Since its inception in 1997, Houston Annenberg Challenge has trained more than

360 CFG coaches, who work with hundreds of additional local administrators and

teachers in Critical Friends Groups. The Houston Annenberg Challenge, through

its higher education program, is introducing CFG into higher education and

teacher preparation programs in Houston. Here is the story of one group, whose

impact has been felt as far away as South Africa.

The Partnership for Quality Education (PQE), funded by a U.S. Department

of Education Teacher Quality Partnership Grant, is a collaborative of The

Houston Annenberg Challenge, four Houston-area universities, a community

college system and six school districts. The PQE and The Houston Annenberg

Challenge share a common goal—increased student academic achievement

through improved instructional effectiveness. Critical Friends Groups (CFGs)

provide an ideal framework for achieving this goal. By bringing together groups of colleagues to examine their teaching practices, CFGs give

educators ongoing professional development that enhances faculty and student achievement.

Through support from The Houston Annenberg Challenge, Texas Southern University (TSU), a PQE partner, has expanded its CFG initiative.

The TSU College of Education Critical Friends Group has (a) helped doctoral students present papers at a national conference, (b) served as a

catalyst for the funding of three Research and Sponsored Programs seed grants, (c) supported a writing project to produce an article and three

chapters in an upcoming book and (d) introduced CFG to several partners in South Africa.

The faculty members in the College of Education at TSU who make up the Critical Friends Group have worked together for 13 years. However,

their recent CFG work has enhanced their professional lives tremendously and resulted in the improvement of their teaching, research and

community service.

The first TSU faculty member to become part of CFG was Dr. Carol Hightower Parker, an associate professor in the Counselor Education

department. Hightower Parker heard of CFG while working with Dr. Louise Deretchin, director of higher education for The Houston Annenberg

Challenge, and the TSU College of Education on program reform. After completing CFG coaches training in the summer of 2000, Hightower

Parker used the skills to see that her counseling students developed as reflective practitioners. The reflective practice technique proved useful in

helping students become better decision makers in their work with clients.

Dr. Claudette Ligons, professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at TSU, became involved with CFG through her work

with the PQE. After attending the five-day CFG coaches training in the summer of 2001, Ligons wove her new skills into her work with

WorksSCHOOL

SPRING/SUMMER 2002 V O L U M E 9

Established in January 1997 with funding from the Annenberg Foundation and local matching contributions, The Houston Annenberg Challengeis an independent, public-private partnership that develops and funds school programs, professional development and leadership institutes topromote higher academic achievement by all students.

CFG. . . continued on page 6

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E H O U S T O N A N N E N B E R G C H A L L E N G E

A CRITICAL FRIENDS GROUP GOES TO COLLEGEBy Dr. Claudette Ligons, Dr. Lillian B. Poats and Dr. Carol Hightower Parker

Dr. Claudette Ligons, Dr. Carol Hightower Parker and Dr. Lillian B. Poats of TSU.

critical component of our Houston Annenberg Challenge/Houston ISD High School Reform

Initiative is bringing the community that surrounds and supports each high school into the

decision-making process to restructure the schools. Without strong community support, our efforts

along with Houston ISD to reshape the city’s 24 large high schools into 21st century learning

communities will be spotty at best.

At Houston Annenberg, one of our three beliefs or imperatives is personalization, which means that

personal attention to an issue is one of the keys to effecting change. So to personalize the high school restructuring

effort for the community, Houston Annenberg is co-hosting 24 individual community luncheons. The first of these was

April 24 for the Yates High School community to go over details of how the campus will implement the High School

Reform Initiative.

More than 35 people attended, including representatives from neighborhood churches, feeder pattern schools, Houston

ISD’s South Central District office, parents, grandparents, PTAs, business partners, community-based organizations and

Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

Yates Executive Principal Dr. Robert Worthy and a team of four teachers and six students outlined the need to

transform the school, how the transition would go forward, how the changes would affect the school and community

and what support they needed from the community.

