 24 comprehensive high schools. In the next few weeks, this work will be codified into a single plan that will then be submitted to the Carnegie Corporation for additional funds for implementation of the plan. Among the most common themes in the plans from Houston-area schools is the need to create a school-within-a-school model. Aimed at meeting the Annenberg imperative of creating a personalized learning environment for students, the model creates smaller learning communities within schools and reduces class sizes in the most critical areas. “We’re trying to personalize instruction for each of our students,” said Bertie Simmons, principal at Furr High School. To accomplish that goal, Furr is broken down into three “houses” or schools within schools, with students staying with the same set of instructors until they graduate. Next year, one of the “houses” will move to project-based learning, and the school also is considering a transition to a modified block schedule for another “house.” Equally important, according to Simmons, is the staff development and Critical Friends Group components that Annenberg has introduced to their campus. Another school, Reagan High School, is already implementing part of its plan thanks to Annenberg funding. Teachers at that school identified a growing need to support students in the ninth and tenth grade levels. The need is so great that teachers in upper level courses willingly increased their own class sizes to allow additional teachers to be re-allocated to the “critical early years” classes in the 9th and 10th grades. Although only in its first year, the program appears to be chipping away at the dropout rate of students in the early years.
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THE HOUSTON ANNENBERG CHALLENGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jonathan Day, Chairman Managing Partner Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, LLP Andrea White, President Civic Volunteer Janice Dupuy, Secretary Consultant, NUCO BOARD MEMBERS Leonel Castillo Education Liaison, Mayor’s Office Joe B. Foster Chairman, President, & CEO Newfield Exploration Company Ann Friedman, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, The University of Houston H. Devon Graham, Jr. R.E. Smith Interest Jenard Gross President, Gross Investments Linda P. Lay Real Estate Development Daniel Leff President & CEO, Enron Energy Services Karol Musher, M.A., CCC-SLP Speech, Language and Learning Disorders Texas Children’s Hospital Maconda Brown O’Connor, Ph.D. President, Brown Foundation Harry Reasoner Managing Partner, Vinson & Elkins, LLP J. Victor Samuels Chairman, Victory Packaging Nellie Carr Thorogood, Ph.D. Vice-Chancellor for Organizational Development & Institutional Renewal, North Harris Montgomery Community College District H. Michael Tyson Vice Chairman, Retired, Chase Bank Texas Rosie Zamora President, Telesurveys Research Associates