Texas High School Project
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| Texas High School Project | |
|---|---|
| Name | Texas High School Project |
| Type | Nonprofit initiative |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Key people | Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Michael Dell, Susan Dell, Bill Gates, George W. Bush |
| Focus | Secondary school reform, college readiness, workforce pathways |
Texas High School Project
The Texas High School Project is a statewide initiative launched in 2006 focused on transforming secondary education in Texas, emphasizing college readiness, career pathways, and dropout prevention. Supported by philanthropic partners and state agencies, the Project has worked with districts, charter operators, and postsecondary institutions to redesign high school models, scale rigorous curricula, and align with workforce demands. Its activities intersect with policy debates involving Texas Education Agency, Texas Legislature, and national philanthropic actors such as the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
History
The Project was established amid national reform efforts influenced by figures like Arne Duncan, Condoleezza Rice, and initiatives such as No Child Left Behind Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Early pilots drew on models from KIPP, Knowledge Is Power Program, and urban turnaround strategies implemented in cities including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas. Key milestones included collaborations with charter networks like IDEA Public Schools and YES Prep Public Schools, adoption of standards linked to the Common Core State Standards Initiative debates, and alignment with higher education institutions such as The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University.
Governance and Funding
Governance involved boards and advisory groups with representation from philanthropies including the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, corporate leaders like Michael Dell, and public officials from the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Funding streams combined private grants, such as from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, with state contracts and district contributions. Fiscal oversight intersected with procurement practices scrutinized under laws like the Texas Public Information Act and political contexts involving actors such as Rick Perry, Greg Abbott, and policy advisors connected to Council of Chief State School Officers.
Programs and Initiatives
Programs emphasized dual credit partnerships with community colleges including Austin Community College District and Houston Community College, career academies modeled on the Linked Learning approach, and pathways to STEM fields partnering with entities like Texas State Technical College and research universities including Rice University. Initiatives included dropout recovery models similar to those used by Diplomas Now and competency-based strategies reflective of experiments at Western Governors University. Curriculum supports integrated work-based learning, aligning with industry partners such as Dell Technologies and healthcare systems like UT Health Houston.
Partnerships and Collaborations
The Project formed alliances with charter management organizations like IDEA Public Schools, KIPP Foundation, and YES Prep, as well as traditional districts including Dallas Independent School District and Houston Independent School District. Higher education partners included The University of Texas System, Texas A&M University System, and community college consortia. Corporate and nonprofit collaborators ranged from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to local employers like MD Anderson Cancer Center, workforce boards tied to Workforce Solutions entities, and national intermediaries such as Jobs for the Future and Achieve, Inc..
Impact and Evaluations
Independent evaluations compared outcomes using metrics employed by organizations like RAND Corporation and Mathematica Policy Research, examining graduation rates, college enrollment, and credit accumulation in dual enrollment programs. Reported gains in certain districts paralleled improvements documented in studies of dual enrollment and career and technical education by entities such as National Student Clearinghouse and College Board. The Project’s influence has been cited in policy briefs from Pew Charitable Trusts and analyses by the Education Commission of the States.
Criticism and Controversies
Critics raised concerns tied to privatization debates featuring advocates and opponents of charter expansion such as Eva Moskowitz and Diane Ravitch, questioning accountability, equity, and the role of large philanthropies like the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Controversies involved transparency reviews under the Texas State Auditor framework, debates in the Texas Legislature over funding allocations, and scrutiny from local teacher organizations including chapters of Texas State Teachers Association and national unions like the National Education Association. Analyses by scholars associated with Teachers College, Columbia University and commentators from The Texas Tribune highlighted tensions between innovation goals and community control.