Afterward, Rev. Manson B. Johnson, shepherd-teacher of Holman Street Baptist Church, assessed the progress the

school made that day. “The luncheon was a first step to a successful journey for Jack Yates High School, stakeholders

and the community,” said Rev. Manson, who also is a member of the Oversight Committee for High School Reform.

“Congratulations to Robert F. Worthy for making these first steps toward great opportunities. This journey is a

proven model for the future of Houston public schools,” he added.

Look for the remaining 23 luncheons to begin when school starts again in August.

s part of a citywide effort to upgrade high schools, Houston

Annenberg Challenge and Houston ISD have formed a 15-member

committee representing business and the community to oversee the

five-year High School Reform Initiative underway at all 24 large,

comprehensive secondary schools in the district.

Chaired by John Cater, retired chairman of Compass Bank, and

George Martinez, chairman of Sterling Bancshares, the committee will

advise, recommend, advocate and suggest strategies for implementation of

the Initiative.

“This is a workforce issue,” said Victor Samuels, a member of the

Oversight Committee and chairman of Victory Packaging, Inc. “In 2015,

as many as 15 million jobs in our country will go begging if we don’t

change our high schools, graduate more students and educate our

children to high enough standards to hold these jobs. We’ve got to

move high schools forward to eliminate this significant shortfall,”

added Samuels, who also is a member of the Board of Trustees of

Houston Annenberg.

The High School Reform Initiative will restructure Houston’s

large, comprehensive high schools to increase the graduation rate

and improve student achievement. Students will be organized into

groups of 200 to 300, have the same teachers for more than one year,

have an adult advocate to track their progress, take a more rigorous

curriculum and receive real-world experience.

Linda Clarke

HIGH SCHOOL REFORM INITIATIVE FORMS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

2

A

From the Director

A

In June, the second class of Fellows will

graduate from Houston Annenberg’s

Leadership Academy. Designed after the

prestigious Harvard Graduate School of

Education Principals’ Center, almost 50 local

principals have participated in the program

since its inception in 2000.

Training during the two-year program is

designed to provide principals with the

opportunity to develop skills that support the

leadership talents necessary for being an

effective principal in the 21st century school.

During their first year, Fellows attend

monthly meetings to gain and share insight

with their colleagues from other schools and

school districts. They also attend seminars

with national education experts.

A significant

portion of year

one is dedicated

to writing a

personal

professional

development

plan based on a

thorough skills

assessment.

And, at the

conclusion of the first year, each principal

must complete an exhibition sharing his or

her goals and growth to peers. During their

second year, Fellows continue to share with

their peers on an informal basis and also serve

as mentors for new Academy participants.

“One of the most beneficial aspects of the

Leadership Academy was the true camaraderie

and support from my peers,” said Samuel

Sarabia, a 2000 Fellow who is now principal

of Roberts Elementary School in Houston

ISD. “I enjoyed being able to brainstorm with

my peers in a non-competitive environment

and have been able to carry the philosophies

I learned at the Leadership Academy into my

meetings with

staff, parents and

community

members.”

Another 2000

Fellow, Houston

ISD’s Northwest

District

Superintendent

Joe Nuber, agrees.

“Leadership

Academy gave us the opportunity to

collaborate with each other in a formalized

setting,” said Nuber. “It also helped me

understand the importance of setting aside

time for personal professional development

and personal goal setting.”

Nuber also worked with Houston

Annenberg and American Leadership Forum

this spring to carry some of these ideas a step

further by organizing a district leaders retreat.

Nuber invited principals, representatives from

area agencies, instructional personnel,

parents, university officials and community

members to the three-day retreat. One of

the main priorities was to teach the

importance of the collaboration between

groups of stakeholders and to write several

action plans for the coming year.

“This was the first time many of these

people had the opportunity to share their

vision for local schools with school officials,”

said Tim Skaggs, a consultant for American

Leadership Forum.

