Gates-funded initiative will create nationwide Mentor School Network

The national office of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) has announced that Humble Independent School District’s Quest High School has been selected as one of the first five “CES Mentor Schools,” kicking off the “CES Small Schools Project.” This five-year initiative, made possible by an $18.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will result in a nationwide network of 20 “CES Mentor Schools,” exemplary CES high schools that personify the CES ideal of small, personalized, intellectually vibrant and equitable learning environments. These mentor schools will help to guide new CES schools and those seeking to adopt CES’ innovative practices.

Quest, which opened in 1995, was named a Houston A+ Challenge Beacon School in 1997. Principal Lawrence Kohn is a fellow of the Houston A+ Challenge’s New Visions in Leadership Academy.

The first round of grants will support schools in communities ranging from Boston, MA to Humble, TX to serve as mentors and provide resources to new and aspiring CES schools in their areas. During the next three years, 15 more mentor schools will be funded nationwide. The grantees were announced during the opening session of CES’ Fall Forum, a yearly gathering of more than 2,000 educators held in Columbus, OH November 14-16th.
The first five CES mentor schools are:

In addition, CES has named two “Emerging Mentor Schools” that will have access to professional development through the mentor network this year. These are: Leadership High School (San Francisco, CA) and New Mission High School (Boston, MA).

CES chose the mentor schools based on several factors. Those schools chosen are small (typically serving fewer than 400 students) and feature highly personalized learning environments that nurture each student’s intellectual passions.

“ ‘The CES Small Schools Project’ helps us build on our 20 year history, expand the CES network and bring the wisdom of some of the country’s most innovative educators to a wider audience,” said Kathy Simon, co-executive director of CES. “Thanks to the help of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we have been able to identify some outstanding schools that will help us learn more about how to create schools that engage the hearts and develop the intellects of all young people – and then share what we learn.”

“ Large, impersonal high schools, where students tend to get lost in the shuffle, can exacerbate low achievement and poor graduation rates,” said Tom Vander Ark, executive director for education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “These mentor schools will help create smaller, more focused high schools that provide personal attention and rigorous coursework to help all students succeed.”

In addition to the Mentor School Network, the Gates-funded initiative will also include the creation of 10 new CES high schools, and the breaking down of five existing high schools into smaller and more personalized schools. Finally, the grant will fund the creation of a web-based resource for schools interested in adopting the CES principles, as well as some direct financial support for CES’ 17 regional centers to enhance their capacity to start new small schools and to support existing ones.

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About CES

The Coalition of Essential Schools, founded in 1984 by Theodore Sizer, is an education reform organization dedicated to transforming American public education so that every child in every neighborhood, regardless of race or class, attends a small, intellectually challenging, personalized school. The CES national office is in Oakland, CA, and there are currently 17 CES regional centers across the country.

CES schools share a common set of beliefs about the purpose and practice of schooling, known as the CES Common Principles. Based on decades of research and practice, the principles call for all schools to offer:

On the Internet:
Coalition of Essential Schools, www.essentialschools.org

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is building upon the unprecedented opportunities of the 21st century to improve equity in global health and learning. Led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates Sr., and Patty Stonesifer, the Seattle-based foundation has an endowment of approximately $24 billion.

On the Internet:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, www.gatesfoundation.org

About Houston A+ Challenge
The Houston A+ Challenge (formerly The Houston Annenberg Challenge) was created by the community in 1997 to improve student achievement in public schools. Houston A+ Challenge develops and funds programs, a leadership institute and professional development for educators.

On the Internet:
Houston A+ Challenge, www.houstonaplus.org