2011 A+ Scholars Campout
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A Day in the Life of the Challenge Network
Meet Christopher Perez, one of nearly 1,800 so-called "average" students who is benefiting this year from personalized attention, extra time on task, academic enrichment and social-emotional support.
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From Good to Great
A primary goal of the Challenge Network is to help schools significantly increase the number of students who are not just "proficient", but who are on track to be truly ready for post-secondary success.
Another main goal of the initiative is to increase the capacity of teachers and school leaders, in order to sustain gains beyond the two years of assistance from A+.
If the results prove to be as promising as we anticipate, A+ aims to expand the Challenge Network to reach 50,000 children in 70 schools throughout the greater Houston area within six years.
Read more in Initiative Overview.
Schools of the Challenge Network
To help prepare more students for post-secondary success, six middle school campuses from across the region were selected take part in the Challenge Network starting in 2010.
An A+ Performance Coach and a Communities in Schools coordinator has been assigned to each Challenge Network school for two years, to help teachers and school leaders focus on increasing student achievement in literacy and/or mathematics for a targeted group of students, called A+ Scholars.
Need more information? Visit our FAQ.
The Challenge is Real
New research shows that middle school students who simply pass state tests in 8th grade may have as low as a 15 percent chance of being on track for post-secondary success by the time they are in 11th grade.
Students who achieve at higher levels in 8th grade are UP TO FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY to remain on track for success through high school, and graduate prepared for college and a well-paying career.