“Our objective is to take the plans we de-

veloped at the retreat and structure leadership

training for the school administrators and

teachers that helps move that vision forward.”

Applications are currently being accepted

for the 2002-2003 Leadership Academy,

which begins in June. For more information,

call 713-658-1881 or visit the website at

http://www.houstonannenberg.org.

3

Leadership Academy Grads Use Skills in New Roles

Samuel Sarabia

Joe Nuber

Brenda White - Fondren Elementary

Bruce Goffney - Wheatley High School

Carolyn Matthews - Elrod Elementary

Chris Pichon - Best Elementary

Deborah Crowe - Hogg Middle School

Diana Johnson - R. P. Harris Elementary

Felecia German - Poe Elementary

Gina Rigsby - Reed Intermediate

Kaye Harper - Spring Branch Elementary

Lawrence Kohn - Quest High School

Linda Balkin - Johnston Middle School

Mary Jane Gomez - Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary

Mary Sanders-Denmon - J. Will Jones Elementary

Micho Moore - Olle Middle School

Norma Perez-Gwynn - Wilson Elementary

Pat Thomas - Halpin Early Childhood Center

Raul Hinojosa - Helms Community Learning Center

Ray Morgan - Waltrip High School

Rhonda Johnson - Hoffman Middle School

Shannon Weigel - Community Education Partners

Sharon Anson - Scarborough High School

Stephanie Rhodes - Reece Academy

Wilma Wilson-Harmon - Foerster Elementary

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 2001 FELLOWS

4

CHAMPIONS OF ACTIVE LEARNING GRANTS SUPPORT HANDS-ON LEARNING

For the past two years, JP Morgan Foundation has awarded

grants to local teachers and schools through its Champions

of Active Learning program. This year, teachers from two

Houston Annenberg schools received $5,000 per project for their efforts in developing innovative

instructional programs that result in improved achievement for middle

school students. “At JPMorgan Chase, we understand the importance of

helping the next generation and serving the community. We are pleased to offer this program

to HISD middle schools,” said David Mendez, Chairman of JPMorgan Chase Bank-Houston Region.

Other schools that are past winners of the grants include Operation Green Garden at Hogg Middle

School, The Rocket Project at Jackson Middle School, a Core Values project at Johnston Middle

School and Connections at Pershing Middle School. The program is sponsored by JP Morgan

Foundation and administered by the Public Education Network (PEN). Houston Annenberg is a member of PEN.

The 2002-2003 winners will be announced in June. The 2001-2002 grant recipients were:

Ruth Bonetati

Johnston Middle School

“If We Build It, They Will Come”

This program is a math-based exploration of building

design, planning and construction culminating in the

creation of a scale city. The students gain hands-on

experience as they plan, design and construct the city

and its buildings.

Lisa Viktorin

Johnston Middle School

“Team 8M Backyard Wildlife Habitat”

Students, teachers and parents work together to certify the

academic team’s School-Yard Wildlife Habitat. Students’

observations on seasonal patterns and migrations are

entered into a national database with other activities

including essay writing and the creation of an outdoor

mural adjacent to the garden.

Ann Mitchell and Linda Cook

Pershing Middle School

“Pollution Solutions”

Students research and investigate the realities of pollution

and its effect on daily life and seek workable solutions.

Students explore local environmental issues through active

labs, field studies, field trips, research and measurement.

Their findings are displayed at an end-of-year

Environmental Expo.

Jamie McPhail, JulieWeek,Erline Grabbe andLisaChestnut

Pershing Middle School

“Pershing Settlement: The Colonization of a Middle School”

Pershing Settlement gives students the opportunity to

experience life during colonial times. A colonial town is

created, with the students serving as artisans, tradesmen,

soldiers and shopkeepers. The students create crafts and

demonstrations displayed in the stores, homes, military

encampment and a Native American village. Younger

students visit the settlement with the older students serving

as their teachers.

