SCHOOLS FOR A NEW SOCIET Y In June 2000, the Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded The Houston Annenberg Challenge and Houston ISD a $250,000 planning grant for high school reform. More than 20 cities were invited to apply for the highly competitive planning grant, with nine other cities also receiving funds for high school reform. The grant will allow The Houston Annenberg Challenge, which is already committing significant resources to developing a pilot program for high school reform at Houston ISD’s Reagan High School, and Houston ISD to focus on accelerating the change and improvement in the district’s 24 comprehensive high schools. A team of parents, students, teachers and other community organizations is already hard at work on the Carnegie project. Upon completion of the strategic planning phase, the 10 school districts selected for Phase I of the initiative will compete for an additional $40 million in grants from the Carnegie Corporation for implementation of their plans. LEADERSHIP ACADEMY Research shows that the principal, as the leader of the school, is either the key or the barrier to successful school reform. This two-year academy, created by Houston Annenberg, is working to assist principals in meeting the state of Texas Principal Certification Standards. The Academy provides a series of intensive institutes with
nationally recognized speakers on leadership skills and issues in school reform revolving around the Annenberg philosophy. Principals also meet monthly in small teams. Twentyeight principals entered the Academy’s first John P. McGovern M.D. class in June 2000. The second class starts its work beginning in summer 2001.
conduct an independent evaluation of its efforts to
FAMILY LITERACY
reform public schools. The researchers, led by
Research suggests that home literacy, which takes advantage of everyday activities to develop the skills children need to become successful readers, is key to preparing them for school. As part of its Phase II efforts, The Houston Annenberg Challenge is working with the Neuhaus Education Center to create Family Literacy Programs at four elementary schools in Houston ISD. Funded in part by a $300,000 grant from the Cullen Foundation, the programs seek to improve student achievement by involving the entire family in literacy-based activities. The program is being piloted at R.P. Harris, Pleasantville, Oates and Whittier elementary schools. A school-based coordinator and a team of four teachers are being trained in a specially developed curriculum. A minimum of 10 families will participate in the initial program, which meets two days a week for at least four hours. While parents and older children attend the program, a childcare provider, who is also trained in family literacy activities, cares for younger siblings.
EVALUATION The Houston Annenberg Challenge is working with a team of 15 researchers from three universities to
Dr. Pedro Reyes from the University of Texas, include teams from the University of Houston, the University of Texas and Rice University. Their first evaluation report was completed in fall 1999 and shows that professional development has skyrocketed at schools funded by Houston Annenberg. The evaluators’ initial findings also show that academic achievement is up at most participating schools and a number of communities are working together for the first time. A complete copy of the report is available at the evaluators’ website. www.utexas.edu/projects/annenberg/index.html