Texas High School Project John Fitzpatrick THSP Executive Director February 8, 2011

Our Mission To significantly improve the postsecondary readiness of low-income students with a focus on students in low performing schools.

Our Strategy The Texas High School Project develops practical insights and proven solutions that can be scaled in schools and districts throughout Texas based on our evidence and data analysis across the transition from middle school (8-9) through high school (9-12) and into postsecondary programs (four-year, two- year, and technical programs).

THSP: A $375 Million Public-Private Alliance PhilanthropyState of Texas

Scale Interventions designed to test impact, measured by specific improvements over a baseline Multiple instances of interventions are designed to prove repeatability, measured by narrowed distribution of results from the intervention proof point Roll-out is designed for scale, measured by rate of adoption and achievement of expected impact Transitions Feedback and Redesigns One to a Few Instances Multiple, Varied InstancesSchool Systems Statewide Manage an R&D Pipeline for Identifying Successful Practices

THSP Focus on Four Key Strategic Areas Student Success Education Leadership Learning Systems Performance Management Teacher Effectiveness Addressing key practices and policies that increase teacher productivity and impact Hiring and developing campus- and district-level leaders to improve instruction and lead operations efficiently Identifying and scaling models and practices that support better learning environments for students Establishing infrastructure and processes for informing data-driven decision-making to increase school and district productivity

Teacher Effectiveness

Raise Your Hand Texas Texas High School Project Communities Foundation of Texas The Brown Foundation The Meadows Foundation Houston Endowment Sid W. Richardson Foundation

How we do define and identify effective teachers? How do we ensure that all students, particularly those who need greater support in the classroom, have effective teachers? And how do we have this dialogue in a way that is both respectful of the profession, but still asks the right questions about teacher’s impact on individual student achievement?

Mathematics classes in high-poverty high schools are twice as likely to be assigned to an out-of-field teacher as are mathematics classes at affluent high schools. Science classes in high-poverty high schools are three times as likely to be taught by an out-of-field teacher as science classes at a affluent high school.

Early Findings The most critical year-to-year element is the past track record of value add. Teachers with high value add promote deeper conceptual understanding. Student perception match the value-add and objective data on student performance. Teachers do watch videotapes of themselves in the classroom.

Performance Management

Data Diagnostic and Planning Project

Education Leadership

THSP Superintendent Networks Big Ten Aldine, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, Ysleta Rio Grande Valley Brownsville, Harlingen, Hidalgo, La Villa, Lasara, Los Fresnos, McAllen, Mission, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Port Isabel Small and Rural Athens, Fort Hancock, Fruitvale, Lasara, New Deal, Panola, Roscoe

Learning Systems

SRI evaluation of THSP portfolio identified academic improvement in target demographics THSP portfolio schools serve more economically disadvantaged, African-American, and Hispanic students compared to average Texas high schools T-STEM students performed better than comparison school peers on 2008–09 TAKS-Math and Science scores Attending an Early College High School (ECHS) had positive effects on TAKS performance in almost all core subject areas ECHS students had higher promotion to 10 th grade and higher participation in 11 th grade accelerated learning courses than peers T-STEM 9 th graders and ECHS 9 th - 11 th graders demonstrated higher attendance than comparison students ‒ Largely attributed to stronger academic culture and higher expectations for T-STEM and ECHS students than peer school students Source: SRI International “Evaluation of the Texas High School Project - Second Comprehensive Annual Report,” November 2010 THSP focusSRI independent evaluation findings Low-Income and Minority Students Academic Achievement Student Engagement

STEM program is increasing postsecondary preparation STEM campuses achieving approximately 12% higher TSI Math Qualification than peers * Comparison group based on campuses matched by TEA. **Relationship also holds for reading. Source: AEIS Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. TSI performance based on 11 th grade exit-level TAKS. N= 13 campuses. % Complete is defined as the number of 9-12 th grade students who completed at least 1 advanced course in N= 21 campuses.

STEM program is increasing postsecondary preparation STEM students achieving approximately 21% higher rate of Advanced Courses/Dual Credit completion than peers * Comparison group based on campuses matched by TEA. **Relationship also holds for reading. Source: AEIS Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. TSI performance based on 11 th grade exit-level TAKS. N= 13 campuses. % Complete is defined as the number of 9-12 th grade students who completed at least 1 advanced course in N= 21 campuses.

STEM programs increase student engagement * Comparison group based on campuses matched by TEA. Source: AEIS Measure based on grades 9 – 12 in Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. N= 21 campuses. 10X less than the state

STEM programs narrow and close ethnic achievement gaps based on key indicators of college readiness Hispanic STEM students have demonstrated the ability to close the gap. Source: AEIS Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. TSI performance based on 11 th grade exit-level TAKS. % Complete is defined as the number of 9-12 th grade students who completed at least 1 advanced course in

T-STEM Centers Center for STEM Education and Research University of Texas at Dallas Transformation 2013 Collaborative of Regions 13 and 20 ESCs, Austin/San Antonio Aggie STEM Center Texas A&M University, College Station Southeast Regional T-STEM Center University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston El Centro Del Futuro Region 1 ESC, Edinburg East Texas STEM Center Ingenuity Center, University of Texas at Tyler Texas Tech T-STEM Center Texas Tech University, Lubbock

ECHS program is increasing postsecondary preparation ECHS campuses achieve approximately 23% higher TSI Math Qualification than peers * Comparison group based on campuses matched by TEA. **Relationship also holds for reading. Source: AEIS Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. TSI performance based on 11 th grade exit-level TAKS. N= 13 campuses. % Complete is defined as the number of 9-12 th grade students who completed at least 1 advanced course in N= 21 campuses.

ECHS program is increasing postsecondary preparation ECHS students achieving approximately 42% higher rate of Advanced Courses/Dual Credit completion than peers * Comparison group based on campuses matched by TEA. **Relationship also holds for reading. Source: AEIS Notes: Weighted average based on student count. THSP portfolio does not include SWS or schools with less than two years of continuous STEM operation. TSI performance based on 11 th grade exit-level TAKS. N= 13 campuses. % Complete is defined as the number of 9-12 th grade students who completed at least 1 advanced course in N= 21 campuses.

Pharr-San Juan Alamo ISD May 13, 2010

Postsecondary Access & Completion

Where is THSP Heading in 2011? Stage One Teacher Effectiveness Learning Systems Postsecondary Access & Completion Stage Two – Scaling Promising Practices STEM & ECHS District-wide Implementation Statewide STEM Strategy Resource, Convener & Thought Partner

Texas High School Project John Fitzpatrick THSP Executive Director February 8, 2011