PUBLICATIONS OF NOTE

If you would like your publication to be

considered for inclusion in Publications of

Note, please send a copy of the book, along

with ordering information, to Editor, School

Works, 1415 Louisiana, Box 9, Houston,

Texas 77002.

s a freshman at Reagan High School, Victor Puentes was

a good student but often became bored with class work.

“Sometimes, it seemed like all we did was try to memorize

chapters in a textbook,” said Puentes. “I just wanted to be part

of something more.”

When offered the opportunity to participate in the

“Transformation Reagan” project during his sophomore year,

Puentes eagerly jumped at the chance to help shape the future of

Reagan High School for himself and his fellow students.

“I’ve always been involved in school activities and became very

interested in Reagan’s Climate committee,” said Puentes, a National

Honor Society member who has also

served as class president for three

years. “It gave me a chance to

share ideas with the teachers and

other committee members who

were trying to make Reagan a

better school.”

As the Climate committee, which

is charged with developing school

culture, and Transformation Reagan’s

other sub-committees began to re-

design Reagan, a school-within-a-school model soon took shape.

“Every student is placed in a society or academy,” said Puentes.

“During your freshman and sophomore years, you have the same

group of teachers. And, during your junior and senior years, you

have a new group of teachers that stay with you both years. It’s

really neat to see how the teachers work together to make school

interesting for us. They work together on project assignments so

that we might be assigned one project across four different classes.

When we finish the project, our English teacher may be looking at

grammar while our geography teacher may be looking at different

things.

“They also talk a lot to each other and know what’s going on in

different classes with different students. You can struggle with

something in first period and by fourth period, your teacher already

knows about it and can help you. It’s pretty cool.”

In addition to this team approach to teaching, teachers have also

revamped their individual teaching styles to become more learner-

centered. “When we get out in the real world, we’re not going to

get handed a worksheet to turn in at the end of the day,” said

Puentes. “At Reagan, we’re learning how to work in groups with

other students and we’re not just memorizing things. We’re actually

seeing how they work for real.”

Another benefit of the school-within-a-school model, according to

Puentes, is the individualized attention that students now receive.

“It was really hard to move from a middle school, where there were

maybe 100 students in your grade, to a high school with more than

500 students in your class. Having a smaller number of students in

your society makes it less intimidating and gives you more

confidence about your abilities.”

Victor Puentes is a senior at Reagan High School in Houston ISD.

He plans on attending University of Houston-Downtown to

complete his core courses in a marketing/business major before

transferring to an out-of-state school to focus on a career in the

fashion industry. He is a member of the Key Club, the Future

Business Leaders of America and the Gents Club, a community

service project.

Transformation Reagan is a joint effort between Reagan, its

community, Houston ISD and The Houston Annenberg Challenge.

The lessons learned at Reagan will be applied as Houston ISD seeks

to revamp the district’s remaining 23 comprehensive high schools

in the Houston Annenberg Challenge/Houston ISD High School

Reform Initiative.

5

Calendar o f Events

MAY16 K-5 Math Initiative Community Advisory Board Meeting31 PQE Deans’ Leadership Meeting

JUNE11-13 Critical Friends Group New Coaches Training11-13 Critical Friends Group Leadership Seminar

13 Critical Friends Group Experienced Coaches Training17 Leadership Academy Graduation

19-21 Leadership Academy Begins26 FRSSI Facilitator Training

JULY/AUGUST7/25 FRSSI Facilitator Training

7/31-8/2 Fondren Reforming Schools Summer Institute

SEPTEMBER3 Leadership Academy Monthly Meeting

20-21 Critical Friends Group New Coaches Seminar 27-28 Leadership Academy Retreat

OCTOBER1 Leadership Academy Monthly Meeting

NOVEMBER5 Leadership Academy Monthly Meeting

DECEMBER3 Leadership Academy Monthly Meeting

Victor Puentes

TRANSFORMATION REAGAN: A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVEAn Interview with Reagan High School Senior Victor Puentes

A

a multi-institutional English curriculum

design team, into her doctoral classes and

formed a faculty Critical Friends Group

Abroad with colleagues in South Africa.

