From the Field

When Karl Koehler applied to the Houston A+ Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA) in 2009, he knew that, if he were accepted, he would engage in a six-week summer intensive learning experience with his cohort that would expose him to best practices in leadership. He also knew he would complete a year-long residency with a mentor principal and undertake an action research project. What Karl did not know is that he would become the principal of Atascocita Middle School (AMS) in the Humble Independent School District in January 2010.

YES Public Schools are a partner district with Houston A+ Challenge. This year, three Regional Principal Leadership Academy (RPLA) interns have been gaining valuable urban leadership experiences on the YES campuses.

At YES Southeast, Destiny Evans, Dean of Instruction and A+ Intern, has been putting theory into practice using the work of Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Leer Teitel detailed in Instructional Rounds in Education: a Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning.

Ms. Evans, in conjunction with her leadership team, has adjusted the procedures to meet the needs of the campus. Selecting teacher-leaders as facilitators, the groups fall into six categories: high school language arts; high school mathematics; middle school language arts; middle school mathematics; social studies (both levels); and electives.  At first, the facilitators met to practice the protocols themselves, as they built trust and cohesiveness as a group. As the practice began in the classrooms, teachers received feedback on instructional methodology and the administration was able to identify trends in the classrooms, which provide the basis for discussion and improvement. The campus is developing a new level of collegiality as a result of this work.

Houston ISD are looking for individuals to fill the following two positions. Follow the instructions indicated to apply for each respective position.

During a November 4 site visit to Carver High School in Aldine ISD, the 18 aspiring principals in Houston A+ Challenge's Regional Principal Leadership Academy witnessed a new Carver tradition being carried on between cohorts of A+ Principal Interns.

Last year as an Intern, Alfred James focused his Action Research Project on improving student attendance at Carver. James -- now Principal of Aldine's Caraway Intermediate School -- created "Panther Presence," a bulletin board spotlighting each class' weekly first-period attendance and rewarding classes that maintain a 100% average.

The word collaboration gets tossed around quite a bit these days. Businesses emphasize cross-department collaboration, community organizations see the value in it, and district offices use it as a battle cry. But how does it translate on a school campus? For the answer, check out Stovall Academy for Environmental Studies in Aldine ISD. 

Will classroom instruction and children’s learning improve through the infusion of the arts into the core curricula?

That's exactly what a team from Anderson Academy in Aldine ISD spent the last two years researching, with the support of a Critical Friends Group As Research Team Grant from the Houston A+ Challenge.

Nestled in the Acres Homes community in northwes

In the summer of 2008, when Youngblood Intermediate School Principal Pam Bruner asked veteran teachers Pam Parrish and Candy Gilmer if they would like to pilot a new math program for the school year, they were interested but cautious.

It's a typical response from teachers when they hear about Reasoning Mind, a technology-driven math program for elementary students where students work through online curriculum as the teacher provides additional real-time support, resources, and instruction. Youngblood receives funding to implement the program through a partnership between Houston A+ Challenge and the ExxonMobil Foundation.