Research and Reports
THSP Research and Reports Archive
Gathering Feedback for Teaching
Posted January 17, 2012
This report is intended for policymakers and practitioners wanting to understand the implications of the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project’s interim analysis of classroom observations. Those wanting to explore all the technical aspects of the study and analysis also should read the companion research report, available at www.metproject.org.
Together, these two documents on classroom observations represent the second pair of publications from the MET project. In December 2010, the project released its initial analysis of measures of student perceptions and student achievement in Learning about Teaching: Initial Findings from the Measures of Effective Teaching Project. Two more reports are planned for mid-2012: one on the implications of assigning weights to different measures; another using random assignment to study the extent to which student assignment may affect teacher effectiveness results.
In fall 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project to test new approaches to measuring effective teaching. The Texas High School Project (THSP) worked closely with the Dallas Independent School District in the launch and implementation of the MET project. THSP is now working to share data, lessons learned, and best practices from this project with school districts across the state.
Read the full report here.
2011-12 THSP Campus Leader Questionnaire
Posted January 09, 2012
This survey is designed to collect current enrollment data, program elements and the campus leaders’ perceptions of program impact and implementation. Responses will be used to tailor supports (technical assistance and professional development) to campuses during the school year. THSP will also use information collected to produce one page summaries of each campus and aggregate responses for reports that can be shared with participants and partners.
All THSP campus leaders have been invited to respond. Participation is strictly voluntary.
The questionnaire should take approximately 10 minutes to complete once certain data (bulleted below) has been gathered.
• School’s mission statement, curriculum overview and any recognitions/awards received
• 2011-12 campus enrollment for the ECHS or T-STEM academy by grade, gender, ethnicity and special populations served
• Dual credit courses offered by subject area, instructor type and method of delivery
• Advanced Placement courses offered by subject
• Other topics include information about college readiness assessments, professional certifications and perceptions of the program
You may want to print a hard copy of the questionnaire to review before completing online.
If you have questions, please contact Kristin Kuhne, research analyst at kkuhne@cftexas.org or 214-750-4259.
High School Reforms that Work
Posted December 01, 2011
Between 2004 and 2009, the Texas High School Project (THSP) began an extensive, statewide effort to restructure and revitalize struggling schools through the administration of grants and the provision of expert assistance. The primary focus of THSP’s reform efforts was the creation of small learning communities within large, comprehensive high schools. This initiative was aligned with a nationwide “small schools” movement led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that sought to reduce the dropout rate and raise student achievement scores by personalizing the learning environment.
After the conclusion of the grant period, THSP identified four schools in Texas, Akins High School, Austin High School, Dunbar High School, and North Side High School, as having made meaningful gains in student performance scores on standardized tests. This report explores the recent reform efforts made at these four campuses, identifying specific changes funded by THSP grants at each campus that led to increases in student achievement.
THSP contracted with a research team at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas to review the schools’ leadership structures and practices, the effectiveness of their teachers, the learning systems that affect instruction and student performance, and the schools’ performance management systems that allow for datadriven decision-making.
The reports are available here.
High School Reforms that Work_Comprehensive
High School Reforms that Work_Stephen F. Austin
High SchooL Reforms that Work_Akins
Texas Regional Access Plan
Posted October 28, 2011
In 2010, the Texas High School Project/Communities Foundation of Texas, Greater Texas Foundation, Houston Endowment, and The Meadows Foundation engaged FSG Social Impact Advisors to identify and research historically underserved regions in Texas where targeted postsecondary completion efforts could be most impactful. The regions were identified based on several factors, e.g. postsecondary completion data and number of students receiving Pell grants and include: Central Texas, El Paso, Gulf Coast, Metroplex and South Texas.
Click on the links below for an overview of the Texas landscape and for region-specific summaries. The overview of the Texas landscape includes a summary of the Texas higher education landscape and opportunities, a plan for improving postsecondary outcomes through collective impact, and a description of the need for a statewide and regional approach.
Creating and Scaling Innovative School Models Through Strategic Partnerships
Posted October 27, 2011
Increasing academic rigor, changing instruction,creating work-based pathways, and taking innovative risks to prepare students for their choice of postsecondary pursuits requires a significant shift in how students are educated. Making such a change during times of fiscal scarcity can be difficult, but is not impossible if done with an eye toward efficiency, coordination, and scale. One method of accomplishing all this is through strategic partnerships that align skills and resources with a common goal.
Click here to download the full article.
Making the Grade
Posted March 30, 2011
Title: Making the Grade: Texas Early College High Schools Prepare Students for College
Author: Jobs for the Future
Date: March 2011
Description: This report studies the successes and lessons of two Texas early colleges: Mission Early College High School in El Paso and Collegiate High School in Corpus Christi.
Click here to download the Executive Summary. Click here to download the full report.
College Success for All
Posted March 11, 2011
Title: College Success for All: How the Hidalgo Independent School District Is Adopting Early College as a District-wide Strategy
Author: Thand Nodine
Date: October, 2010
Summary: The Hidalgo Independent School District is expanding college readiness by preparing all students to earn college credits while they are still in high school.
Click here to download the full report (.pdf - 2.5MB)
Case Study of Manor New Tech High School
Posted March 10, 2011
Promising Practices for Comprehensive High Schools
School follows several high school redesign principles such as small learning communities and rigorous coursework with realworld applications, and is focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Through a case study of MNTH centered on teacher surveys an interviews, E3 Alliance identifies a selection of practices that potentially apply to comprehensive high schools committed to improving student outcomes in STEM fields.\