The latest addition to the group is

Dr. Lillian B. Poats, professor in the

Department of Educational Administration

and Foundations at TSU. The three

colleagues then used the Critical Friends

model to work together to begin submitting

their writing for publication. Ligons and

Hightower-Parker served as CFG coaches to

facilitate the process.

Ligons’ work at Eastern Cape Technikon

(ECT), a university in East London, South

Africa is part of a Tertiary Education Linkage

Project (TELP) that is based in the School of

Technology at TSU. The curriculum and

faculty development activities began in 1999.

In the partnership, Ligons collaborates

with colleagues at ECT to support

curriculum and faculty professional

development. The focus of the work has been

professional development for faculty to result

in more learner-centered, competency-

focused teaching in high expectation

climates. This work grows out of an

institutional commitment to raise student

retention rates through improved

programming and enhanced instruction.

These institutional outcomes are directly tied

to national mandates from the government of

South Africa to make education more

inclusive and democratic—increasing the

success rates among students in K-12 and

higher education settings.

Ligons’ initial involvement, in 1999,

was a three-day intensive workshop on

competency-based and learner-focused

instruction for a core group of 22 South

African educators. This core faculty group,

representing the four campuses of Eastern

Cape Technikon, assumed responsibility for

conducting workshops for colleagues in

their respective departments. From the core

group of 22, five were selected to take a 27-

day graduate course in individualized

instruction at Texas Southern University in

the fall of 2000.

The TELP partners are examining the CFG

model as a vehicle to rejuvenate the profess-

ional development efforts at ECT. Moreover,

it will potentially create a more structured

way for faculty to support each other’s work.

During the summer of 2001, ECT partners

began to examine and study CFG literature

and protocols. By the fall 2001, Josephine

Rice, program coordinator of The Houston

Annenberg Challenge, had joined the

partnership to provide insight and expertise

on the integration of CFGs into the

professional development initiative at ECT.

Rice, Irene Harvey of ECT and Ligons

collaborated in the development and

presentation of a paper at a recent

national conference.

The first in a series of three video-

conferences, which included the TSU CFG,

was conducted March 15, 2002. Broadcast

from the TSU School of Technology, the

electronic professional development

experience centered on helping a member

of the group work through a dilemma related

to her doctoral students’ writing goals.

According to Ms. Rice, “The video

conference was a compelling experience. It

provided an opportunity for colleagues to

have a meaningful conversation around

important topics related to teaching and

learning…. The group resisted the urge to

‘fix’ the dilemma and rather asked questions

to provoke thinking more expansively about

the problem. Also, the discussion surfaced

key assumptions that we make about what

students know and are able to do.”

In conclusion, we see the potential to

breathe new life into the long-term

professional development initiative at ECT

through the use of Critical Friends Groups.

Critical Friends Group. . . continued from page 1

6

The Work in South Africa

A limited number of spots are still available for The Houston Annenberg ChallengeCritical Friends Group Seminars June 11-13 and September 20-21. Deadline for earlyregistration and payment was May 3 but those interested may still register foravailable spots on a first-come, first-served basis. All seminars take place at theUniversity of Houston Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. For more information onregistering for any of the following sessions, call 713-658-1881 or visit the website athttp://www.houstonannenberg.org.

NEW COACH SEMINAR June 11-13 and September 20-21Cost: $1,200 per coach (does not include lodging)

EXPERIENCED COACH SEMINAR June 13Cost: $250 per person (does not include lodging)

ANNENBERG CFG LEADERSHIP SEMINAR June 11-13Cost: $525 per person (does not include lodging)

Houston Annenberg is the only center of activity for CFG on the Gulf Coast recognized

by the National School Reform Faculty.

Critical Friends Group Summer Seminar Series

7

The following excerpt is from a paper presented at a conference earlier

this year by Dr. Claudette Ligons of Texas Southern University, Irene

Sass Harvey of Eastern Cape Technikon and Josephine Rice of The

Houston Annenberg Challenge. The full text of the paper, which

discusses the use of Critical Friends Group protocol in the reform efforts

of South Africa, can be viewed at www.houstonannenberg.org.

Concern for improved life quality and a nation’s advancement

inevitably involve a re-examination of the education system.

The end of the apartheid system of government spawned a number

of legislative initiatives that promised improved life quality in

South Africa. In 1995, the South African Qualifications Authority

(SAQA) legislation was enacted to oversee the development and

implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF),

the centerpiece of the nation’s reform in education. A major

intent was to expand citizens’ access to quality education

across the spectrum.

(In conjunction), the National Department of Education in South

Africa designed a new approach to teaching and learning, called

Curriculum 2005, which demands a shift from a subject-centered

curriculum to one that is learner-centered. This reform agenda

created a need for professional development to support faculty

success in an innovative paradigm that is based on new

philosophies, practices and instructional delivery modes.

In the United States, education (also) has come under increasing

scrutiny. Under the past three presidential administrations there has

been a focus on school reform. The commitment to improved

education is continuing under the current presidential

administration.

In 1998, Eastern Cape Technikon, a Historically Disadvantaged

Institution with an enrollment of more than 4,000 students, and

Texas Southern University, a historically Black institution that serves

a diverse population of more than 8,000 students from more than 60

countries, formed a partnership through a Tertiary Education

Linkage Project (TELP) grant to address issues raised by the new

government-mandated reforms.

With student retention as a primary goal, the two groups began to

use research in the area of effective professional development to

provide faculty with the necessary tools to complete curriculum

redesign and program improvement. A summary of research

identified three structural factors (along with others) that contribute

to the success of professional development: form, duration and

participation.

The experience with professional development at ECT, as has

proven consistent in findings in other places, has established that

traditional single-session workshops are inadequate to meet the

intended outcomes. While no formal structures were developed,

faculty members were encouraged to work with colleagues in their

respective departments to continue developing and refining skills

that were introduced in workshops.

At ECT, data from an initial skills audit of their faculty revealed

that the majority of the academic staff had little experience with no

formal teaching qualification, their knowledge of the government-

mandated changes was filtered from its original context and that

while an overwhelming majority of them saw the restructuring

process as necessary and important, a very small minority had spent

any significant time on the effort.

To address these and other issues supported by research in the

area of effective professional development, the two institutions

turned to The Houston Annenberg Challenge and the Critical

Friends Group professional development model, which provides a

vehicle for improving student learning, looking more effectively at

student work and for developing significant collegial collaborations.

The institutions identified a series of ongoing professional

development workshops to address ECT’s most pressing needs. In

an effort to reduce faculty isolation and build capacity through active

learning, the Critical Friends Group will create formal structures to

reach and sustain their long-term goal of improving programming

and markedly increase student retention.

Professional Development Plays Key Role in Successful Reform Efforts

From July 31 through August 2, The Houston

Annenberg Challenge will present the 2002 Fondren

Reforming Schools Summer Institute. Over the past six

years, more than nearly 2,000 local educators have

participated in the annual conference. The 2002

conference, which takes place at the University of

Houston Hilton Hotel, will feature five strands

including Mathematics, Literacy, Fine Arts, High School

and Reform.

Cost of the institute is $600 per school team.

Registration deadline is June 15. In addition, those

interested in serving as presenters or in providing a

display for the Gallery Walk should contact The

Houston Annenberg Challenge at 713-658-1881. There

are also opportunities for students to earn community

service hours by volunteering at the Institute. For

more information, look for details in the mail or visit

the website at www.houstonannenberg.org.

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND 2002 FRSSI

he George Foundation has awarded The Houston Annenberg Challenge a $25,000 grantto put into place an expanded network of professional development for mathematics

specialists and teachers that is part of the K-5 Mathematics Initiative. The Initiative is a jointproject of the ExxonMobil Foundation, The Houston Annenberg Challenge and the HoustonIndependent School District (HISD).

The George Foundation award will enable Fort Bend ISD to address student achievementin mathematics by providing ongoing professional development for staff and by sharingexpertise across district lines.

The program, which began in eight of HISD’s Southwest District schools last year andexpanded to 13 schools this year, places math specialists in participating elementary schoolsto co-teach and coach teachers in effective mathematical practices in the classroom. Thesespecialists also facilitate a parent mathematics series and family mathematics activities.

Preliminary data indicates that the Mathematics Initiative is having a positive impact onstudent achievement. According to Stanford 9 scores (a nationally recognized achievementtest), data indicates that Houston ISD students involved in the Math Initiative significantlyoutscored their counterparts at non-participating schools.

Goals of the Fort Bend program include decreasing the gap between minority and non-minority student passing rates, increasing passing rates on TAAS, building teacher expertisein mathematics and exposing students to higher-level problem solving skills.

The Fort Bend specialists will work across school district lines with specialists in HISDand Alief ISD. The specialists will work hand-in-hand with classroom teachers as part of co-teaching, grade level planning, working with parents and planning professionaldevelopment for teachers and administrators. The specialists in Houston are new, hiredduring the 2000-2001 school year. Alief and Fort Bend have had campus math specialists fora number of years.

“The additional resources provided by the grant from The George Foundation promises tohelp bring focus and momentum to teaching mathematics to elementary students throughthe Math Initiative with ExxonMobil,” said Linda Clarke, executive director of The HoustonAnnenberg Challenge.

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

#11363HOUSTON, TEXAS

1415 Louisiana, Box 9 Houston, Texas 77002-7332

713-658-1881 fax 713-739-0166www.houstonannenberg.org

SchoolWorks is published by: Houston Annenberg Challenge1415 Louisiana, Box 9 Houston, Tx 77002

713.658.1881 / 713.739.0166 (fax)

Executive Director: Linda ClarkeDirector of Programs: Michele Pola Director of Public Affairs: Nan Powers Varoga

www.houstonannenberg.org

K-5 MATHEMATICS INITIATIVE EXPANDS TO FORT BEND ISD THE HOUSTON ANNENBERG CHALLENGE

BOARD OF TRUSTEESJonathan Day, Chairman

Managing PartnerAndrews & Kurth, Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, LLP

Andrea White, PresidentCivic Volunteer

Janice Dupuy, SecretaryConsultant, NUCO

BOARD MEMBERSLeonel Castillo

Education Liaison, Mayor’s Office

Joe B. FosterChairman, President & CEO

Newfield Exploration Company

Ann Friedman, Ph.D.Adjunct Professor, The University of Houston

H. Devon Graham, Jr.R.E. Smith Interest

Jenard GrossPresident, Gross Investments

Linda P. LayReal Estate Development

Daniel LeffChief Operating Officer, Enron Energy Services

Karol Musher, M.A., CCC-SLPSpeech, Language and Learning Disorders

Texas Children’s Hospital

Maconda Brown O’Connor, Ph.D.President, Brown Foundation

Harry ReasonerManaging Partner, Vinson & Elkins, LLP

J. Victor SamuelsChairman, Victory Packaging

Nellie Carr Thorogood, Ph.D.Vice-Chancellor for Organizational

Development & Institutional Renewal, North Harris Montgomery

Community College District

H. Michael TysonVice Chairman, Retired, Chase Bank Texas

Rosie ZamoraPresident, Telesurveys Research Associates

T